"Ross William Ulbricht respectfully petitions for a writ of certiorari to review the judgment of the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in this case," read the terse beginnings of a landmark plea to literally the last resort for Mr. Ulbricht. 

Writ of certiorari orders the lower court, which upheld Mr. Ulbricht's conviction and sentence, to deliver its records so that the Supreme Court may review them and decide if further examination is necessary. The SCOTUS is a nine member body which acts as the final arbiter in legal matters. Currently the Court has five members considered more conservative, while four are thought to be on the permissive side. Neil Gorsuch, recently appointed by President Trump, is said to be not bad on 4th Amendment issues, one of the grounds on which Mr. Ulbricht's appeal is based.