No. 20-1409

Graham B. Spanier v. Chad Libby, Director, Dauphin County Probation Services, et al.

Lower Court: Third Circuit
Docketed: 2021-04-07
Status: Denied
Type: Paid
Response Waived Experienced Counsel
Tags: criminal-liability criminal-statute due-process ex-post-facto fourteenth-amendment jury-instruction retroactive-application retroactivity
Key Terms:
DueProcess HabeasCorpus
Latest Conference: 2021-05-20
Question Presented (from Petition)

1. May a state prosecute a defendant for violating a statute enacted after the defendant's conduct, without violating the Ex Post Facto Clause, merely because the statute does not indicate that it applies retroactively?

2. Does the Fourteenth Amendment's Due Process Clause preclude a state from obtaining a conviction on the basis of a jury instruction that uses the precise language of a criminal statute enacted after the defendant's conduct and that broadens the scope of criminal liability?

Question Presented (AI Summary)

May a state prosecute a defendant for violating a statute enacted after the defendant's conduct, without violating the Ex Post Facto Clause, merely because the statute does not indicate that it applies retroactively?

Docket Entries

2021-05-24
Petition DENIED.
2021-05-04
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 5/20/2021.
2021-04-30
Waiver of right of respondent Chad Libby, Director, Dauphin County Probation Services, et al. to respond filed.
2021-04-05
Petition for a writ of certiorari filed. (Response due May 7, 2021)

Attorneys

Chad Libby, Director, Dauphin County Probation Services, et al.
Ronald EisenbergPennsylvania Attorney General's Office, Respondent
Graham Spanier
Bruce Philip MerensteinSchnader Harrison Segal & Lewis LLP, Petitioner