No. 25A217

Geronimo Velasco v. United States District Court for the Northern District of California, et al.

Lower Court: Ninth Circuit
Docketed: 2025-08-22
Status: Denied
Type: A
Tags: court-integrity due-process federal-rules judicial-estoppel phantom-hearing sanctions
Latest Conference: N/A
Question Presented (from Petition)

1. Whether a federal district judge commits judicial estoppel by issuing contradictory orders
stating that a plaintiff both "failed to appear" at a hearing and that the same hearing was
"valid," while simultaneously discharging an Order to Show Cause based on that alleged
failure to appear?

2. Whether federal courts may impose sanctions based on "phantom hearings"—
proceedings that were legally voided by prior court orders but used as the basis for
finding procedural violations?

3. Whether this Court should exercise its supervisory authority under the All Writs Act
when lower courts systematically violate Federal Rules and due process protections while
foreclosing appellate review?

Question Presented (AI Summary)

Whether a federal district judge may commit judicial estoppel by issuing contradictory orders and imposing sanctions based on a legally non-existent 'phantom hearing' that violates due process protections

Docket Entries

2025-08-25
Application (25A217) denied by Justice Kagan.
2025-07-29
Application (25A217) for a stay, submitted to Justice Kagan.

Attorneys

Geronimo Velasco
Geronimo Velasco — Petitioner
USDC ND CA, et al.
D. John SauerSolicitor General, Respondent