No. 19-7150October Term 2019Decided Apr 27, 2020Updated Sep 3, 2026
Walton v. Kowalski
The Court declined review, leaving the Sixth Circuit's result in place without deciding the legal question.
Case status
Decided · April 27, 2020
- Current stage
- Decided
- Latest event
- Decision released Apr 27, 2020
- What it's about
Walton v. Kowalski is a pending Supreme Court case originating from the Sixth Circuit where a petition for a writ of certiorari has been filed. The specific legal issues and facts of the case are not detailed in the available records.
Question presented
Whether the "favorable termination" rule of Heck v. Humphrey, 512 U.S. 477 (1994), applies to a 42 U.S.C. § 1983 claim challenging the use of excessive force during an arrest?
- Case path
United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit / Decision released Apr 27, 2020
- Area
Decided Supreme Court case
Decision
What the Court decided
The Court declined review, leaving the Sixth Circuit's result in place without deciding the legal question.
Impact
The lower-court result remains in place. This affects people seeking damages under Section 1983 for alleged excessive force when their claims may conflict with a criminal conviction.
Not official Court text.
Briefing
What it's about
The Supreme Court declined to review Michael J. Walton's case on April 27, 2020. It did not decide whether the Heck v. Humphrey rule applies to a federal civil-rights claim alleging excessive force during an arrest.
Impact
The lower-court result remains in place. This affects people seeking damages under Section 1983 for alleged excessive force when their claims may conflict with a criminal conviction.
What's next
The Supreme Court has finished its action in this case. The lower-court result remains in effect.
What did the Supreme Court rule in Walton v. Kowalski?
The Court declined to review the case. It did not decide the merits of Walton's excessive-force claim.
Who is affected by the outcome in Walton v. Kowalski?
People bringing Section 1983 civil-rights claims over arrest force may be affected when related criminal convictions raise Heck questions.
What happens next in Walton v. Kowalski?
The Supreme Court will take no further action on this docket. The Sixth Circuit's result remains in place.
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 3, 2026 | Generated
Brief added: Petition
Dec 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 3, 2026
- Method
- Methodology