No. 25-7165October Term 2025Before Arguments
Price Montgomery, Petitioner v. United States
from the United States Court of Appeals for the Third 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 Third Circuit.
Question presented
1. Whether 18 U.S.C. § 1512(a)(1)(C), which criminalizes killing a person with intent to prevent them from telling authorities about a federal crime, necessarily involves murder, as the Third Circuit found, or whether it can also be committed through manslaughter, as the statute explicitly contemplates. 2. Even if § 1512(a)(1)(C) necessarily involves murder, whether charging and convicting someone of second-degree murder—which carries no mandatory minimum—but then sentencing them for first-degree murder—which carries mandatory life imprisonment—violates Alleyne v. United States, 570 U.S. 99 (2013). 3. Whether a state or local jurisdiction’s chief prosecutor may delegate authority to apply for wiretaps under Title III of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968, 18 U.S.C. § 2510 et seq. (Incorporated from petition for a writ of certiorari in James Perrin v. United States, No. 25A935, permanent case number pending)?
- Case path
United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit / Accepted by the Court
- Area
Criminal Procedure
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.
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Grounding
- Grounding
- Primary-source trail available.
- Note
- Plain-English explainer. Official filings and opinions remain authoritative.
- Checked
- Aug 19, 2026
- Method
- Methodology