This case shines a light on a small but important twist in the rules for people challenging their convictions in federal court. The Supreme Court said that as soon as a judge has made a final decision on a first petition, any new petition on the same issue counts as a “second or successive” filing. This interpretation balances the twin aims of allowing meaningful collateral review while safeguarding finality and judicial economy, preventing indefinite filings during appeal, and discouraging piecemeal litigation.

music for the podcast provided by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Dimitry Taras