U.S. Supreme Court 2009 Term Arguments: Recent Episodes
Oyez
A case which the Court dismissed before argument concerning the Employee Health Benefits Act.
A case in which the Court held that requiring the disclosure of the names of individuals who sign a referendum petition does not violate the signers' First Amendment rights to protection of political speech.
A case in which the Court held that a district court must conduct an evidentiary hearing to enter an injunction.
A case in which the Court held that district courts are required in all cases to determine whether an arbitration agreement, subject to the Federal Arbitration Act, is unconscionable.
A case in which the Court held that a party is entitled to attorneys' fees pursuant to Section 502(g)(1) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act when an ERISA violation has occurred.
A case in which the Court held that the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals' interpretation of Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 15(c)(1)(C), which permits an amended complaint to relate back to when the amendment corrects a "mistake concerning the proper party's identity," undermined the fundamental purpose of the rule.
A case in which the Court held that federal courts may enter a restitution order beyond the time prescribed under the Mandatory Victims Restitution Act if certain qualifications are met.
A case in which the Court held that a college's mandate requiring all officially-recognized student organizations be inclusive and welcoming to all students did not violate a group of Christian students' First Amendment rights when the college refused to recognize a student group that required all members to sign a statement of Christian beliefs for membership.
A case in which the Court held that the city of Ontario's search of an employee's text messages did not violate his First Amendment rights because the search was not excessive in scope and was motivated by a legitimate work-related purpose.
A case, which the Court dismissed as improvidently granted, concerning the constitutionality of actions of criminal contempt brought in the name and pursuant to the power of a private person, rather than in the name and pursuant to the power of the United States.
A case in which the Court held that a minor drug offense is not automatic grounds for deportation of a legal immigrant.
A case in which the Court held that the Federal Bureau of Prisons' method of determining "good behavior," which was based on the inmate's time in prison rather than the overall sentence, was constitutional.
A case in which the Court held that federal sentencing guidelines are binding when a district court imposes a new sentence under a revised guideline range.
A case in which the Court held that a Michigan trial court did not properly apply established Supreme Court precedent in a murder trial.
A case in which the Court held that the Securities and Exchange Act does not provide a cause of action against foreign plaintiffs suing foreign and American defendants for misconduct in connection with securities traded on foreign stock exchanges.
A case in which the Court held that the Carmack Amendment of the Interstate Commerce Act does not apply to the inland leg of an international shipment.
A case in which the Court held that, when a habeas corpus application alleges new judgment for the first time, it is not "second or successive" under the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act and is therefore constitutional.
A case in which the Court held that the National Labor Relations Board cannot execute duties with only two members on its board when 29 U.S.C. Section 153(b) mandates that quorum for the board is three members.
A case in which the Court held that a taxpayer's complaint of allegedly discriminatory state taxation must proceed originally in state court.
A case in which the Court held that a bankruptcy court may take evidence into account that suggests a debtor's finances prior to the filing period would be different than the debtor's finances during the period of bankruptcy.
A case in which the Court held that the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act does not extend to an individual acting in his official capacity on behalf of the foreign state.
A case in which the Court held that the immunity granted by the Federal Tort Claims Act precludes Bivens actions against Public Health Service officers for constitutional violations committed while in the scope of the employees' official duties.
A case in which the Court held that the Fourteenth Amendment makes the Second Amendment's right to bear arms for the purpose of self-defense applicable in the states.
A case in which the Court held that a Michigan state court did not deprive a prisoner of his Miranda rights or his right to effective counsel because he failed to state his defense of those rights "unambiguously."
A case in which the Court held that the former CEO of Enron received a fair trial before an impartial jury, and that the federal law that makes it a crime to deprive someone of a fair and honest trial only applies to bribery and kickback schemes.
A case in which the Court held that a state prisoner who has exhausted their appeals process in their state has one year to file a writ of habeas corpus, with certain exceptions (including attorney misconduct) that may allow the courts to relax that deadline.
A case in which the Court held that an appellate court may correct an error not raised at trial only when the appellant demonstrates that: (1) there is an error; (2) the error is clear and obvious; (3) the error affected the appellant's substantial rights; and (4) the error seriously affects the fairness, integrity, or public reputation of judicial proceedings.
A case in which the Court held that the Sex Offender and Registration Act does not apply to sex offenders' interstate travel that occurred before the Act's effective date.
A case in which the Court held that sections of the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act were not unconstitutionally vague in a lawsuit that named the Kurdistan Workers Party and Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.
A case in which the Court held that the fact that a firearm was a machine gun is an element to be proved to the jury beyond a reasonable doubt, not a sentencing factor to be proved to the judge at sentencing.
A case in which the Court determined that an award of attorney’s fees under the Equal Access to Justice Act can be used to offset the prevailing party’s preexisting debt to the government.
A case in which the Court held that an employee may file a Title VII disparate impact claim within 300 days after their employer executes the allegedly unlawful practice.
A case in which the Court held that the Second Circuit Court of Appeals erred when they did not hold a claim of unfair pension distribution by employees of the Xerox Corporation to a deferential standard of review.
A case in which the Court held that a Michigan state court did not create an unfair bias in jury selection for a murder trial.
A case in which the Court held that federal courts have jurisdiction to determine whether or not a collective bargaining agreement was formed between two parties when the agreement is disputed, but neither party makes a challenge to the arbitration clause contained in the agreement.
A case in which the Court held that a franchise operator cannot successfully bring a claim of constructive termination of the franchise unless it can be proven that the parent company directly forced the franchise out of business.
A case in which the Court held that a debt collector's mistake in interpreting the law cannot qualify for the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act bona fide error defense.
A case in which the Court held that separate teams in the NFL are not a collective, single entity, and that their actions regarding licensing their merchandise are subject to the Sherman Antitrust Act.
A case in which the Court held that the Hague Convention gave a father a right to have his child brought back to Chile from Texas after the child's mother violated her divorce agreement that required both parents' consent for the child to be taken out of Chile.
A case in which the Court held that the Necessary and Proper Clause granted Congress authority to enact the Adam Walsh Protection and Safety Act.
A case in which the Court held that Alabama did not have the power to impose monetary sanctions against North Carolina for violating a multi-state waste cleanup compact.
A case which the Court remanded regarding the Sixth Amendment rights of a man convicted of cocaine possession.
A case in which the Court held that imposing class arbitration on parties who have not agreed to authorize class arbitration is inconsistent with the Federal Arbitration Act.
A case in which the Court held that a court of appeals may not retroactively impose a verdict preservation requirement that is not in the Federal Rules of Procedure.
A case which the Court remanded to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals for further proceedings in light of its decision in Skilling v. United States.
A case in which the Court held that the Sarbanes-Oxley Act violated the Appointment Clause of the Constitution.
A case in which the Court held that a Florida police officer did not invalidate a convicted felon's Miranda rights during his arrest.
A case in which the Court held that a ruling on littoral ("on or near the shore") takings by the Florida Supreme Court did not cause a judicial takings violation of the Fifth or Fourteenth Amendments.
A case in which the Court held that attorneys who provide bankruptcy assistance are debt relief agencies under the Bankruptcy Abuse Prevention and Consumer Protection Act.
A case in which the Court held that Chapter 13 bankruptcy plans which discharge student loans are not void if the debtor fails to provide evidence of "undue hardship" in an adversary proceeding.
A case in which the Court held that a statute of limitations begins to run once a plaintiff actually discovers -- or a reasonably diligent plaintiff would have discovered -- the facts constituting the violation in the present case, whichever comes first.
A case in which the Court held that an audit performed by a state or its political subdivisions constitutes an administrative report within the False Claims Act.
A case in which the Court held that 8 U.S.C. Section 1252(a)(2)(B)(ii) does not preclude federal courts from hearing cases specified by the Attorney General, only cases that are specified by statute.
A case in which the Court held that the court system cannot disregard the location of a corporation's principal place of business in a multi-state lawsuit.
A case in which the Court held that the "machine-or-transformation" test adopted by the Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) was a legal means for determining patent eligibility.
A case in which the Court found that a non-homicidal conviction leading to a life sentence without parole for a juvenile violates the Eighth Amendment.
A case, which the Court dismissed as improvidently granted, concerning the constitutionality of imposing a life sentence with no chance of parole on a 13-year-old convicted of a non-homicidal offense.
A case in which the Court held that an inmate's conviction was proper, despite the fact that his attorney failed to properly investigate or introduce evidence that his IQ was well below average.
A case which the Court dismissed before argument concerning whether or not a prosecutor can be subject to civil prosecution for allegedly violating a criminal defendants' substantial due process rights by fabricating evidence and then introducing that evidence at trial.
A case in which the Court held that someone who files for bankruptcy is allowed to retain the value of certain property that would otherwise be sold to pay off debts, up to a certain dollar limit; if the value of the property is more than the individual in bankruptcy estimated, the value above the pre-determined limit may be used to pay creditors.
A case in which the Court held that the Mobile-Sierra doctrine, which is premised on the existence of a "voluntary contract" between parties, applies to non-parties in a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission settlement.
A case in which the Court held that the city of New York had standing to sue out-of-state cigarette vendors under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act.
A case which the Court vacated due to lack of jurisdiction concerning whether or not the Pennsylvania fugitive waiver rule could preclude habeas corpus review.
A case in which the Court held that Section 901(b) of the New York Rules of Civil Procedure does not preclude a federal court ruling on entities from different jurisdictions from hearing a class action under Rule 23 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.
A case in which the Court held that Section 36(b) of the Investment Company Act requires a determination that the financial adviser charges a fee that is "so disproportionately large is bears no reasonable relationship to the services rendered" before legal action may be taken.
A case in which the Court held that reasonable attorneys' fees awarded under a federal fee-shifting statute can be enhanced based on the quality of the attorney's performance and results obtained in exceptional circumstances.
A case which the Court dismissed regarding property seizure under the Illinois Drug Asset Forfeiture Procedure Act (DAFPA).
A case in which the Court held that counsel must inform a client whether or not his plea carries a risk of deportation under the Sixth Amendment.
A case in which the Court held that the 1983 conviction of a man for murder was not unconstitutional, because it did not require the jury to unanimously find the existence of any mitigating factor, which Mills v. Maryland forbids.
A case in which the Court held that a North Carolina city could not intervene in a South Carolina city's use of a river that originated in North Carolina but flowed into South Carolina.
A case in which the Court held that the registration requirement of Section 411(a) of the Copyright Act is a precondition to filing a copyright infringement claim.
A case in which the Court held that an individual has standing to maintain a suit when he acquires a "judicially cognizable" interest in ensuring compliance with a previous judgment in his favor. The Court also held that a court may not order an injunction in a case when it fails to consider all the circumstances bearing on the need for preventive relief.
A case in which the Court further held that pre-arbitration settlement conferences are not a prerequisite for National Railroad Adjustment Board jurisdiction over a dispute.
A case in which the Court ruled that 18 U.S.C. Section 48 was unconstitutional under the Free Speech Clause of the First Amendment.
A case in which the Court held that the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals was bound by Florida state law in considering a felony battery charge.
A case in which the Court held that the time granted to prepare pretrial motions is not automatically granted exclusion from the Speedy Trial Act's 70-day time limit.
A case in which the Court held that the ruling in Edwards v. Arizona does not allow for suppression of statements if a substantial period of time between the invoking one's Miranda rights and a second interrogation takes place.
A case in which the Court held that disclosure orders adverse to attorney-client privilege do not qualify for immediate appeal under the collateral order doctrine.