No. 19-6630October Term 2019Decided Apr 20, 2020Updated Sep 3, 2026
Hunter v. Murdoch
The Court declined review, leaving the lower-court result in place without deciding the underlying legal claims.
Case status
Decided · April 20, 2020
- Current stage
- Decided
- Latest event
- Decision released Apr 20, 2020
- What it's about
This case involves a petition for a writ of certiorari filed in the Supreme Court following a decision by the Eighth Circuit. The petitioner has also requested permission to proceed without paying court fees.
Question presented
1. Whether the District Court and the Court of Appeals erred in dismissing Petitioner's complaint for failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted, where Petitioner alleged that Respondents violated his First Amendment right to access the courts by intentionally interfering with his legal mail? 2. Whether the District Court and the Court of Appeals erred in dismissing Petitioner's complaint for failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted, where Petitioner alleged that Respondents violated his Fourteenth Amendment right to due process by intentionally interfering with his legal mail?
- Case path
United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit / Decision released Apr 20, 2020
- Area
First Amendment
Decision
What the Court decided
The Court declined review, leaving the lower-court result in place without deciding the underlying legal claims.
Impact
The Eighth Circuit's result remains in place for Hunter. Prisoners alleging that officials blocked or mishandled legal mail do not get a new Supreme Court decision defining their rights from this case.
Not official Court text.
Briefing
What it's about
The Supreme Court declined to review Hunter's challenge involving alleged interference with his legal mail. It did not decide the First or Fourteenth Amendment questions on the merits.
Impact
The Eighth Circuit's result remains in place for Hunter. Prisoners alleging that officials blocked or mishandled legal mail do not get a new Supreme Court decision defining their rights from this case.
What's next
The Supreme Court docket action is complete. Hunter's case remains governed by the lower-court outcome.
What did the Supreme Court do in Hunter v. Murdoch?
The Court declined to review the case. It did not decide whether the alleged legal-mail interference violated the Constitution.
Who is affected by the outcome in Hunter v. Murdoch?
Hunter is directly affected because the lower-court result remains in place. Other prisoners receive no new Supreme Court rule from this case.
What happens next in Hunter v. Murdoch?
The Supreme Court action is finished. The lower-court outcome continues to govern Hunter's case.
Timing
Decided April 20, 2020
The Court released its decision on April 20, 2020 without hearing oral argument.
Documents
Activity
Docket activity2
AI analysis generated: Case Briefing
Sep 3, 2026 | Generated
Brief added: Petition
Sep 26, 2019 | Court records
Related cases
Grounding
- Grounding
- Primary materials plus reporting.
- Note
- Best-effort analysis: this explainer relies on a mix of primary materials and trusted secondary sources. Official filings and opinions remain authoritative.
- Checked
- Sep 3, 2026
- Method
- Methodology