No. 21-846 *** CAPITAL CASE ***
Title:John Montenegro Cruz, Petitioner
v.
Arizona
Docketed:December 7, 2021
Lower Ct:Supreme Court of Arizona
   Case Numbers:(CR-17-0567-PC)
   Decision Date:June 4, 2021
   Rehearing Denied:June 23, 2021
  Discretionary Court Decision Date:
Questions Presented

DateProceedings and Orders
Nov 22 2021Petition for a writ of certiorari filed. (Response due January 6, 2022)
PetitionAppendixCertificate of Word CountProof of Service
Dec 16 2021Waiver of Arizona filed 12/16/21 removed from docket. (See Rule 15.1)
Dec 20 2021Motion to extend the time to file a response from January 6, 2022 to February 7, 2022, submitted to The Clerk.
Main Document
Dec 21 2021Motion to extend the time to file a response is granted and the time is extended to and including February 7, 2022.
Jan 06 2022Amicus brief of LatinoJustice PRLDEF not accepted for filing. (January 07, 2022 - correct pdf to be re-efiled)
Jan 06 2022Brief amicus curiae of LatinoJustice PRLDEF filed.
Main DocumentProof of ServiceCertificate of Word Count
Jan 06 2022Brief amici curiae of Habeas Scholars filed.
Main DocumentOtherCertificate of Word CountProof of Service
Feb 04 2022Brief of respondent Arizona in opposition filed.
Main DocumentProof of ServiceCertificate of Word Count
Feb 22 2022Reply of petitioner John Montenegro Cruz filed. (Distributed)
Main DocumentProof of ServiceCertificate of Word Count
Feb 23 2022DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 3/18/2022.
Mar 21 2022DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 3/25/2022.
Mar 28 2022Petition GRANTED limited to the following question: Whether the Arizona Supreme Court’s holding that Arizona Rule of Criminal Procedure 32.1(g) precluded post-conviction relief is an adequate and independent state-law ground for the judgment.
Apr 07 2022Motion for an extension of time to file the briefs on the merits filed.
Main DocumentProof of Service
Apr 28 2022Motion to extend the time to file the briefs on the merits granted. The time to file the joint appendix and petitioner's brief on the merits is extended to and including June 13, 2022. The time to file respondent's brief on the merits is extended to and including August 12, 2022.
Jun 06 2022Blanket Consent filed by Petitioner, John Montenegro Cruz
Blanket Consent
Jun 13 2022Blanket Consent filed by Respondent, Arizona
Blanket Consent
Jun 13 2022Brief of petitioner John Montenegro Cruz filed.
Main DocumentCertificate of Word CountProof of Service
Jun 13 2022Joint appendix filed. (Statement of costs filed)
Main DocumentProof of Service
Jun 21 2022Amicus brief of Habeas Scholars not accepted for filing. (June 22, 2022)
Jun 21 2022Brief amici curiae of Ohio Justice & Policy Center and Roderick & Solange MacArthur Justice Center filed.
Main DocumentCertificate of Word CountProof of Service
Jun 21 2022Brief amici curiae of Federal Courts Scholars filed.
Main DocumentCertificate of Word CountProof of Service
Jun 21 2022Brief amici curiae of LatinoJustice PRLDEF, et al. filed.
Main DocumentCertificate of Word CountProof of Service
Jun 21 2022Brief amici curiae of Arizona Capital Representation Project, et al. filed.
Main DocumentCertificate of Word CountProof of Service
Jun 21 2022Brief amici curiae of National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, et al. filed.
Main DocumentCertificate of Word CountProof of Service
Aug 03 2022ARGUMENT SET FOR Tuesday, November 1, 2022.
Aug 12 2022Brief of respondent Arizona filed.
Main DocumentCertificate of Word CountProof of Service
Aug 19 2022Brief amici curiae of Jonathan F. Mitchell, et al. filed.
Main DocumentCertificate of Word CountProof of Service
Aug 31 2022CIRCULATED
Sep 12 2022Record requested from the Supreme Court of Arizona.
Sep 12 2022Reply of petitioner John Montenegro Cruz filed. (Distributed)
Main DocumentCertificate of Word CountProof of Service
Oct 11 2022Record received from the Superior Court of the State of Arizona (Pima County) 1 Box. Part of the record has been electronically filed.
Nov 01 2022Argued. For petitioner: Neal K. Katyal, Washington, D. C. For respondent: Joseph A. Kanefield, Chief Deputy Attorney General, Phoenix, Ariz.
Dec 07 2022Record received from the Supreme Court of Arizona (3 boxes and the electronic record).
Feb 22 2023Judgment VACATED and case REMANDED. Sotomayor, J., delivered the opinion of the Court, in which Roberts, C. J., and Kagan, Kavanaugh, and Jackson, JJ., joined. Barrett, J., filed a dissenting opinion, in which Thomas, Alito, and Gorsuch, JJ., joined.
Mar 27 2023Judgment and mandate issued.
Main Document
Apr 25 2023Record returned to the Supreme Court of Arizona (3 boxes and the electronic record).
Apr 26 2023Record returned to the Superior Court of the State of Arizona (Pima County) 1 Box.

NAMEADDRESSPHONE
Attorneys for Petitioner
Neal Kumar Katyal
    Counsel of Record
Hogan Lovells US LLP
555 Thirteenth St., N.W.
Washington, DC 20004

neal.katyal@hoganlovells.com
202 637 5528
Party name: John Montenegro Cruz
Attorneys for Respondent
Jeffrey Lee Sparks
    Counsel of Record
Arizona Attorney General
2005 N. Central Avenue
Phoenix, AZ 85004

jeffrey.sparks@azag.gov
602-542-4686
Party name: State of Arizona
Joseph Andrew KanefieldArizona Attorney General's Off
2005 N. Central Ave.
Phoenix, AZ 85004

Joe.Kanefield@azag.gov
602-542-8080
Party name: State of Arizona
Other
Elizabeth Graber Bentley
    Counsel of Record
University of Minnesota Law School
Civil Rights Appellate Clinic
229 19th Avenue South
Minneapolis, MN 55455

ebentley@umn.edu
612-625-7809
Party name: Arizona Capital Representation Project and Arizona Attorneys for Criminal Justice
Michael Evan Bern
    Counsel of Record
Latham & Watkins LLP
555 Eleventh Street NW, Suite 1000
Washington, DC 20004-1304

michael.bern@lw.com
202-637-2200
Party name: Ohio Justice & Policy Center and Roderick & Solange MacArthur Justice Center
Melanie Lynn Bostwick
    Counsel of Record
Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP
1152 15th Street NW
Washington, DC 20005

mbostwick@orrick.com
202-339-8483
Party name: Federal Courts Scholars
Melanie Lynn Bostwick
    Counsel of Record
Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP
1152 15th Street NW
Washington, DC 20005

mbostwick@orrick.com
202-339-8483
Party name: Habeas Scholars
Noah Adam Levine
    Counsel of Record
Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale & Dorr LLP
7 World Trade Center
250 Greenwich Street
New York, NY 10007

noah.levine@wilmerhale.com
212-230-8800
Party name: National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, American Civil Liberties Union, and American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona
Adam Karl Mortara
    Counsel of Record
Lawfair LLC
40 Burton Hills Boulevard
Suite 200
Nashville, TN 37215

mortara@lawfairllc.com
773 750 7154
Party name: Jonathan F. Mitchell and Adam K. Mortara
Bruce H. Schneider
    Counsel of Record
Stroock Stroock & Lavan LLP
180 Maiden Lane
New York, NY 10038

bschneider@stroock.com
(212) 806-5400
Party name: LatinoJustice PRLDEF, et al.