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Crehan v. Louisiana

Updated Sep 18, 2026

In brief

The Supreme Court did not decide whether Crehan was entitled to relief; it wiped out the earlier ruling and sent the case back for reconsideration under Ramos.

Where it stands
Case remanded

Remanded · April 27, 2020

What it’s about
Jace Crehan challenged Louisiana’s use of a nonunanimous jury verdict in his case. The Court wiped out (vacated) the state appeals court’s ruling and sent the case back (remanded) for reconsideration in light of Ramos v.
Who it affects
The order requires Louisiana's appeals court to reconsider Crehan's case using Ramos. It did not decide whether Crehan had raised the jury-unanimity issue properly earlier in the case.

Summary: written with AI from the case record.

Illustration for Crehan v. Louisiana
Conceptual illustration · AI-generated

What it's about

Louisiana, without deciding whether Crehan properly raised the issue earlier.

This was a grant-vacate-remand (GVR), meaning the Court ordered another look after Ramos rather than deciding Crehan's case on its merits.

Question presented

Whether Petitioner was constitutionally entitled to a unanimous jury under the Fifth, Sixth, and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution?

What the Court decided

Holding

Motion to proceed in forma pauperis and petition for a writ of certiorari GRANTED. Judgment VACATED and case REMANDED for further consideration in light of Ramos v. Louisiana , 590 U. S. ___ (2020). Justice Alito, concurring in the decision to grant, vacate, and remand: In this and in all other cases in which the Court grants, vacates, and remands in light of Ramos v. Louisiana , I concur in the judgment on the understanding that the Court is not deciding or expressing a view on whether the question was properly raised below but is instead leaving that question to be decided on remand.

Result
Remanded

What's next

The Louisiana appeals court must reconsider the case in light of Ramos v. Louisiana. That court must also address whether Crehan properly raised his jury-unanimity claim, if necessary.

Documents

1

Docket activity

6
  • New analysis added

    Sep 18, 2026 · Court records

  • AI analysis generated: Case Briefing

    Sep 18, 2026 · Generated

  • AI analysis generated: Decision Record

    Sep 18, 2026 · Generated

  • Case data updated: summary, question_presented, generation_metadata

    Sep 18, 2026 · Court records

  • Status changed from pending to decided

    Mar 8, 2026 · Court records

Show 1 more
  • Brief added: Petition

    Jun 18, 2019 · Court records

More questions

4
What happened in Crehan v. Louisiana?
The Supreme Court wiped out the Louisiana appeals court's judgment and sent the case back for reconsideration in light of Ramos v. Louisiana.
Did the Supreme Court rule that Crehan wins?
No. The Court issued a procedural GVR order and did not decide the merits of Crehan's claim.
What issue remains unresolved in Crehan's case?
The Court left open whether Crehan properly raised his challenge to the nonunanimous jury verdict in the earlier proceedings.
What happens next for Crehan?
The Louisiana appeals court will reconsider the case under Ramos. It may also decide whether the jury-unanimity issue was properly raised.

Sources

Primary materials plus reporting. Best-effort analysis: this explainer relies on a mix of primary materials and trusted secondary sources. Official filings and opinions remain authoritative.

Checked Sep 18, 2026Methodology

Court records and filings

Reporting and analysis