No. 25-1041October Term 2025Dismissed
Anthony Lewis v. HCA Florida Lawnwood Hospital
from the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.
Case status
- Current stage
- Dismissed
- Latest event
- Dismissed
- Decision timing
- No window until argument is scheduled.
- What it's about
from the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.
Question presented
1. Whether the district court deprived Dr. Lewis and his counsel of their statutory or procedural right to amend the First Amended Complaint without leave of court pursuant to Fed. R. Civ. P. 15(a)(1)(B). 2. Whether the district court violated Dr. Lewis’s and his counsel’s First Amendment right to petition pursuant to the holding in NAACP v. Button, 371 U.S. 415 (1963) (First Amendment) and its progeny. 3. Whether the district court violated Dr. Lewis’s and his counsel’s Thirteenth Amendment right to petition pursuant to the holding in Civil Rights Cases, 109 U.S. 3, 22 (1883) (Thirteenth Amendment; Civil Rights Act of 1866) and its progeny.
- Case path
United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit / Dismissed
- Area
First Amendment, Civil Rights
Briefing
What it's about
Dr. Anthony Lewis is asking the Supreme Court to review an Eleventh Circuit case over whether a federal district court wrongly blocked him from amending his complaint without first getting permission. He also says the court violated his and his lawyer's rights to petition under the First and Thirteenth Amendments.
Argument
The case is still at the petition stage, and no oral argument is scheduled. Lewis asks the Court to review the amendment issue and his First and Thirteenth Amendment petition-rights claims.
Impact
The case could affect plaintiffs in federal court who want to fix or expand a complaint after the other side responds. For example, someone facing an early challenge to a lawsuit may want to add facts without first asking the judge for permission.
What is Anthony Lewis v. HCA Florida Lawnwood Hospital about?
Lewis asks the Supreme Court to review whether a district court wrongly stopped him from amending his complaint without permission. He also raises First and Thirteenth Amendment right-to-petition claims.
Who could be affected if the Court takes this case?
People filing civil cases in federal court could be affected, especially plaintiffs trying to revise a complaint early. Lawyers arguing that court access itself is constitutionally protected also could watch closely.
What happens next in Lewis v. HCA Florida Lawnwood Hospital?
The justices first must decide whether to hear the case. No oral argument is scheduled, and no decision window is listed yet.
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 17, 2026
- Method
- Methodology