No. 25-7635October Term 2025Before Arguments
Damian Desmond Buck, aka Damien Buck, Petitioner v. Mississippi
from the Court of Appeals of Mississippi.
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 Court of Appeals of Mississippi.
Question presented
Whether the Sixth Amendment’s Confrontation Clause permits a State to introduce forensic pathology results and an autopsy through a surrogate pathologist who neither performed nor observed the autopsy first-hand, and whose testimony depends on the truth of an absent pathologist’s statements.
- Case path
Court of Appeals of Mississippi / 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
After proceedings in the Mississippi Court of Appeals, Damian Buck asked the Supreme Court to review whether the state could present autopsy findings through a stand-in pathologist who did not perform or observe the autopsy. The case centers on the Sixth Amendment's Confrontation Clause (the right to question the witnesses against you).
Argument
The case is at the petition stage, meaning the Court has only been asked to hear it. No oral argument is scheduled, and no substantive justice or advocate reactions are available yet.
Impact
The answer could affect criminal cases that rely on autopsies when the original pathologist is unavailable. For example, a state may want a substitute expert to explain an autopsy, while a defendant may say the jury should hear from the doctor who actually performed it.
What is Buck v. Mississippi about?
Buck says Mississippi should not use an autopsy through a stand-in pathologist who did not perform or observe it. The dispute centers on the Sixth Amendment's witness-questioning right.
Who could be affected if the Court takes this case?
Defendants, prosecutors, and medical experts could all be affected in criminal cases using autopsy evidence. The Court's answer could shape when substitute experts may testify.
What happens next in Buck v. Mississippi?
The justices must decide whether to grant certiorari (agree to hear the case). If they do, watch for briefing, scheduling, or an oral argument date.
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