No. 25-7623October Term 2025Before Arguments
Carlos Demond Robinson, Petitioner v. United States
from the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth 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 Fourth Circuit.
Question presented
Is the 28 U.S.C. § 2255(h) requirement that “[a] second or successive motion must be certified . . . by a panel of the appropriate court of appeals” a jurisdictional prerequisite or a claims-processing rule?
- Case path
United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth 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
Carlos Demond Robinson asks whether a federal law blocks a second post-conviction motion unless a court of appeals first approves it. The specific question is whether that approval rule is jurisdictional (a hard limit on a court's power) or a claims-processing rule (a rule about procedure).
Argument
The case is pending on a petition for review, and oral argument has not been scheduled.
Impact
The answer could affect federal prisoners who file a second challenge to their convictions or sentences under 28 U.S.C. § 2255. For example, it could shape whether a district court must reject such a filing immediately or whether the government can lose the objection by not raising it correctly.
What is the core dispute in Robinson v. United States?
The case asks whether § 2255(h)'s approval requirement for a second motion limits a court's power or only sets a procedural rule.
Who could be affected by Robinson v. United States?
Federal prisoners seeking to file second post-conviction motions could be affected. So could prosecutors and district courts handling those repeat filings.
What happens next in Robinson v. United States?
The Supreme Court has not scheduled oral argument. Watch for action on the petition or another scheduling move from the Court.
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