# Cato Legal Experts: Fourth Circuit Ruling Enables Perpetual Confinement Without Trial 

While Congress may criminalize conduct and punish offenders, the federal government cannot exercise indefinite civil control over individuals no longer lawfully in its custody.

February 5, 2026 • News Releases 

In 2015, Duane Berry was charged with a single federal count of conveying false information. After four years in custody and multiple competency evaluations, a judge found him incompetent to stand trial and dismissed the charge. However, instead of being released from custody, the government has unlawfully detained Berry for a decade, a decision that a Fourth Circuit panel upheld, interpreting a pretrial competency restoration statute so broadly that it now permits perpetual confinement.

Following the Fourth Circuit’s decision, Berry petitioned the Supreme Court for a review of his case. Scholars at the Cato Institute, along with the Due Process Institute, have recently filed an [amicus brief](https://url.avanan.click/v2/r01/___https://zwly9k6z.r.us-east-1.awstrack.me/L0/https:*2F*2Fwww.cato.org*2Fsites*2Fcato.org*2Ffiles*2F2026-02*2FBerry_SCOTUS_Final.pdf/1/0100019c2e998ae7-feff90e8-1839-4a14-bf7f-b039a40a84f3-000000/pXL8UQUcaZUxPg9TJR4gb5eiDsw=464___.YXAzOmNhdG9pbnN0aXR1dGU6YTpvOjNjNjM2N2Q4OWMyNmM0YjU5MjQxZDI0OTZlNWI4OGZjOjc6MDczNTpmM2UwMDUzZjIyY2Y5M2JiMTZlMWFkMzU5ZWI1YTEwYjcyNWUzZGQ2YmI1NWU5ZjRlZTZmNjY3MDRmYWIwYjYyOmg6VDpO) supporting his petition. A new [blog post](https://url.avanan.click/v2/r01/___https://zwly9k6z.r.us-east-1.awstrack.me/L0/https:*2F*2Fwww.cato.org*2Fblog*2Fberry-v-united-states-brief-federal-government-lacks-general-police-powers-civil-commitment/1/0100019c2e998ae7-feff90e8-1839-4a14-bf7f-b039a40a84f3-000000/tkhw7maN7ZPPASJgJ7zw-GIMWJk=464___.YXAzOmNhdG9pbnN0aXR1dGU6YTpvOjNjNjM2N2Q4OWMyNmM0YjU5MjQxZDI0OTZlNWI4OGZjOjc6YmRkZjpjODE5NmJkYjBmOTJlOGMxODgxZWQzOTE1NDZhMzQ1ZWJhMzY0YWY5YjZjOTIxOWIyOWI4MDUxZjdjNDU4YzE0Omg6VDpO) by Cato Institute legal scholars [Matthew Cavedon](https://url.avanan.click/v2/r01/___https://zwly9k6z.r.us-east-1.awstrack.me/L0/https:*2F*2Fwww.ca%20to.org*2Fpeople*2Fmatthew-cavedon/1/0100019c2e998ae7-feff90e8-1839-4a14-bf7f-b039a40a84f3-000000/QztjNgo1V087tMX-yim9M6uQsoU=464___.YXAzOmNhdG9pbnN0aXR1dGU6YTpvOjNjNjM2N2Q4OWMyNmM0YjU5MjQxZDI0OTZlNWI4OGZjOjc6YjE0Nzo3YWY2OWUzNjViMWNiMDUwZWFiYWU4ZTRkZWJiM2UwOWQ0MjQ2ZWZjZGFiM2NhOWZlNGVkZjg3NzU0NWVjZDVmOmg6VDpO) and [Mike Fox](https://url.avanan.click/v2/r01/___https://zwly9k6z.r.us-east-1.awstrack.me/L0/https:*2F*2Fwww.cato.org*2Fpeople*2Fmike-fox/1/0100019c2e998ae7-feff90e8-1839-4a14-bf7f-b039a40a84f3-000000/XxCuVo-CaOy9iCuYxq7PCIGzSMY=464___.YXAzOmNhdG9pbnN0aXR1dGU6YTpvOjNjNjM2N2Q4OWMyNmM0YjU5MjQxZDI0OTZlNWI4OGZjOjc6NTI1NjpjOTEyNWFmZjM0NWIyMGI2MGZiNzg2YzVlNmViMzViNzVkNjA3ZTRjMjFiYzhjY2FlMzE4ZmM4NTYwODc0MWMzOmg6VDpO) details their argument, writing in part:

> *“While Congress may criminalize conduct and punish offenders, the federal government cannot exercise indefinite civil control over individuals no longer lawfully in its custody. For the rare cases in which the Supreme Court has authorized federal civil commitment, it has imposed strict limitations. The Fourth Circuit’s expansive ruling ignores these constitutional safeguards—a problem that will only intensify as federal criminal law continues its unchecked growth.”*

To speak with Cavedon or Fox about *Berry v. United States,* contact [Christopher Tarvardian](mailto:ctarvardian@cato.org).

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