No. 19-6767October Term 2019Decided Apr 27, 2020Updated Sep 5, 2026
True v. Kelley
The Court declined review, leaving the lower court's untimeliness decision in place without deciding True's legal claims.
Case status
Decided · April 27, 2020
- Current stage
- Decided
- Latest event
- Decision released Apr 27, 2020
- What it's about
The Supreme Court denied Douglas True’s petition for review, leaving in place the Eighth Circuit’s decision that his federal habeas petition was filed too late. True had argued that his mental illness and lack of access to legal materials justified extending the filing deadline and required an evidentiary hearing.
Question presented
1. Whether the district court erred in dismissing Petitioner's 28 U.S.C. § 2254 petition as untimely, where Petitioner was entitled to equitable tolling because his mental illness and the lack of access to legal materials prevented him from filing his petition on time? 2. Whether the district court erred in failing to conduct an evidentiary hearing on Petitioner's claim for equitable tolling?
- Case path
United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit / Decision released Apr 27, 2020
- Area
Decided Supreme Court case
Decision
What the Court decided
The Court declined review, leaving the lower court's untimeliness decision in place without deciding True's legal claims.
Impact
The result affects True's effort to challenge his conviction in federal court. It also shows that a prisoner seeking more time to file may face an uphill battle when citing mental illness or limited legal materials.
Not official Court text.
Briefing
What it's about
The Supreme Court declined to review Douglas True's case and did not decide the merits. The denial left in place the Eighth Circuit's conclusion that his federal habeas petition was filed too late.
Vote
The Court denied review; no vote count or opinion lineup is stated.
Impact
The result affects True's effort to challenge his conviction in federal court. It also shows that a prisoner seeking more time to file may face an uphill battle when citing mental illness or limited legal materials.
What's next
The Supreme Court has finished its action on this docket. The Eighth Circuit's result remains in effect.
What did the Supreme Court do in True v. Kelley?
The Court declined to review the case. It did not decide whether True qualified for more time to file his federal habeas petition.
Who is affected by the outcome in True v. Kelley?
Douglas True is directly affected because the lower court's deadline decision remains in place. Other prisoners may face similar deadline questions when seeking federal review.
What happens next in True v. Kelley?
No further Supreme Court action is expected on this docket. The Eighth Circuit's decision remains in effect.
Timing
Decided April 27, 2020
The Court released its decision on April 27, 2020 without hearing oral argument.
Documents
Activity
Docket activity2
AI analysis generated: Case Briefing
Sep 5, 2026 | Generated
Brief added: Petition
Nov 20, 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 5, 2026
- Method
- Methodology