No. 19-7742October Term 2019Decided Apr 27, 2020
Lewis v. Berry
The Supreme Court did not take up Lewis's case, leaving the lower-court outcome untouched.
Case status
- Current stage
- Decided
- Latest event
- Decision released Apr 27, 2020
- What it's about
This is a pending Supreme Court petition from the Eleventh Circuit where the petitioner has filed to proceed without paying court fees. The specific legal issues involved in the case are not detailed in the available records.
Question presented
1. Whether the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals erred in dismissing Petitioner's appeal for lack of jurisdiction, where Petitioner timely filed a notice of appeal from the district court's final judgment? 2. Whether the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals erred in denying Petitioner's motion for a certificate of appealability, where Petitioner made a substantial showing of the denial of a constitutional right?
- Case path
United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit / Decision released Apr 27, 2020
- Area
Decided Supreme Court case
Briefing
What it's about
Derrick Lamark Lewis Sr. asked the Supreme Court to review a lower-court decision that ended his appeal and denied a certificate of appealability (permission to appeal). On April 27, 2020, the Court declined review, so it did not decide those legal questions on the merits.
Vote
The Court declined review on April 27, 2020, but the available record does not provide a vote breakdown or opinion lineup.
Impact
The lower-court result stayed in place because the Supreme Court did not take the case. That matters for people like Lewis, who are seeking one more chance to challenge an adverse appeals decision.
What's next
There is no further action scheduled in this Supreme Court docket. Any remaining steps would have to happen outside this finished Supreme Court case.
What was Lewis v. Berry about?
Lewis asked the Court to review a lower-court decision that ended his appeal and denied permission to keep appealing.
Who was affected when the Supreme Court declined Lewis v. Berry?
Lewis was directly affected because the lower-court result stayed in place. Other people seeking Supreme Court review after losing below can face the same outcome.
What happens next in Lewis v. Berry?
Nothing else is scheduled in this Supreme Court case. Any further action would have to happen outside this finished docket.
Decision
What the Court decided
The Supreme Court did not take up Lewis's case, leaving the lower-court outcome untouched.
Impact
The lower-court result stayed in place because the Supreme Court did not take the case. That matters for people like Lewis, who are seeking one more chance to challenge an adverse appeals decision.
Not official Court text.
Timing
Decided April 27, 2020
The Court released its decision on April 27, 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