Reed v. Goertz

The Court ruled that the deadline for a federal civil-rights lawsuit challenging state DNA-testing procedures starts after the state's full review process ends, including appeals. For Rodney Reed, that date was when the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals denied rehearing.

The Court ruled 6-3. Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh wrote the majority opinion, joined by Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr., and Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, Amy Coney Barrett, and Ketanji Brown Jackson. Justice Clarence Thomas dissented, and Justices Samuel A. Alito, Jr., and Neil Gorsuch also dissented; Alito wrote a dissent.

Majority

Kavanaugh

Roberts

Sotomayor

Kagan

Barrett

Jackson

Dissent

Thomas

Alito

Gorsuch

“The statute of limitations begins to run when the state litigation ends.”

Prisoners seeking post-conviction DNA testing can finish the state appeal process before the federal lawsuit deadline begins. For example, a person whose trial-court request is denied can appeal in state court without losing time to file a federal challenge.

Lower courts must apply this timing rule to similar federal challenges to state DNA-testing procedures. Reed's case returns to proceed under the Court's ruling that his claim was filed on time.

The Court said the filing deadline starts when state-court DNA-testing litigation ends, including appeals. It does not start with the trial court's first denial.

Prisoners challenging state post-conviction DNA-testing procedures in federal court are affected. They can complete state appeals before the federal deadline begins.

Lower courts must use the Supreme Court's timing rule in similar cases. Reed's lawsuit can continue under that rule.