NOV. 23 CONFERENCE

  • Leone v. United States, 05-111. Interpretation of the Hobbs Act requirement that the defendant’s conduct must have affected interstate commerce.
  • Williams v. Michigan, 05-197. Whether reasonable suspicion of criminal activity is required before a police officer may extend a traffic stop beyond its initial scope.
  • Columbus, Ohio v. Golden, 05-354. Whether the government’s termination of water service to rental property violates the equal protection rights of innocent tenants.



This column seeks to identify cases on the Supreme Court’s conference agenda that are leading candidates for Supreme Court review or that raise significant national issues. Thomas Goldstein of Washington, D.C.’s Goldstein & Howe selects these cases from the many petitions filed based on several factors, including whether lower courts have split on the issues presented. He does not otherwise participate in the preparation of this column. Goldstein filed briefs in two of the listed cases. He wrote an amicus brief on behalf of the petitioner in Johnson v. Bush, 05-212, and wrote the petition in 05-354.

Tony Mauro is a reporter with Legal Times, a Recorder affiliate based in Washington, D.C.