No. 25-1342October Term 2025Before Arguments
Derick Irisha Brown, Petitioner v. United States
from the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh 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 Eleventh Circuit.
Question presented
The Question Presented is whether an automobile is per se an instrumentality of interstate commerce, which would make a federal offense of every kidnapping involving an automobile.
- Case path
United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit / Accepted by the Court
- Area
Supreme Court case awaiting argument
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
Derick Irisha Brown has asked the Supreme Court to review a federal kidnapping case from the Eleventh Circuit. The dispute is whether using an automobile automatically counts as using an instrumentality of interstate commerce, making the crime a federal one.
Argument
The case is still at the petition stage, and no oral argument is scheduled. Brown's petition asks whether a car automatically makes a kidnapping a federal crime under 18 U.S.C. § 1201(a)(1).
Impact
If a car always counts, many kidnappings that might otherwise stay in state court could be prosecuted federally. For example, a kidnapping that never crosses state lines but involves a car could still become a federal case.
What is Brown v. United States about?
It asks whether a car automatically counts as an instrumentality of interstate commerce under the federal kidnapping law. If so, using a car could be enough to make a kidnapping a federal crime.
What is at stake in Brown v. United States?
The answer could affect federal prosecutors, defendants, and victims in kidnapping cases involving cars. A kidnapping that stays within one state could still be charged federally.
What happens next in Brown v. United States?
The Supreme Court will decide whether to grant certiorari (hear the case). No oral argument is scheduled yet, and no decision window is available.
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 23, 2026
- Method
- Methodology