Right to appeal
Porter v. Hollis
In brief
- Where it stands
- Petition Pending
Awaiting an order on the petition
- What it’s about
- Kecia Porter asks the Supreme Court to review her Illinois appeal, alleging that a trial judge failed to correct and certify a bystander’s report, leaving an incomplete record.
- What's at stake
- Porter alleges that the incomplete record denied her constitutional and disability-law protections, but the Supreme Court has not taken up those claims.
Summary: written with AI from the case record.
What it's about
She says the reviewing courts then used that gap to deny her appeal, violating her rights to fair and equal treatment and protections under the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The petition challenges both the trial judge’s handling of an appeal record and Illinois reviewing courts’ use of that record.
Question presented
1. Whether state court system tolerated ‘ ‘ unconstitutional barrieF that inflicts constitutional injury upon Petitioner by permitting the trial Judge ’ s failure to perform a strict, Non-Discretionary, mandatory Ministerial duty to correct and certify the bystander report under Illinois Supreme Court Rule 323(c), violates the petitioner ’ s fourteenth amendment due process, equal protection and a right to be heard. 2. Whether Reviewing State Courts System violates thel4 th due process and equal protection amendments along with Title II of Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA); allowing a trial judge to “ arbitrarily and strategically ” extinguished a pro se disabled litigants guaranteed right to appeal; Triggering Foutch v. O ’ Brvant doctrine and automatic dismissal of the case? 3. Whether the reviewing courts procedural presumption that an incomplete trial record dictates compliance with the law! when the record presents a prima facie pure question of law, denies De Novo review; violating Petitioners 14 th due process and equal protection rights.
What happens next
The Court’s next step is to decide whether to hear the petition; no oral argument or decision date is set.
Documents
Docket activity
New analysis added
AI analysis generated: Case Briefing
Case data updated: summary, question_presented, generation_metadata
Case data updated: question_presented, extraction_metadata
Brief added: Petition
More questions
- What does Porter say the Illinois reviewing courts got wrong?
- She argues they should have independently reviewed a legal question despite the incomplete record, rather than presume the trial court complied with the law.
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.