No. 24-7227

Lonnie Loren Kocontes v. California

Lower Court: California
Docketed: 2025-05-16
Status: Denied
Type: IFP
IFP
Tags: civil-asset-forfeiture claim-preclusion due-process federal-judgment issue-preclusion state-criminal-prosecution
Latest Conference: 2025-09-29
Question Presented (from Petition)

Does the Due Process Clause, independent of the Double Jeopardy Clause, require a state to apply issue and/or claim preclusion to a federal judgment in a state criminal prosecution?

If yes, is the state free to apply its law of preclusion to a federal civil asset forfeiture judgment in the criminal defendant's favor, when the asset forfeiture case alleged the same conduct for which the state was prosecuting?

If federal law of issue/claim preclusion must be applied by the state under such circumstances, do the civil privity standards announced by this Court in Taylor v. Sturgell apply to the federal judgment?

Under the applicable federal, common-law rules of issue/claim preclusion to the asset forfeiture judgment, was there privity between California and the United States such that the judgment barred the award of restitution awarded by the state?

Question Presented (AI Summary)

Does the Due Process Clause require a state to apply issue and/or claim preclusion to a federal judgment in a state criminal prosecution, and under what circumstances can preclusion standards be applied to civil asset forfeiture judgments?

Docket Entries

2025-10-06
Petition DENIED.
2025-06-26
DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 9/29/2025.
2025-03-13
Petition for a writ of certiorari and motion for leave to proceed in forma pauperis filed. (Response due June 16, 2025)

Attorneys

Lonnie L. Kocontes
Lonnie Loren Kocontes — Petitioner