For those of us following the case of Patrick "Tate" Adamiak, hope has been hard to come by in recent months. The Navy veteran is currently serving a 20-year federal prison sentence after being convicted of illegally possessing and selling restricted arms like machine guns, even though as Second Amendment Foundation investigative journalist Lee Williams has laid out, Adamiak never sold any firearms, restricted or otherwise.
Adamiak's appeal is scheduled to be discussed in today's Supreme Court's conference, with Second Amendment groups including SAF and NAGR filing amicus briefs on his behalf urging the justices to take up his case. The DOJ declined to file a reply brief with SCOTUS, however, and no justice has requested the government do so, which isn't a great sign.
Adamiak recently released an open letter to new ATF Director Robert Cekada asking him to ensure that aspects of his prosecution are "reexamined, accurately characterized, and communicated to the U.S. Attorney’s Office." While testifying on Capitol Hill today, Cekada was asked about Adamiak's case by Rep. Eli Crane (R-AZ).
FREE PATRICK ADAMIAK!
— National Association for Gun Rights (@gunrights) May 14, 2026
Thank you, @RepEliCrane, for bringing the plight of this innocent Navy sailor to the floor of the House.
This terrible injustice must be corrected. https://t.co/MjjgPhEdyr pic.twitter.com/2AAUhmHugY
Crane asked Cekada if he'd be willing to commit to investigating Adamiak's case and help undo this "miscarriage of justice." Cekada's response is worth quoting in full.
Sir, I would like to let you know we have been in contact with Mr. Adamiak's attorneys. We have looked at some of the evidence and we are working with DOJ. I will tell you, I understand DOJ is looking at the case for resentencing scheduled for June. I don't know the specific facts on the DOJ side, but we are working on that as well.
This is the first positive sign we've seen from the Trump administration on Adamiak's case, and while Cekada was light on specifics he didn't try to dodge Crane's question or feign ignorance about his case.
Cekada is scheduled to join me on Bearing Arms' Cam & Company next week, and in preparation for his appearance I provided ATF with a copy of Adamiak's open letter to the director after letting the agency know I intend to bring up his case during our conversation. It sounds like the director was already aware of Tate Adamiak's incarceration, and hopefully after learning some of the details of his prosecution, including the manipulation of physical evidence on the part of the ATF during the Biden administration, Cekada will take proactive steps to help Adamiak in his quest for freedom.
Cekada's comment about DOJ looking at Adamiak's case is also intriguing. To date, the DOJ has vigorously defended its prosecution of the Navy veteran, including during Adamiak's appeal before the Fourth Circuit a few months ago. It declined to reply to Adamiak's cert petition, but that in itself isn't an indication that DOJ officials have had a change of heart about the case.
It's also worth noting that Adamiak's attorneys are not asking the justices to grant cert to his case, at least not right away. Instead, the petition asks that the Court hold on to his case "pending resolution of Second Amendment arguments and petitions currently before this Court." Adamiak's attorneys specifically reference the "assault weapon" and magazine ban cases that the Supreme Court has yet to take up or dismiss, writing "if certiorari is granted in one or more of these pending cases, then the Court should hold this case."
Adamiak's attorneys also point out the current circuit court split on the nature of as-applied challenges to Second Amendment-related statutes.
Should the Court sustain the as-applied challenge in Hemani or otherwise confirm that federal or State laws are generally subject to as-applied challenges, then the Court should GVR this case to permit the Fourth Circuit to address the as-applied challenge raised by Petitioner in this case. There is a “reasonable probability that the decision below rests upon a premise that the lower court would reject if given the opportunity for further consideration” in light of the upcoming decision in Hemani.
It's possible that none of the justices have requested DOJ reply to the cert petition because Adamiak's attorneys are not seeking an immediate cert grant of his case, though I'd still feel more optimistic if one or more of the justices had directed the DOJ to respond. And if DOJ has decided to reverse course on defending Adamiak's conviction and 20-year sentence, I would think that would be something the agency would want the Supreme Court to be aware of.
Cekada's comments aren't cause for celebration, but they are enough to give Adamiak's supporters a little hope that the injustice he's been subjected to may soon be rectified; if not through the courts, then through a full pardon by President Donald Trump.
