No. 19-6695October Term 2019Decided Apr 20, 2020
Rigwan v. Neus
The Supreme Court did not take up Rigwan's case, so the Florida appeals court's result remained in place.
Case status
- Current stage
- Decided
- Latest event
- Decision released Apr 20, 2020
- What it's about
Rigwan has filed a petition for a writ of certiorari asking the Supreme Court to review a decision by the District Court of Appeal of Florida, Third District, alongside a request to proceed without paying court fees.
Question presented
1. Whether the lower court erred in dismissing the complaint for lack of subject matter jurisdiction under the Rooker-Feldman doctrine? 2. Whether the lower court erred in dismissing the complaint based on judicial immunity? 3. Whether the lower court erred in dismissing the complaint for failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted?
- Case path
District Court of Appeal of Florida, Third District / Decision released Apr 20, 2020
- Area
Decided Supreme Court case
Briefing
What it's about
Rigwan asked the Supreme Court to review a Florida appeals court decision that dismissed the complaint, saying the court could not hear it, the judge was protected from suit, and the filing did not state a valid claim. On April 20, 2020, the Supreme Court finished the case without taking it up, leaving that result in place and not deciding those underlying questions.
Impact
The Florida court's result stayed in effect for Rigwan. For other people seeking Supreme Court review after losing in state court, it shows the justices can end a case simply by refusing to hear it.
What's next
There is no further action in this Supreme Court docket. Because the Court did not take the case, any further steps would have to happen outside this completed Supreme Court proceeding.
What was Rigwan asking the Supreme Court to review in Rigwan v. Neus?
He challenged a Florida appeals court decision that threw out his complaint for lack of power to hear it, judge protection, and pleading defects.
How did the Supreme Court's action affect Rigwan?
The lower-court result stayed in place for Rigwan. It also showed other petitioners that the Court can refuse review without answering the legal issues.
What happens next in Rigwan v. Neus?
Nothing else is scheduled in this Supreme Court docket. The case ended there when the Court declined to take it up.
Decision
What the Court decided
The Supreme Court did not take up Rigwan's case, so the Florida appeals court's result remained in place.
Impact
The Florida court's result stayed in effect for Rigwan. For other people seeking Supreme Court review after losing in state court, it shows the justices can end a case simply by refusing to hear it.
Not official Court text.
Timing
Decided April 20, 2020
The Court released its decision on April 20, 2020 without hearing oral argument.
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
- Jul 25, 2026
- Method
- Methodology