No. 25-1338October Term 2025Before Arguments
Jonathan Granado v. Juanita Ramirez, Individually and as Personal Representative of the Estate of Estevan Ramirez
from the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.
Case status
- Current stage
- Before Arguments
- Latest event
- Accepted by the Court
- Decision timing
- No window until argument is scheduled.
- What it's about
from the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.
Question presented
1. Whether Officer Jonathan Granado’s use of deadly force on September 3, 2021 violated the Fourth Amendment when, after a high-speed chase, Estevan Ramirez emerged from the vehicle with gun in hand, refused an order to “get on the ground,” physically resisted an officer’s attempt to arrest, and attempted to escape towards the darkness of a residential neighborhood with gun still in hand. a. Did the panel correctly set forth the elements of an excessive force claim? b. Did the panel invert the qualified immunity analysis by shifting the burden from Ramirez to Officer Granado? c. Does the panel’s approach to qualified immunity force officers “to play roulette with their own existence”? 2. Whether any court other than the Supreme Court can clearly establish the law for purposes of qualified immunity, and if so, whether the panel majority correctly identified the clearly established law applicable to this case. 3. Whether this Court should resolve the controversies regarding qualified imm.
- Case path
United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit / Accepted by the Court
- Area
Criminal Procedure, Gun Rights
Timing
Expected by late June 2026, if argued this term
The Court granted review but has not yet scheduled oral argument. Once argued, the median case reaches a decision in 94 days. Nearly all cases are decided by the end of the term in which they are argued.
Briefing
What it's about
Officer Jonathan Granado is asking the Supreme Court to review a Fifth Circuit case over a fatal police shooting after a high-speed chase in 2021. The petition says the lower court got the Fourth Amendment excessive-force test and the qualified immunity (a legal shield for officials in some lawsuits) analysis wrong.
Argument
The case is still at the petition stage, and no oral argument is scheduled. Granado argues the Fifth Circuit misstated the excessive-force rules and the standards for qualified immunity, and asks whether only Supreme Court decisions can clearly establish the law.
Impact
The case could affect how courts judge police shootings and how qualified immunity (a legal shield for officials in some lawsuits) works. That matters to officers making split-second decisions and to families seeking damages after deadly encounters.
What is Granado v. Ramirez about?
It asks whether Officer Granado's deadly force after a high-speed chase violated the Fourth Amendment. The petition also challenges the lower court's qualified immunity (a legal shield for officials in some lawsuits) analysis.
Who could be affected if the Supreme Court takes Jonathan Granado v. Ramirez?
Police officers, people shot by police, and families bringing lawsuits could all feel the impact. Lower courts may get more guidance on deadly force cases.
What happens next in Jonathan Granado v. Ramirez?
The justices must decide whether to hear the case. No oral argument is scheduled 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 29, 2026
- Method
- Methodology