No. 19-7922October Term 2019Decided Apr 20, 2020Updated Sep 3, 2026
Rendelman v. True
Scott L. Rendelman, Petitioner v. William True, Warden
The Supreme Court declined to hear Rendelman's case, leaving the lower-court result in place without deciding the legal question.
Case status
Decided · April 20, 2020
- Current stage
- Decided
- Latest event
- Decision released Apr 20, 2020
- What it's about
The Court denied Rendelman’s petition for review, leaving in place the lower court’s ruling on how the Bureau of Prisons calculates federal prisoners’ good-time credit under the First Step Act. The case concerned Rendelman’s claim that the BOP’s calculation method conflicts with the statute’s language and Congress’s intent.
Question presented
Whether the Bureau of Prisons' (BOP) method of calculating good time credit under the First Step Act of 2018, 18 U.S.C. § 3624(b), violates the statute's plain language and the intent of Congress?
- Case path
United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit / Decision released Apr 20, 2020
- Area
Decided Supreme Court case
Decision
What the Court decided
The Supreme Court declined to hear Rendelman's case, leaving the lower-court result in place without deciding the legal question.
Impact
Good-time credit can affect when eligible federal prisoners are released. The lower-court result remains in place for people raising this calculation issue in the Seventh Circuit.
Not official Court text.
Briefing
What it's about
Rendelman asked the Supreme Court to review a dispute over how the Bureau of Prisons calculates good-time credit under the First Step Act. The Court declined review and did not decide the merits.
Impact
Good-time credit can affect when eligible federal prisoners are released. The lower-court result remains in place for people raising this calculation issue in the Seventh Circuit.
What's next
The Supreme Court has finished its action on this docket. The lower-court result remains in effect.
What did the Supreme Court rule in Rendelman v. True?
The Court declined to review the case. It did not decide whether the Bureau of Prisons' good-time-credit calculation is lawful.
Who is affected by the Rendelman good-time-credit dispute?
Federal prisoners whose release dates may depend on good-time credit can be affected. The Seventh Circuit's result remains in place.
What happens next in Rendelman v. True?
The Supreme Court's docket action is complete. The lower-court result continues to govern the case.
Timing
Decided April 20, 2020
The Court released its decision on April 20, 2020 without hearing oral argument.
Documents
Activity
Docket activity2
AI analysis generated: Case Briefing
Sep 3, 2026 | Generated
Brief added: Petition
Feb 25, 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 3, 2026
- Method
- Methodology