No. 24-6341

Zonta Tavaras Ellison aka Zonta Tavarus Ellison v. United States

Lower Court: Fourth Circuit
Docketed: 2025-01-21
Status: Denied
Type: IFP
Response WaivedIFP
Tags: alford-plea career-offender circuit-court en-banc sixth-amendment trial-by-jury
Latest Conference: 2025-02-21
Question Presented (from Petition)

1. The Circuit Courts Three Judge panel created a conflict of grave importance warranting this court's discretionary judicial power when it denied petitioner's motion for rehearing en banc and cited that the petition for rehearing en banc was circulated to the Full court, yet never stated why the petition was being denied?

2. Did the Circuit Court's three judge panel infringe upon the denial of petitioner's sixth amendment right to a trial by jury, treat me unfair and further subject petitioner to collateral consequences in accepting the trial Court's use of petitioner's 2010 "Alford Plea" conviction to enhance and sentence petitioner as a career offender, adverse to this court's ruling in Skidmore v. United States, 136 S. Ct. 13 (2008)?

Question Presented (AI Summary)

Whether the Circuit Courts' three-judge panel created a conflict of grave importance by denying petitioner's en banc rehearing and potentially infringing upon the petitioner's Sixth Amendment right to a trial by jury through an Alford plea conviction enhancement

Docket Entries

2025-02-24
Petition DENIED.
2025-01-30
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 2/21/2025.
2025-01-27
Waiver of United States of right to respond submitted.
2025-01-27
Waiver of right of respondent United States to respond filed.
2024-12-20
Petition for a writ of certiorari and motion for leave to proceed in forma pauperis filed. (Response due February 20, 2025)

Attorneys

United States
Elizabeth B. PrelogarSolicitor General, Respondent
Sarah M. HarrisActing Solicitor General, Respondent
Zonta Tavaras Ellison
Zonta Tavaras Ellison — Petitioner