No. 25-7628October Term 2025Petition Pending
Oliver Jenkins and Sherry-Ann Jenkins, Petitioners v. United States
Oliver Jenkins and Sherry-Ann Jenkins ask the Supreme Court to review the use of a deliberate-ignorance instruction in their health-care fraud and conspiracy case.
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
Oliver Jenkins and Sherry-Ann Jenkins ask the Supreme Court to review the use of a deliberate-ignorance instruction in their health-care fraud and conspiracy case. They argue that the instruction was improper because they say they acted under written directions and billing authorizations from their institution’s compliance and risk-management director.
Question presented
Whether the deliberate-ignorance doctrine may supersede the mens rea (willful knowledge) element for criminal intent in healthcare fraud and conspiracy offenses when the defendant acted throughout the entire alleged cr imin al period at the direction of and in reliance upon written authorizations from the designated institutional compliance and risk management director — who identified the legal and compliance guardrails, directed that services be billed as physician services under specific CPT codes, and installed the EMR computer credentials enabling the challenged services — a scenario structurally incompatible with the willful blindness the doctrine is designed to address?
- Case path
United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit / Petition pending
- Area
Petition for review pending
Briefing
What it's about
Oliver and Sherry-Ann Jenkins ask the Supreme Court to review the use of a deliberate-ignorance instruction in their health-care fraud and conspiracy case. They say they followed written billing and compliance directions from their institution's compliance and risk-management director.
Argument
The case has not been scheduled for argument. The Jenkinses argue that deliberate ignorance should not replace proof of willful knowledge when they relied on written institutional authorizations.
Impact
The case could affect health-care workers and administrators accused of fraud after relying on internal compliance advice. For example, it could shape whether a jury may infer knowledge when a clinician used billing codes authorized by a compliance official.
What is at stake in Jenkins v. United States?
The Jenkinses challenge using deliberate ignorance to prove criminal knowledge when they say institutional compliance officials gave written billing directions.
Who could be affected by the Jenkinses' case?
Health-care workers and administrators accused of fraud could be affected when they relied on internal compliance guidance for billing practices.
When will the Supreme Court act in Jenkins v. United States?
No argument date or decision window is set. Watch for a scheduling move or action on certiorari.
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