Decided Cases
35 decisions • Sorted by decision date
Chiles v. Salazar
The Supreme Court issued a decision in Chiles v. Salazar. A detailed summary is being prepared.
Cox Communications, Inc. v. Sony Music Entertainment
The Supreme Court issued a decision in Cox Communications, Inc. v. Sony Music Entertainment. A detailed summary is being prepared.
Rico v. United States
The Supreme Court issued a decision in Rico v. United States. A detailed summary is being prepared.
Villarreal v. Alaniz
The Supreme Court issued a decision in Villarreal v. Alaniz. A detailed summary is being prepared.
Olivier v. City of Brandon
The Supreme Court issued a decision in Olivier v. City of Brandon. A detailed summary is being prepared.
Burnett v. United States
The Supreme Court issued a decision in Burnett v. United States. A detailed summary is being prepared.
Mirabelli v. Bonta
The Supreme Court addressed an emergency application in Mirabelli v. Bonta, a case related to California state law. The Court issued a brief order without full briefing or oral argument, as is typical for emergency applications on the Court's shadow docket.
Johnson v. High Desert State Prison
The Supreme Court denied certiorari in Johnson v. High Desert State Prison, declining to hear a case about whether the poorest prisoners can split the $350 federal court filing fee when filing joint lawsuits. Federal law allows multiple plaintiffs to share the filing fee, but lower courts have split on whether prisoners proceeding in forma pauperis (as indigent litigants) can do the same.
Malliotakis v. Williams
The Supreme Court granted emergency stays in Malliotakis v. Williams, blocking a New York state trial court order related to redistricting. Justice Alito, concurring, described the lower court order as one that "blatantly discriminates on the basis of race," finding that the New York court had improperly required race-based redistricting of congressional districts.
Villarreal v. Texas
The Supreme Court ruled in Villarreal v. Texas on the constitutional right of a criminal defendant to consult with his attorney during an overnight recess in testimony. David Villarreal was on trial for murder and took the stand in his own defense. When testimony was interrupted by a 24-hour recess, the trial judge instructed his lawyers not to "manage his testimony," though the judge acknowledged Villarreal could still talk to his attorneys about certain topics.
Geo Group, Inc. v. Menocal
The Supreme Court decided Geo Group, Inc. v. Menocal, a case about whether a private company operating an immigration detention facility under a federal contract can be sued for its labor practices. GEO Group runs the Aurora, Colorado detention center under contract with ICE. Former detainee Alejandro Menocal filed a class action alleging GEO's work policies violated federal forced-labor laws and Colorado's prohibition on unjust enrichment.
Trotter v. Florida
The Supreme Court denied Melvin Trotter's application to stay his execution and denied his petition for certiorari. Trotter, sentenced to death in Florida, argued that the state was likely to improperly administer its lethal injection protocol in a way that would cause unnecessary pain in violation of the Eighth Amendment. He did not challenge lethal injection itself or Florida's protocol on paper.
Hain Celestial Group, Inc. v. Palmquist
The Supreme Court addressed product liability and consumer protection in Hain Celestial Group, Inc. v. Palmquist. The case arose after Sarah and Grant Palmquist fed their child E.P. baby food made by Hain Celestial and purchased from Whole Foods. When E.P. was 2½ years old, he was diagnosed with serious developmental disorders that doctors attributed to heavy-metal poisoning. A 2021 congressional subcommittee report had found elevated levels of toxic heavy metals in certain baby foods, including Hain's products.
Postal Service v. Konan
The Supreme Court decided United States Postal Service v. Konan, a case about whether individuals can sue the federal government for intentional misconduct by postal workers. Lebene Konan had an extended dispute with her local post office in Euless, Texas, over mail delivery to her rental properties. She alleged USPS employees intentionally withheld and interfered with her mail delivery. After administrative complaints failed, she sued under the Federal Tort Claims Act.
Learning Resources, Inc. v. Trump
In one of the most significant cases of the term, the Supreme Court addressed whether the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) authorizes the President to impose tariffs. After taking office, President Trump invoked IEEPA to impose tariffs on imports from Canada, Mexico, and China, citing the influx of illegal drugs and persistent trade deficits as national emergencies.
Klein v. Martin
In a per curiam opinion, the Supreme Court reversed the Fourth Circuit in Klein v. Martin, a habeas corpus case. Charles Brandon Martin was convicted in Maryland state court for the attempted murder of his girlfriend, Jodi Torok. He sought federal habeas relief, which the Fourth Circuit granted despite the strict standards of the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act (AEDPA).
Howell v. Circuit Court of Indiana
The Supreme Court denied Danny Howell's petition for certiorari and barred him from filing future petitions in non-criminal matters without paying the full docketing fee, finding he had "repeatedly abused" the Court's process. The Court also denied his motion to proceed in forma pauperis (without paying fees).
Ellingburg v. United States
The Supreme Court ruled in Ellingburg v. United States that mandatory restitution under the Mandatory Victims Restitution Act of 1996 (MVRA) constitutes criminal punishment subject to the Ex Post Facto Clause. Ellingburg committed his crime before the MVRA was enacted but was sentenced under it and ordered to pay $7,567.25 in restitution. He argued that applying the MVRA retroactively violated the Constitution's prohibition on ex post facto laws.
Coney Island Auto Parts Unlimited, Inc. v. Burton
The Supreme Court addressed a procedural question in bankruptcy law in Coney Island Auto Parts Unlimited, Inc. v. Burton. The case asked whether Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 60(c)(1)'s requirement that parties make Rule 60(b) motions within a "reasonable time" applies to motions seeking relief from void judgments under Rule 60(b)(4). Vista-Pro Automotive entered bankruptcy in 2014 and sued Coney Island Auto Parts to collect $50,000 in unpaid invoices, but allegedly failed to properly serve process.
Berk v. Choy
The Supreme Court decided Berk v. Choy, addressing whether a Delaware state law requiring a medical expert's "affidavit of merit" to accompany medical malpractice lawsuits must be followed in federal court. Harold Berk sued Dr. Wilson Choy and Beebe Medical Center in federal court for medical malpractice under Delaware law but failed to provide the required affidavit. Berk argued that Delaware's affidavit requirement is displaced by the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure.
Barrett v. United States
The Supreme Court addressed the relationship between two federal firearms provisions in Barrett v. United States. The case concerned 18 U.S.C. §924(c)(1)(A)(i), which criminalizes using, carrying, or possessing a firearm in connection with a federal crime of violence or drug trafficking, and §924(j), which prescribes enhanced penalties — including potentially capital punishment — when such a violation causes death. The question was whether a single act can yield two separate convictions under both provisions.
Bost v. Illinois State Board of Elections
The Supreme Court decided Bost v. Illinois State Board of Elections, a case about whether states can count mail-in ballots that arrive after Election Day. Illinois law allows election officials to count mail-in ballots postmarked by Election Day and received within two weeks afterward. Congressman Michael Bost and two other candidates sued, claiming this practice violates federal statutes that set Election Day as the Tuesday after the first Monday in November.
Case v. Montana
The Supreme Court decided Case v. Montana, a Fourth Amendment case about when police can enter a home without a warrant under the emergency aid exception. Montana officers responded to William Case's home after his ex-girlfriend called 911 to report he was threatening suicide and may have shot himself. Officers knocked and yelled but got no response. They could see an empty gun holster and what looked like a suicide note inside, and ultimately entered the home.
United States v. Skrmetti
The Court upheld Tennessee's ban on gender-affirming medical treatments for transgender minors, ruling that the law does not discriminate based on sex under the Equal Protection Clause. The majority found that because the law applies equally to all minors regardless of their biological sex, it does not trigger heightened constitutional scrutiny.
Ames v. Ohio Department of Youth Services
The Court ruled that members of historically majority groups (such as straight or white employees) do not face a higher bar when bringing workplace discrimination claims under Title VII. Marlean Ames, a heterosexual woman, claimed she was demoted and denied a transfer in favor of gay employees at the Ohio Department of Youth Services.
San Francisco v. EPA
The Court ruled that the EPA's water discharge permits must give cities specific, numeric limits on pollution levels rather than broad, generic requirements. San Francisco had challenged its wastewater permit, arguing the EPA's narrative requirements were too vague to comply with.
TikTok Inc. v. Garland
The Supreme Court unanimously upheld a federal law requiring TikTok's Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to sell the popular social media platform or face a ban in the United States. Congress passed the law citing national security concerns that the Chinese government could access American users' data or manipulate the app's content.
FDA v. Wages and White Lion Investments
The Court upheld the FDA's authority to deny marketing authorization for flavored e-cigarette products. E-cigarette companies had argued the FDA acted arbitrarily when it denied their applications to sell flavored vaping products. The Fifth Circuit had agreed with the companies.
Moody v. NetChoice, LLC
The Court sent back two major cases about whether states can force social media platforms to carry content they want to remove. Texas and Florida had passed laws restricting how platforms like Facebook and YouTube moderate posts. The tech industry argued these laws violate the First Amendment.
Trump v. United States
In a landmark ruling, the Court held that former presidents have broad immunity from criminal prosecution for official acts taken while in office. The decision created a framework: presidents have absolute immunity for actions within their core constitutional powers, presumptive immunity for other official acts, and no immunity for unofficial acts.
Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo
In one of the most consequential decisions in decades, the Supreme Court overturned the 40-year-old Chevron doctrine. Under Chevron, courts had deferred to federal agencies' interpretations of ambiguous laws. Now, courts must use their own independent judgment when interpreting statutes, rather than automatically deferring to the government's reading.
Fischer v. United States
The Court narrowed the reach of a federal obstruction law that prosecutors used to charge many January 6th defendants. The law makes it a crime to obstruct an 'official proceeding,' and the government used it against people who disrupted the certification of the 2020 election results.
City of Grants Pass v. Johnson
The Court ruled that cities can enforce laws against camping on public property, even when homeless people have nowhere else to go. Grants Pass, Oregon had fined homeless residents for sleeping outside. The Ninth Circuit had said this violated the Eighth Amendment's ban on cruel and unusual punishment.
SEC v. Jarkesy
The Court ruled that people accused of securities fraud by the SEC have a right to a jury trial in federal court, rather than being tried by an administrative law judge within the agency. The Seventh Amendment guarantees the right to a jury in certain cases, and the Court found this protection applies to SEC enforcement actions seeking financial penalties.
Trump v. Anderson
The Supreme Court unanimously ruled that states cannot remove presidential candidates from the ballot under Section 3 of the Fourteenth Amendment. Colorado had tried to keep former President Trump off the primary ballot, arguing he engaged in insurrection on January 6th. The Court said only Congress, not individual states, has the power to enforce this provision against federal officeholders.