No. 25A535

Shawn Russell Sorensen v. United States

Lower Court: Eighth Circuit
Docketed: 2025-11-07
Status: Application
Type: A
Tags: controlled-substance drug-possession felony-drug-offense ineffective-assistance mandatory-minimum sentencing-enhancement
Latest Conference: N/A
Question Presented (from Petition)

This document does not contain a traditional "Question(s) Presented" section. The text contains questions posed within the Background section of an extension of time application, but these are not formatted as a formal "Question(s) Presented" section as typically appears in Supreme Court petitions.

However, if extracting the questions from the Background section as they appear:

Whether Petitioner's prior simple possession drug convictions under Arizona and South Dakota state laws qualify as "prior drug felony offenses under 21 U.S.C. § 802(44), 841(b) (1) (A) and 851? Thereby qualifying Petitioner for an erroneous mandatory minimum of life.

Whether Mr. Sorenson's minimum mandatory walking death sentence violates the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution in light of the First Step Act 2018?

Question Presented (AI Summary)

Whether a defendant's prior state drug possession convictions qualify as 'felony drug offenses' under 21 U.S.C. § 841(b) for purposes of imposing a mandatory life sentence

Docket Entries

2025-11-07
Application (25A535) to extend the time to file a petition for a writ of certiorari from November 11, 2025 to January 10, 2026, submitted to Justice Kavanaugh.
2025-11-07
Application (25A535) granted by Justice Kavanaugh extending the time to file until January 10, 2026.

Attorneys

Shawn Russell Sorensen
Shawn Russell Sorensen — Petitioner
United States
D. John SauerSolicitor General, Respondent