No. 19-8040October Term 2019Decided Apr 27, 2020
Meas v. Vidal
Meas did not get Supreme Court review, so the First Circuit's result stands and the merits questions remain unanswered by the justices.
Case status
- Current stage
- Decided
- Latest event
- Decision released Apr 27, 2020
- What it's about
This case involves a petition for a writ of certiorari filed by Jerry Meas against Osvaldo Vidal. The specific legal issues and facts of the case are not detailed in the available docket information.
Question presented
1. Whether the district court erred in dismissing Petitioner's habeas corpus petition as untimely under 28 U.S.C. § 2244(d)(1) when Petitioner was entitled to equitable tolling? 2. Whether the district court 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 First Circuit / Decision released Apr 27, 2020
- Area
Criminal Procedure
Briefing
What it's about
The available docket record indicates the Supreme Court declined to hear Jerry Meas's petition in a habeas corpus (post-conviction) case from the First Circuit. That left the lower-court result in place and meant the justices did not decide the underlying legal questions.
Impact
It matters because people seeking federal post-conviction review got no new nationwide guidance from the Supreme Court. For example, someone in the First Circuit remains bound by the same lower-court rules when trying to reopen or appeal a conviction.
What's next
This Supreme Court docket is over. Any further change would have to come through other lower-court proceedings that remain available or through a different case the Court agrees to hear.
What did the Supreme Court do in Meas v. Vidal?
The justices declined to hear Meas's petition in his post-conviction case. They left the lower-court result in place without deciding the merits.
How does Meas v. Vidal affect other post-conviction cases?
People seeking federal post-conviction review are affected because the Court announced no new national rule. Lower courts, especially in the First Circuit, keep using the same standards.
What happens next in Meas v. Vidal?
No further Supreme Court action is scheduled in this docket. Any additional relief would have to come through other proceedings or another case.
Decision
What the Court decided
Meas did not get Supreme Court review, so the First Circuit's result stands and the merits questions remain unanswered by the justices.
Impact
It matters because people seeking federal post-conviction review got no new nationwide guidance from the Supreme Court. For example, someone in the First Circuit remains bound by the same lower-court rules when trying to reopen or appeal a conviction.
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