The U.S. Supreme Court slammed the door on Joe Exotic’s latest bid for freedom, declining Monday to hear his appeal and leaving the Tiger King star with a presidential pardon as his only remaining path out of federal prison. The Supreme Court this week declined to hear an appeal from the exotic animal breeder known as "Joe Exotic" and "Tiger King," leaving intact his federal conviction and 21-year prison sentence in a murder-for-hire case. https://t.co/JgnNa0rJAt — NEWSMAX (@NEWSMAX) April 5, 2026 Court Rejects New Evidence Claims Joseph Maldonado-Passage, serving 21 years for a murder-for-hire plot against animal rights activist Carole Baskin, filed his petition February 4 arguing newly discovered evidence undermines the government’s case. The Netflix docuseries star has maintained his conviction resulted from a setup and flawed investigation. The Supreme Court’s refusal to hear his case closes off his final judicial avenue for release after lower courts repeatedly rejected his appeals. The former Oklahoma zoo owner received his original 22-year sentence before a judge reduced it by one year. The Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld rejection of his new trial request despite his lawyers highlighting significant flaws in the prosecution’s case. His legal team pointed to multiple witnesses who recanted their trial testimony and alleged the prosecution concealed evidence regarding immunity agreements with witnesses. Defense Claims Major Prosecution Problems Attorney Levi McCathern raised fundamental questions about the conviction. Joe Exotic did not hire anyone to murder anyone, McCathern stated, noting no one was killed, no one received payment, and no one except Maldonado-Passage faced charges. These red flags convince supporters their client was railroaded through a compromised legal process. The case against the Tiger King relied heavily on witness testimony that later fell apart when those same witnesses reversed their statements. Presidential Pardon Remains Only Hope Maldonado-Passage launched a campaign seeking a pardon from President Donald Trump, who indicated in April 2020 he would look into the matter. Trump has not commented recently on the case, leaving Joe Exotic’s fate uncertain. With all judicial options exhausted, only presidential clemency can free the reality television personality whose wild story captivated millions during the 2020 pandemic lockdowns. The Tiger King phenomenon brought unprecedented attention to big cat ownership and conflicts within the exotic animal community. Sources Townhall: Supreme Court Just Made a Decision in Tiger King’s Case