No. 24-1260
 
Title: Michael Watson, Mississippi Secretary of State, Petitioner
v.
Republican National Committee, et al.
Docketed: June 10, 2025
Lower Ct: United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
   Case Numbers: (24-60395)
   Decision Date: October 25, 2024
   Rehearing Denied: March 14, 2025
Questions Presented
 
Proceedings and Orders
Jun 06 2025 Petition for a writ of certiorari filed. (Response due July 10, 2025)
Petition Certificate of Word Count Proof of Service
Jun 17 2025 Waiver of right of respondents Justin Wetzel, Toni Jo Diaz, Becky Payne, Barbara Kimball, Christine Brice, and Carolyn Handler to respond filed.
Main Document
Jul 03 2025 Motion of Libertarian Party of Mississippi to extend the time to file a response from July 10, 2025 to August 11, 2025, submitted to The Clerk.
Main Document
Jul 03 2025 Motion of Republican National Committee, et al. to extend the time to file a response from July 10, 2025 to August 11, 2025, submitted to The Clerk.
Main Document
Jul 08 2025 Motions to extend the time to file a response are granted and the time is extended to and including August 11, 2025, for all respondents.
Jul 10 2025 Brief of respondents Vet Voice Foundation, et al. in support filed.
Main Document Proof of Service Certificate of Word Count
Jul 10 2025 Brief amici curiae of Center for Election Confidence, Inc., et al. filed.
Main Document Certificate of Word Count Proof of Service
Jul 10 2025 Brief amici curiae of District of Columbia, et al. filed.
Main Document Proof of Service Certificate of Word Count
Aug 11 2025 Brief of respondents Republican National Committee, et al. in opposition filed.
Main Document Proof of Service Certificate of Word Count
Aug 11 2025 Brief of respondent Libertarian Party of Mississippi in opposition filed.
Main Document Proof of Service Certificate of Word Count
Aug 25 2025 Reply of petitioner Michael Watson filed. (Distributed)
Main Document Proof of Service Certificate of Word Count
Aug 27 2025 DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 9/29/2025.
Sep 03 2025 Response Requested. (Due October 3, 2025)
Sep 24 2025 Letter of September 24, 2025 from counsel for respondents Justin Wetzel, et al. filed.
Main Document
Sep 26 2025 Waiver of the 14-day waiting period for the distribution of the petition pursuant to Rule 15.5 filed by petitioner.
Main Document
Oct 01 2025 DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 10/17/2025.
Nov 03 2025 DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 11/7/2025.
Nov 10 2025 Petition GRANTED.
Nov 20 2025 Motion for an extension of time to file the briefs on the merits filed.
Main Document
Nov 20 2025 Motion to dispense with printing the joint appendix filed by petitioner Michael Watson.
Main Document Proof of Service
Dec 01 2025 Motion to extend the time to file the joint appendix and petitioner's brief on the merits is extended to and including January 2, 2026. The time to file respondents' briefs on the merits is extended to and including February 9, 2026.
Dec 15 2025 Motion to dispense with printing the joint appendix filed by petitioner GRANTED.
Jan 02 2026 Brief of petitioner Michael Watson filed.
Main Document Certificate of Word Count Proof of Service
Jan 02 2026 Brief of respondents Vet Voice Foundation, et al. in support of petitioner filed.
Main Document Certificate of Word Count Proof of Service
Jan 05 2026 Amicus brief of Corey J. Biazzo not accepted for filing. (January 07, 2026) (to be corrected 1/7/2026).
Jan 08 2026 Amicus brief of Corey J. Biazzo submitted.
Main Document Proof of Service Certificate of Word Count
Jan 09 2026 Amicus brief of Constitutional Accountability Center submitted.
Main Document Certificate of Word Count Proof of Service
Jan 09 2026 Amicus brief of Former Election Administrators submitted.
Main Document Certificate of Word Count Proof of Service
Jan 09 2026 Amicus brief of The Society For The Rule Of Law Institute submitted.
Main Document Certificate of Word Count Proof of Service
Jan 09 2026 Amicus brief of Lawyers’ Committee For Civil Rights Under Law, National Association For The Advancement Of Colored People Legal Defense And Education Fund, Asian American Legal Defense And Education Fund, Equal Justice Society, National Urban League, National Association For The Advancement Of Colored People, And Mississippi State Conference Of The National Association For The Advancement Of Colored People submitted.
Main Document Proof of Service Certificate of Word Count
Jan 09 2026 Amicus brief of Campaign Legal Center and Protect Democracy Project submitted.
Main Document Certificate of Word Count Proof of Service
Jan 09 2026 Amicus brief of The Democratic National Committee submitted.
Main Document Certificate of Word Count Proof of Service
Jan 09 2026 Amicus brief of Fourteen United States Senators submitted.
Main Document Proof of Service Certificate of Word Count
Jan 09 2026 Amicus brief of District of Columbia and 19 States submitted.
Main Document Proof of Service Certificate of Word Count
Jan 09 2026 Amicus brief of National Defense Committee submitted.
Main Document Certificate of Word Count Proof of Service
Jan 09 2026 Amicus brief of Professor Michael T. Morley and Florida State University Election Law Center submitted.
Main Document Certificate of Word Count Proof of Service
Jan 09 2026 Amicus brief of State of Alaska submitted.
Main Document Certificate of Word Count Proof of Service
Jan 09 2026 Amicus brief of Local Election Officials and Local Governments submitted.
Main Document Certificate of Word Count Proof of Service
Jan 09 2026 Amicus brief of League of Women Voters, Rural Coalition/coalición Rural, Center for Rural Strategies, American association of People With Disabilities, and Disability Rights Mississippi submitted.
Main Document Certificate of Word Count Proof of Service
Jan 09 2026 Amicus brief of The League of United Latin Americans Citizens ("LULAC") submitted.
Main Document Certificate of Word Count Proof of Service
Jan 09 2026 Amicus brief of National Security Leaders for America submitted.
Main Document Certificate of Word Count Proof of Service
Jan 09 2026 Amicus brief of Individuals and Organizations Representing Military and Overseas Voters submitted.
Main Document Certificate of Word Count Proof of Service
Jan 09 2026 Amicus brief of National Congress of American Indians, Alaska Federation of Natives, and Washington Conservation Action Education Fund submitted.
Main Document Certificate of Word Count Proof of Service
Attorneys
Attorneys for Petitioner
Scott Grant Stewart
Counsel of Record
Mississippi Attorney General's Office
P.O. Box 220
Jackson, MS 39205-0220

SCOTT.STEWART@AGO.MS.GOV
Ph: (601) 359-3680
Party name: Michael Watson


Attorneys for Respondents
Gilbert Charles Dickey
Counsel of Record
Consovoy McCarthy, PLLC
1600 Wilson Boulevard
Suite 700
Arlington, VA 22209

gilbert@consovoymccarthy.com
Ph: (703) 243-9423
Party name: Republican National Committee, Mississippi Republican Party, James Perry, and Matthew Lamb


Marc Erik Elias
Counsel of Record
Elias Law Group LLP
250 Massachusetts Ave. NW
Suite 400
Washington, DC 20001

Eliasm@elias.law
Ph: (202) 968-4490
Party name: Libertarian Party of Mississippi in support of petitioner


Timothy Charles Holleman
Counsel of Record
Boyce Holleman & Associates
1720 23rd Ave/Boyce Holleman Blvd
Gulfport, MS 39501

tim@boyceholleman.com
Ph: 2282973142
Party name: Justin Wetzel, Toni Jo Diaz, Becky Payne, Barbara Kimball, Christine Brice, and Carolyn Handler


T. Russell Nobile
Counsel of Record
Judicial Watch, Inc.
P.O. Box 6592
Gulfport, Mississippi, MS 39506

Rnobile@judicialwatch.org
Ph: (202) 527-9866
Party name: Libertarian Party of Mississippi


Other Attorneys
Corey John Biazzo
Counsel of Record
Biazzo Law PLLC
6416 Rea Rd.
Charlotte, NC 28277

corey@biazzolaw.com
Ph: 703-297-5777
Party name: Corey J. Biazzo


Jacqueline Diana De Leon
Counsel of Record
Native American Rights Fund
250 Arapahoe Ave.
Boulder, CO 80302

JDeLeon@narf.org
Ph: 3034478760
Party name: National Congress of American Indians, Alaska Federation of Natives, and Washington Conservation Action Education Fund


P. Benjamin DeWitt Duke
Counsel of Record
Covington & Burling
620 8th Avenue
New York, NY 10018

pbduke@cov.com
Ph: 212 8411072
Party name: Individuals and Organizations Representing Military and Overseas Voters


Norman L. Eisen
Counsel of Record
Democracy Defenders Fund
600 Pennsylvania Avenue, SE #15180
Washington, DC 20003

norman.eisen@gmail.com
Ph: (202) 6018678
Party name: The League of United Latin Americans Citizens ("LULAC")


Brianne Jenna Gorod
Counsel of Record
Constitutional Accountability Center
1730 Rhode Island Ave. NW
Suite 1200
Washington, DC 20036

BRIANNE@THEUSCONSTITUTION.ORG
Ph: 202 296 6889
Party name: Constitutional Accountability Center


Kevin J. Hamilton
Counsel of Record
Perkins Coie
1301 Second Avenue
Suite 4200
Seattle, WA 98101

khamilton@perkinscoie.com
Ph: (206) 359-8741
Party name: Former Election Administrators


Sophia Lin Lakin
Counsel of Record
American Civil Liberties Union Foundation, Inc.
125 Broad Street, 18th Floor
New York, NY 10004

SLAKIN@ACLU.ORG
Ph: 212-519-7836
Party name: League of Women Voters, Rural Coalition/coalición Rural, Center for Rural Strategies, American association of People With Disabilities, and Disability Rights Mississippi


Jenna Marie Lorence
Counsel of Record
Department of Law
1031 West 4th Avenue
Suite 200
Anchorage, AK 99507

jenna.lorence@alaska.gov
Ph: (907) 269-5100
Party name: State of Alaska


John N. Maher
Counsel of Record
Maher Legal Services PC
122 North Wheaton Avenue
Box 1386
Wheaton, IL 60187

john@maherlegalservices.com
Ph: 7084688155
Party name: National Defense Committee


Amy J. Mauser
Counsel of Record
Dunn Isaacson Rhee LLP
401 Ninth Street, NW
Washington, DC 20004-2637

amauser@dirllp.com
Ph: (202) 240-2900
Party name: Fourteen United States Senators


Jonathan B. Miller
Counsel of Record
Public Rights Project
490 43rd Street, #115
Oakland, CA 94609

JON@PUBLICRIGHTSPROJECT.ORG
Ph: (510) 738-6788
Party name: Local Election Officials and Local Governments


Michael T. Morley
Counsel of Record
Florida State University Election Law Center
425 W. Jefferson Street
Tallahassee, FL 32306

michaelmorleyesq@hotmail.com
Ph: 8607783883
Party name: Professor Michael T. Morley and Florida State University Election Law Center


Adav Noti
Counsel of Record
Campaign Legal Center
1101 14th Street, NW, Suite 400
Washington, DC 20005

anoti@campaignlegalcenter.org
Ph: 2027362200
Party name: Campaign Legal Center and Protect Democracy Project


Daniel Carl Schwartz
Counsel of Record
Bryan Cave Leighton Paisner LLP
1155 F. St. NW, Ste. 700
Washington, DC 20004

daniel.schwartz@bclplaw.com
Ph: (202) 508-6025
Party name: National Security Leaders for America


Nancy Anne Temple
Counsel of Record
Katten & Temple, LLP
209 S. LaSalle St., Suite 950
Chicago, IL 60604

ntemple@kattentemple.com
Ph: 3126630800
Party name: The Society For The Rule Of Law Institute


Donald B. Verrilli Jr.
Counsel of Record
Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP
601 Massachusetts Avenue, NW
Suite 500E
Washington, DC 20001-5369

DONALD.VERRILLI@MTO.COM
Ph: 202-220-1100
Party name: The Democratic National Committee


Robert Neil Weiner
Counsel of Record
Lawyers’ Committee For Civil Rights Under Law
1500 K St. N.W.
Washington, DC 20005

rweiner@lawyerscommittee.org
Ph: (202) 662-8600
Party name: Lawyers’ Committee For Civil Rights Under Law, National Association For The Advancement Of Colored People Legal Defense And Education Fund, Asian American Legal Defense And Education Fund, Equal Justice Society, National Urban League, National Association For The Advancement Of Colored People, And Mississippi State Conference Of The National Association For The Advancement Of Colored People


Christopher E. Mills
Counsel of Record
Spero Law LLC
557 East Bay Street #22251
Charleston, SC 29413

cmills@spero.law
Ph: 8436060640
Party name: Center for Election Confidence, Inc., Restoring Integrity and Trust in Elections, Inc., and Honest Elections Project


Caroline Sage Van Zile
Counsel of Record
Attorney General for the District of Columbia
Office of the Solicitor General
400 6th Street, NW, Suite 8100
Washington, DC 20001

caroline.vanzile@dc.gov
Ph: (202) 724-6609
Party name: District of Columbia and 19 States