Jeremy Fontanez v. Colette Peters, BOP Director; Warden Rokosky, FCI Cumberland
June 30, 2026·25-7056·Per Curiam·By James Taylor
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a federal prisoner's petition for a writ of habeas corpus. The court held that the petitioner failed to exhaust administrative remedies and did not establish that such exhaustion should be excused.
Jeremy Fontanez, a federal prisoner, appealed the district court’s order dismissing his petition under Section twenty-eight of the United States Code, Section two thousand two hundred forty-one. The underlying case was filed in the United States District Court for the District of Maryland.
The court’s reasoning
The court reviewed the record and confirmed that the petitioner failed to exhaust his administrative remedies before filing the petition. The court further found that the petitioner did not establish that exhaustion of such remedies should be excused under the circumstances of this case.
What it means going forward
The decision reinforces the requirement that federal prisoners must exhaust administrative remedies before seeking habeas relief, unless specific circumstances justify excusing that requirement.
