No. 25-7669October Term 2025Before Arguments
Michael Fletcher, Petitioner v. United States
from the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth 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 Sixth Circuit.
Question presented
1. Whether district courts are required to conduct a Faretta inquiry when a defendant invokes his right to self-representation for a second time. 2. Whether a defendant’s waiver of his right to counsel is equivocal where a defendant makes directly contradictory statements, within minutes of each other, about his desire to be represented.
- Case path
United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth 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
Michael Fletcher is asking the Supreme Court to review a Sixth Circuit case about when a criminal defendant may represent himself. The petition asks whether a trial judge must repeat a Faretta inquiry (the judge's review before self-representation) after a second request, and whether opposite statements minutes apart make the choice too unclear to count as giving up a lawyer.
Argument
The case is pending on a petition for certiorari (the Court's decision whether to hear a case), and no oral argument is scheduled. No substantive justice or advocate reactions are available yet.
Impact
This matters because trial judges must decide, often quickly, whether a defendant really wants to go forward without a lawyer. For example, if someone says he wants to represent himself and then minutes later says he wants a lawyer, the judge needs to know whether to stop and question him again.
What is Michael Fletcher v. United States about?
It asks whether judges must repeat a Faretta inquiry (the judge's review before self-representation) when a defendant asks again. It also asks whether opposite statements minutes apart make it unclear that the defendant gave up a lawyer.
Who could be affected if the Court takes Fletcher?
Criminal defendants and trial judges could be affected. The case could shape how courts respond when a defendant changes course about having a lawyer.
What happens next in Michael Fletcher v. United States?
The justices will decide whether to grant certiorari (agree to hear the case). No oral argument date or decision window is available yet.
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