No. 23-1324October Term 2024Decided Jun 18, 2025
Thomas Perttu, Petitioner v. Kyle Brandon Richards
The Supreme Court held that prisoners are entitled to a jury trial on the issue of exhausting administrative remedies under the Prison Litigation Reform Act when factual disputes about exhaustion are intertwined with the merits of a claim protected by the Seventh Amendment.
Case status
- Current stage
- Decided
- Latest event
- Decision released Jun 18, 2025
- What it's about
The Supreme Court held that prisoners are entitled to a jury trial on the issue of exhausting administrative remedies under the Prison Litigation Reform Act when factual disputes about exhaustion are intertwined with the merits of a claim protected by the Seventh Amendment. The case arose after an inmate alleged that prison officials prevented him from filing grievances regarding sexual abuse and retaliation.
Question presented
In cases subject to the Prison Litigation Reform Act, do prisoners have a right to a jury trial concerning their exhaustion of administrative remedies where disputed facts regarding exhaustion are intertwined with the underlying merits of their claim?
- Case path
United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit / Decision released Jun 18, 2025
- Area
Decided Supreme Court case
Documents
Related cases




Grounding
- Grounding
- Primary-source trail available.
- Note
- Plain-English explainer. Official filings and opinions remain authoritative.
- Checked
- Mar 30, 2026
- Method
- Methodology
Primary materials8
Supreme Court docket 23-1324
docket | Mar 30, 2026
Primary case document
Supreme Court document | Mar 30, 2026
CourtListener docket record
docket | Mar 30, 2026
Questions Presented
brief | Mar 8, 2026
Perttu
opinion | Jun 18, 2025
opinion
opinion | Jun 18, 2025
Oral Arguments - Perttu
audio | Feb 25, 2025
Petition
brief | Jun 17, 2024