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Page Number: 8.0

4 

UNITED STATES v. HIGGS 

SOTOMAYOR, J., dissenting 

imperative  public  importance  as  to  justify  deviation  from
normal appellate practice and to require immediate deter-
mination in this Court.”  This Court’s Rule 11.  The Govern-
ment  falls  far  short  of  meeting  this  strict  standard.
Whether  district  courts  can  amend  final  orders  and  judg-
ments  in  this  situation  is  an  open  and  novel  question  on 
which none of the courts of appeals have spoken.  After fail-
ing to act since Higgs’ sentence was imposed in 2001, the 
Government  gives  no  compelling  reason  why  it  suddenly 
cannot wait a few weeks while courts give his claim the con-
sideration  it  deserves.  Certainly,  there  is  no  “imperative
public  importance”  behind  the  Government’s  request.    I 
would deny the Government’s petition. 

II 
Sadly, it is not surprising that the Court grants this ex-
traordinary request.  Over the past six months, this Court 
has repeatedly sidestepped its usual deliberative processes, 
often at the Government’s request, allowing it to push for-
ward with an unprecedented, breakneck timetable of exe-
cutions.  With due judicial consideration, some of the Gov-
ernment’s arguments may have prevailed and some or even 
many of these executions may have ultimately been allowed 
to  proceed.    Others  may  not  have  been.    Either  way,  the
Court should not have sanctioned these executions without 
resolving these critical issues.  The stakes were simply too
high. 

A 
Even  after  thirteen  federal  executions  in  six  months, 
basic,  recurring  questions  about  the  FDPA  and  the  2019 
Protocol  remain  unanswered.    For  example,  what  does  it
mean  to  “implement[ ]”  a  federal  death  sentence  “in  the 
manner  prescribed  by  the  law  of  the  State”?    18  U. S. C. 
§3596(a).  Answers run the gamut.  Some judges believe the 
FDPA merely requires following the State’s “top-line choice