No. 25-7672October Term 2025Before Arguments
Harold Noel, Petitioner v. William Gibbons, et al.
from the Court of Appeals of Tennessee, Western Division.
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 Tennessee, Western Division.
Question presented
1. Whether the trial court erred in granting the Appellee’s Motion to Dismiss and finding that the Court lacked subject matter jurisdiction due to sovereign immunity. 2. Whether the trial court erred in granting the Appellee’s Motion to Dismiss and finding that the Court lacked subject matter jurisdiction due to the Appellant’s failure to state a claim upon which relief can be granted because the statute of limitations passed.
- Case path
Court of Appeals of Tennessee, Western Division / 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
Harold Noel has asked the Supreme Court to review a Tennessee case that was dismissed before it could move forward. His petition asks whether the lower courts were wrong to say the case was blocked by sovereign immunity (a rule that can bar some suits against the government) and by the statute of limitations (the filing deadline).
Argument
No oral argument is scheduled yet. Noel's petition asks the Court to review whether sovereign immunity and the filing deadline were used correctly to dismiss his case.
Impact
This matters for people whose cases may be thrown out before any evidence is heard because a defendant claims immunity or says the filing deadline passed. For example, someone in Tennessee with a similar dispute may care whether a court can end a case at the start on those grounds.
What is Noel v. Gibbons about?
Noel asks the Supreme Court to review whether Tennessee courts properly dismissed his case at the start. The dispute centers on sovereign immunity and the statute of limitations (filing deadline).
Who could be affected if the Court hears Noel v. Gibbons?
People whose cases face early dismissal on immunity or filing-deadline grounds could watch closely. The case could shape when courts consider such claims at all.
What happens next in Harold Noel v. William Gibbons?
The justices first decide whether to grant certiorari (agree to hear the case). No oral argument is scheduled, and no 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