Emergency application
John Q. Hamm, Commissioner, Alabama Department of Corrections v. Michael Sockwell
What did the Court do?
The Court denied the request on October 8, 2025: 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
A state or local government asks the Supreme Court to pause (stay) a lower-court ruling from the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit while the appeal continues. The case is John Q. Hamm, Commissioner, Alabama Department of Corrections v. Michael Sockwell.
What the Court did
Application (25A347) for stay presented to Justice Thomas and by him referred to the Court is denied. The denial is without prejudice to a reapplication if a new trial is imminent. See Calderon v. Moore , 518 U. S. 149 (1996) ( per curiam ); Garrison v. Hudson , 468 U. S. 1301 (1984) (Burger, C. J., in chambers). The order heretofore entered by Justice Thomas is vacated.
What it means
This is a temporary order about what happens while the case is decided, not a ruling on who is right. The case continues in the United States Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.
Sources
Facts on this page come from the Supreme Court docket, orders, and opinions for No. 25A347. The answers restate that record in plain words; explainer copy is written from the record and the filings only.