No. 23-1002October Term 2024Decided Jun 26, 2025
Tony R. Hewitt, Petitioner v. United States
The Supreme Court ruled that the First Step Act's reduced sentencing penalties apply to defendants whose original sentences were imposed before the Act's enactment but were later vacated and required resentencing after the Act took effect.
Case status
- Current stage
- Decided
- Latest event
- Decision released Jun 26, 2025
- What it's about
The Supreme Court ruled that the First Step Act's reduced sentencing penalties apply to defendants whose original sentences were imposed before the Act's enactment but were later vacated and required resentencing after the Act took effect. The Court determined that a vacated sentence is not considered to have been "imposed" for the purposes of the statute, allowing these defendants to benefit from the newer, more lenient laws.
Question presented
Does the First Step Act’s sentencing reduction provision apply to a defendant whose original sentence was imposed before the Act’s enactment, but was later vacated and resentenced after the Act took effect?
- Case path
United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit / Decision released Jun 26, 2025
- Area
Criminal Procedure
Documents
Related cases




Grounding
- Grounding
- Primary-source trail available.
- Note
- Plain-English explainer. Official filings and opinions remain authoritative.
- Checked
- Mar 31, 2026
- Method
- Methodology
Primary materials8
Supreme Court docket 23-1002
docket | Mar 31, 2026
Primary case document
Supreme Court document | Mar 31, 2026
CourtListener docket record
docket | Mar 31, 2026
Questions Presented
brief
opinion
opinion | Jun 26, 2025
Hewitt
opinion | Jun 26, 2025
Oral Arguments - Hewitt
audio | Jan 13, 2025
Petition
brief | Mar 8, 2024