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Repeat challenges by prisoners

Michael Shane Ragland v. United States

Updated Nov 12, 2026

In brief

Where it stands
Petition Pending

Awaiting an order on the petition

No decision timeline until the Court agrees to hear the case.

What it’s about
Michael Shane Ragland filed a petition asking the Supreme Court to decide whether a district court may consider a federal prisoner’s entire second or later challenge to a conviction, or only the claim an appeals court approved.
What's at stake
The unresolved question is how much of a federal prisoner's later challenge a district court may consider.

Summary: written with AI from the case record.

What it's about

His filing describes a split: the Eleventh and Fifth Circuits limit review to the approved claim, while five other circuits allow review of the full application.

Ragland's petition says the Eleventh and Fifth Circuits limit review to an approved claim, while five other circuits allow review of the full application.

Question presented

Whether a district court’s jurisdiction over a second or successive habeas application by a federal prisoner is limited to the specific “claim” certified by the court of appeals, as the Eleventh and Fifth Circuits hold, or whether it embraces the entire “application,” as the statute’s text provides and as five circuits—the First, Second, Fourth, Seventh, and Ninth—hold.

What happens next

The Court must decide whether to hear the case. No oral argument or decision date is scheduled.

Documents

1

Docket activity

10
  • New analysis added

    Nov 12, 2026 · Court records

  • AI analysis generated: Case Briefing

    Nov 12, 2026 · Generated

  • Case data updated: summary, question_presented, generation_metadata

    Nov 12, 2026 · Court records

  • Case data updated: question_presented, extraction_metadata

    Nov 12, 2026 · Court records

  • New document added

    Oct 2, 2026 · supremecourt.gov

Show 5 more
  • Case data updated: documents, description, document_url, proceeding_type

    Oct 1, 2026 · supremecourt.gov

  • Case data updated: documents, description, document_url, proceeding_type

    Sep 4, 2026 · supremecourt.gov

  • New document added

    Sep 1, 2026 · supremecourt.gov

  • Case data updated: documents, description, document_url, proceeding_type

    Aug 31, 2026 · supremecourt.gov

  • Brief added: Petition

    Aug 3, 2026 · Court records

More questions

1
What must a federal prisoner show to get permission for a second challenge?
The prisoner must ask the appeals court for permission and make a preliminary showing of newly discovered evidence or a new constitutional rule that applies to older cases.

Sources

Primary materials plus reporting. Best-effort analysis: this explainer relies on a mix of primary materials and trusted secondary sources. Official filings and opinions remain authoritative.

Checked Nov 12, 2026Methodology

Court records and filings

Reporting and analysis