Supreme Court of the United States
United States, Petitioner v. Rene Sanchez-Gomez
May 14, 2018584 U.S. 381
Summary
The Supreme Court held that the Ninth Circuit’s decision striking down the Marshals Service’s full‑restraint policy was barred by mootness because the defendants’ individual claims had become moot and neither the “functional class action” doctrine nor the “capable of repetition, yet evading review” exception applied. Accordingly, the Court vacated the appellate judgment and remanded with instructions to dismiss the case as moot.
Holding
- Whether the Ninth Circuit’s decision is barred by mootness despite the defendants’ claims of a functional class action and the capable‑of‑repetition‑yet‑evading‑review exception.. The case is moot; the Gerstein “functional class action” exception does not apply to criminal cases lacking a Rule 23 class, and the capable‑of‑repetition exception is not satisfied because the parties can avoid future criminal conduct. The Ninth Circuit judgment is vacated and the case remanded for dismissal as moot.
Docket 17–312.
Cited authorities
- 21 U.S.C. §§ 952
- 28 U.S.C. § 566
- 18 U.S.C. § 1544
- 8 U.S.C. § 1325
- 18 U.S.C. § 875
- Fed. R. Civ. P. 23
- Fed. R. Civ. P. 23