No. 19-6874October Term 2019Decided Apr 27, 2020Updated Sep 3, 2026
In re Leonard
The Court declined review and did not decide the merits of Leonard's 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 Stephen Daniel Leonard’s petition for review, leaving the Eleventh Circuit’s handling of his appeal unchanged. Leonard had challenged the Eleventh Circuit’s refusal to allow him to proceed without paying filing fees and its application of the federal “three-strikes” rule for prisoners who have filed repeated unsuccessful lawsuits.
Question presented
1. Does the Sixth Amendment’s guarantee of a trial by an impartial jury, as applied to the states through the Fourteenth Amendment, require a trial court to conduct an evidentiary hearing when a defendant presents evidence that a juror was biased against him? 2. Does the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment require a trial court to conduct an evidentiary hearing when a defendant presents evidence that the prosecution suppressed material, exculpatory evidence in violation of Brady v. Maryland, 373 U.S. 83 (1963)?
- Case path
Decision released Apr 27, 2020
- Area
Decided Supreme Court case
Decision
What the Court decided
The Court declined review and did not decide the merits of Leonard's claims.
Impact
The Court did not decide whether the Eleventh Circuit acted properly. The result affects Leonard directly and leaves the lower-court outcome in place; similar prisoners still face the three-strikes rule when seeking to proceed without prepaying fees.
Not official Court text.
Briefing
What it's about
The Supreme Court declined to review Stephen Daniel Leonard's petition on April 27, 2020. His petition challenged the Eleventh Circuit's handling of his request to proceed without paying appeal fees and its use of the federal three-strikes rule for prisoner lawsuits.
Impact
The Court did not decide whether the Eleventh Circuit acted properly. The result affects Leonard directly and leaves the lower-court outcome in place; similar prisoners still face the three-strikes rule when seeking to proceed without prepaying fees.
What's next
The Supreme Court has finished its action on this petition. The Eleventh Circuit's result remains in place.
What did the Supreme Court do in In re Leonard?
The Court declined to review Leonard's petition. It did not decide whether the Eleventh Circuit handled his appeal correctly.
Who is affected by the three-strikes issue in Leonard's case?
Prisoners with three prior lawsuits found legally insufficient may face limits on proceeding without prepaying court fees. Leonard was directly affected.
What happens next after In re Leonard?
The Supreme Court's action is complete. The Eleventh Circuit's result remains in place for Leonard's case.
Timing
Decided April 27, 2020
The Court released its decision on April 27, 2020 without hearing oral argument.
Documents
Activity
Docket activity4
AI analysis generated: Case Briefing
Sep 3, 2026 | Generated
Court Order added: Main Document
Feb 11, 2020 | Court records
Court Order added: Proof of Service
Feb 11, 2020 | Court records
Brief added: Petition
Nov 15, 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
Primary materials8
Supreme Court docket 19-6874
docket | Sep 5, 2026
Primary case document
Supreme Court document | Sep 5, 2026
CourtListener docket record
docket | Sep 5, 2026
Main Document
order | Feb 11, 2020
Proof of Service
order | Feb 11, 2020
Petition
brief | Nov 15, 2019
SupremeCourt.gov
official | Sep 3, 2026
SupremeCourt.gov
official | Sep 3, 2026