How long does a case take to make it from a Federal District Court to the Supreme Court?
It’s really hard to predict. After the District Court, either side can appeal to the Circuit Court–in this case the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeal. That can take a year or more. Then, the case can be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court by filing a Petition for Writ of Certiorari (Cert. Petition). The Supreme Court takes only a very small percentage of cases for which Cert. Petitions are filed. But, if the Court grants the Petition, that appeal process can take a year or two from the time the Petition is filed. At either appeal stage, the case can be returned to the lower court for more proceedings. There can be further appeals from those proceedings. So, while it is not that common, it’s possible for some cases to drag on for years.
