No. 19-8285October Term 2019Decided May 18, 2020
In re Williams
The Supreme Court finished the case by declining review, leaving any lower-court proceedings unchanged and without answering Williams's legal questions.
Case status
- Current stage
- Decided
- Latest event
- Decision released May 18, 2020
- What it's about
This case involves a petition filed with the Supreme Court under the title In re Williams, though specific details regarding the underlying legal dispute are not available in the provided context.
Question presented
1. Whether the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida, Orlando Division, abused its discretion and/or exceeded its jurisdiction by failing to rule on Petitioner’s Motion for Reconsideration of the Court’s Order Denying Petitioner’s Motion for Relief from Judgment, which has been pending for over two years? 2. Whether the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh 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?
- Case path
Decision released May 18, 2020
- Area
Decided Supreme Court case
Briefing
What it's about
Williams asked the Supreme Court to step in after saying a federal district court and the Eleventh Circuit had let his filings sit for long periods without a decision. The Court declined review and did not decide whether those lower courts acted improperly.
Impact
The case matters for people who seek action from higher courts when they believe their cases have stalled. For example, a prisoner or self-represented litigant may face long delays but still not get Supreme Court review.
What's next
There is no further action in this Supreme Court docket. Any remaining relief would have to come, if at all, through the lower courts or a new filing allowed by law.
What was Williams asking the Supreme Court to do?
He asked the Court to address claimed delays by a federal district court and the Eleventh Circuit. He said those courts had not ruled on filings for extended periods.
Who is affected when the Supreme Court declines review in a case like this?
The immediate effect falls on Williams, whose complaints about delay were not taken up. More broadly, other litigants still face the usual high bar for Supreme Court review.
What is the next procedural step after this Supreme Court action?
This Supreme Court docket is over. Any further move would need to happen in the lower courts, if some procedural path still exists.
Decision
What the Court decided
The Supreme Court finished the case by declining review, leaving any lower-court proceedings unchanged and without answering Williams's legal questions.
Impact
The case matters for people who seek action from higher courts when they believe their cases have stalled. For example, a prisoner or self-represented litigant may face long delays but still not get Supreme Court review.
Not official Court text.
Opinion documents
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
- Jun 2, 2026
- Method
- Methodology