Ashcroft v. Iqbal

Holding that a claim is plausible where a plaintiff's allegations enable the court to draw a "reasonable inference" the defendant is liable

Bell Atl. Corp. v. Twombly

Holding that a complaint's allegations should "contain sufficient factual matter, accepted as true, to 'state a claim to relief that is plausible on its face' "

Anderson v. Liberty Lobby, Inc.

Holding that summary judgment is not appropriate if "the dispute about a material fact is ‘genuine,’ that is, if the evidence is such that a reasonable jury could return a verdict for the nonmoving party"

Holland v. Florida

Holding that § 2254 does not preclude equitable tolling of a statute of limitations based on attorney misconduct in habeas proceedings

Woodford v. NGO

Holding that § 1997e requires "proper exhaustion"

Heck v. Humphrey

Holding that a court must dismiss a § 1983 suit if a judgment in favor of the plaintiff would necessarily imply the invalidity of his conviction or sentence

Ross v. Blake

Holding that, other than the requirement that a remedy be "available," the text of the Prison Litigation Reform Act ("PLRA") "suggests no limits on an inmate's obligation to exhaust -- irrespective of any ‘special circumstances’ "

Miller v. Alabama

Holding mandatory life without parole sentences unconstitutional for all juvenile offenders

Bousley v. United States

Holding that the rule announced in Bailey v. United States, 516 U.S. 137, 116 S.Ct. 501, 133 L.Ed.2d 472, which narrowed the scope of the term "use" in § 924(c), applied retroactively

Wilkinson v. Dotson

Holding that a prisoner in state custody cannot use a § 1983 action to challenge the fact or duration of his confinement, but must instead seek federal habeas corpus relief

Section 1983 - Civil action for deprivation of rights

Holding liable any state actor who "subjects, or causes [a person] to be subjected" to a constitutional violation

Rule 12 - Defenses and Objections: When and How Presented; Motion for Judgment on the Pleadings; Consolidating Motions; Waiving Defenses; Pretrial Hearing

Granting the court discretion to exclude matters outside the pleadings presented to the court in defense of a motion to dismiss

Rule 56 - Summary Judgment

Holding a party may move for summary judgment on any part of any claim or defense in the lawsuit

Section 2254 - State custody; remedies in Federal courts

Holding that "a determination of a factual issue made by a State court shall be presumed to be correct" and "[t]he applicant shall have the burden of rebutting the presumption of correctness by clear and convincing evidence"

Rule 8 - General Rules of Pleading

Holding that "[e]very defense to a claim for relief in any pleading must be asserted in the responsive pleading. . . ."

Section 2255 - Federal custody; remedies on motion attacking sentence

Adopting one-year limitations period for §2255 motions

Section 2244 - Finality of determination

Holding that § 2255 incorporates § 2244(b) as part of the certification procedures of § 2244 and instructing that "the district court must dismiss the motion that we have allowed the applicant to file, without reaching the merits of the motion, if the court finds that the movant has not satisfied the requirements for the filing of such a motion."

Section 1997e - Suits by prisoners

Holding that prisoners must exhaust "available" administrative remedies before filing suit in federal court

Section Amendment VIII - Further Guarantees in Criminal Cases

Prohibiting "cruel and unusual punishments"

Section 5-101 - Three-year limitation in general

Prescribing general three-year statute of limitations for civil claims

Section 12.08.01.18 - Consideration for Parole

Requiring parole commission to consider "[a]ge at the time the crime was committed," "[t]he individual's level of maturity and sense of responsibility at the time ... the crime was committed," "[w]hether influence or pressure from other individuals contributed to the commission of the crime," "[t]he home environment and family relationships at the time the crime was committed," "[t]he individual's educational background and achievement at the time the crime was committed," and "[o]ther factors or circumstances unique to prisoners who committed crimes at the time the individual was a juvenile that the Commissioner determines to be relevant"

Section 12.08.01.15 - Commutation