No. 19-7770October Term 2019Decided Apr 27, 2020Updated Sep 5, 2026
In re Williams
The Court declined review, so the lower-court result stands without a Supreme Court decision on Williams’s arguments.
Case status
Decided · April 27, 2020
- Current stage
- Decided
- Latest event
- Decision released Apr 27, 2020
- What it's about
The Court denied Marcus Williams’s petition for review, leaving the lower-court judgment in place. His petition argued that ineffective assistance of trial and appellate counsel, along with alleged Rule 11 and other errors, made his guilty plea involuntary and entitled him to habeas relief.
Question presented
1. Whether the Petitioner is being held in violation of the Constitution or laws of the United States? 2. Whether the Petitioner is entitled to a Writ of Habeas Corpus? 3. Whether the Petitioner is entitled to an evidentiary hearing?
- Case path
Decision released Apr 27, 2020
- Area
Criminal Procedure
Decision
What the Court decided
The Court declined review, so the lower-court result stands without a Supreme Court decision on Williams’s arguments.
Impact
For Williams, the lower-court judgment remains in effect. Other people seeking habeas relief cannot treat this denial as the Supreme Court approving or rejecting similar claims.
Not official Court text.
Briefing
What it's about
The Supreme Court declined to review Marcus Williams’s case, leaving the lower-court judgment in place. The Court did not decide the merits of his claims that counsel errors and Rule 11 problems made his guilty plea involuntary.
Impact
For Williams, the lower-court judgment remains in effect. Other people seeking habeas relief cannot treat this denial as the Supreme Court approving or rejecting similar claims.
What's next
The Supreme Court has finished its action on this docket. The lower-court judgment remains in place.
What did the Supreme Court do in In re Williams?
The Court declined to review Williams’s petition. It left the lower-court judgment in place and did not decide his claims on the merits.
Who is affected by the decision in In re Williams?
Williams remains subject to the lower-court judgment. Other habeas petitioners cannot use the denial as Supreme Court approval of either side’s arguments.
What happens next in In re Williams?
The Supreme Court’s action is complete. The lower-court judgment 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
Feb 7, 2020 | 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