Emergency application
Police force against protesters
Jonathan Christian v. Elisabeth Epps
What did the Court do?
The Court denied the request on June 15, 2026: the lower court's ruling stays in effect while the appeal continues.
Emergency rulings are temporary and do not decide the underlying case.
What's being asked
Jonathan Christian asks the Supreme Court to pull back and temporarily pause the Tenth Circuit’s order putting its ruling into effect. He seeks that pause while the Court considers his petition asking it to hear the case. Christian’s application describes the dispute as involving his actions toward Elisabeth Epps during a summer 2020 George Floyd protest.
What the Court did
The Court refused emergency help: Justice Gorsuch denied (turned down) Christian’s application. The denial does not decide who should ultimately win the dispute. The Court did not publish how the justices voted.
What it means
This ruling concerns only the request for temporary relief; it does not decide who wins the underlying dispute. The Tenth Circuit’s order is not paused by this denial. No related Supreme Court case on the underlying dispute is listed, and no argument is set.
Sources
Facts on this page come from the Supreme Court docket, orders, and opinions for No. 25A1380. The answers restate that record in plain words; explainer copy is written from the record and the filings only.