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`1
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`Cite as: 589 U. S. ____ (2020)
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` Statement of BREYER, J.
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`SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES
`STUART A. MCKEEVER v. WILLIAM P. BARR,
`ATTORNEY GENERAL
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`ON PETITION FOR WRIT OF CERTIORARI TO THE
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`UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE
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`DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA CIRCUIT
` No. 19–307. Decided January 21, 2020
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`The petition for a writ of certiorari is denied.
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` Statement of JUSTICE BREYER respecting the denial of
`certiorari.
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`In the decision below, the Court of Appeals for the Dis-
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`trict of Columbia Circuit held that a district court could not
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`authorize the release of grand jury information except as
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`specifically enumerated in Federal Rule of Criminal Proce-
`dure 6(e). 920 F. 3d 842, 850 (2019). That decision is in
`conflict with the decisions of several other Circuits, which
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`have indicated that district courts retain inherent author-
`ity to release grand jury material in other appropriate
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`cases. See, e.g., Carlson v. United States, 837 F. 3d 753,
`766–767 (CA7 2016); In re Craig, 131 F. 3d 99, 105 (CA2
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`1997); In re Hastings, 735 F. 2d 1261, 1271–1272 (CA11
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`1984). It also appears to conflict with the considered views
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`of the Rules Committee. See Advisory Committee Minutes
`on Crim. Rules 7 (Apr. 22–23 2012), https://www.uscourts.
`gov/sites/default/files/fr_import/criminal-min-04-2012.pdf.
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`Whether district courts retain authority to release grand
`jury material outside those situations specifically enumer-
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`ated in the Rules, or in situations like this, is an important
`question. It is one I think the Rules Committee both can
`and should revisit.
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