No. 25-1416October Term 2025Petition Pending
Steven Robert Johnson, et al., Petitioners v. Ann L. Aiken, Senior Judge, United States District Court for the District of Oregon, et al.
Steven Robert Johnson and other petitioners have asked the Supreme Court to review a case from the U.S.
Case status
- Current stage
- Petition Pending
- Latest event
- Petition pending
- Decision timing
- No decision timeline until the Court agrees to hear the case.
- What it's about
Steven Robert Johnson and other petitioners have asked the Supreme Court to review a case from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit involving Senior U.S. District Judge Ann L. Aiken and other respondents. The petition is pending, and the available record does not state the underlying legal dispute.
Question presented
1. Can a federal judge ignore Statutes at Large? 2. Can a judge use judicial immunity to cover for a lower court judge that ignored the supremacy clause and acted in favor of the defendant that ignored the Attorney General? 3. If an affidavit is in an exhibit, can it be sealed without motion? 4. Can any federal court judge ignore the Supremacy Clause? 5. Can a chief judge unilaterally grant judicial immunity to a lower federal judge after it has been lost? 6. Can judicial immunity protect judges from violating the Supremacy Clause?
- Case path
United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit / Petition pending
- Area
Petition for review pending
Briefing
What it's about
Steven Robert Johnson and other petitioners ask the Supreme Court to review a Ninth Circuit case involving Senior U.S. District Judge Ann L. Aiken and others. Their questions challenge judicial immunity, sealed affidavit material, and whether federal judges may disregard federal law or the Supremacy Clause.
Argument
The petition for certiorari (the Court's decision to hear a case) is pending, and oral argument has not been scheduled.
Impact
The case could affect people who seek to sue federal judges over actions taken in court cases. For example, a litigant alleging that a judge disregarded federal law could face judicial-immunity barriers to a claim.
What is at stake in Johnson v. Aiken?
The petition asks about judicial immunity, sealed affidavit material, and whether federal judges must follow federal law and the Supremacy Clause.
Who could be affected by the Johnson v. Aiken case?
Litigants who seek to challenge federal judges' actions could be affected. The case concerns whether judicial immunity blocks such claims.
What happens next in Johnson v. Aiken?
The Supreme Court will consider whether to grant certiorari, meaning it agrees to hear the case. Oral argument has not been scheduled.
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
- Sep 3, 2026
- Method
- Methodology