In re Mattison
In brief
The Supreme Court refused to hear Mattison's request, so he did not get an order requiring the lower courts to act and the legal questions remain undecided here.
- Where it stands
- Decided
Decided · May 4, 2020
- What it’s about
- The petitioner asked the Supreme Court to order a federal district court and the Fourth Circuit to act on motions and a mandamus petition that he said had remained unresolved for long periods.
- Who it affects
- Mattison did not receive a Supreme Court order requiring the South Carolina district court or the Fourth Circuit to rule on his filings; the Court resolved neither the alleged delays nor the underlying legal questions.
Summary: written with AI from the case record.
What it's about
The Court denied the requested extraordinary relief, so the petitioner did not obtain an order requiring the lower courts to rule.
Mattison's filing said he spent six months in prison after a Virginia conviction for stalking and annoying calls based on alleged conduct on Department of Veterans Affairs property. It also said a state petition challenging his imprisonment was not resolved until after his release.
The filing sought a special order telling lower courts to act, not a Supreme Court decision on the underlying Virginia conviction.
Question presented
1. Whether the United States District Court for the District of South Carolina, Columbia Division, abused its discretion and/or exceeded its jurisdiction by failing to rule on Petitioner's Motion for Reconsideration and/or Motion to Vacate Judgment, which has been pending for over two years? 2. Whether the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit abused its discretion and/or exceeded its jurisdiction by failing to rule on Petitioner's Petition for Writ of Mandamus, which has been pending for over one year? 3. Whether the Petitioner is entitled to a Writ of Mandamus and/or Prohibition from this Court directing the lower courts to rule on his pending motions and/or petitions?
What the Court decided
Holding
Petition DENIED.
What's next
The Supreme Court's action on this petition is finished. Its denial did not require the district court or the Fourth Circuit to rule, and it left the underlying requests unresolved in this case.
Documents
Docket activity
New analysis added
AI analysis generated: Case Briefing
New analysis added
New analysis added
New analysis added
Show 7 moreShow fewer
New analysis added
New analysis added
New analysis added
New analysis added
New analysis added
New analysis added
New analysis added
Sources
Primary materials plus reporting. Best-effort analysis: this explainer relies on a mix of primary materials and trusted secondary sources. Official filings and opinions remain authoritative.