The Oyez Project: 2006 Term Decisions

Abdul-Kabir v. Quarterman (No. 05-11284) - Opinion Announcement

Wed, 25 Apr 2007 11:00:00 -0500

What kind of "direct and independent" knowledge must an employee bringing suit under the False Claims Act have in order to qualify as an "original source"?

Ayers v. Belmontes (No. 05-493) - Opinion Announcement

Mon, 13 Nov 2006 10:00:00 -0500

1) Can government officials acting pursuant to their regulatory authority be guilty of extortion under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) for attempting to obtain property for the benefit of the government? 2) Is a Bivens claim based on Fifth Amendment rights precluded by the availability of judicial review under the Administrative Procedure Act? 3) Does the Fifth Amendment protect against retaliation for exercising a "right to exclude" the government from one's property?

Beck v. PACE International Union (No. 05-1448) - Opinion Announcement

Mon, 11 Jun 2007 11:00:00 -0500

Does Section 201(b) of the Communications Act of 1934 create a private right of action for a payphone service provider to sue a long distance carrier for violations of the FCC's regulations concerning compensation for coinless payphone calls?

Bell Atlantic Corporation v. Twombly (No. 05-1126) - Opinion Announcement

Mon, 21 May 2007 11:00:00 -0500

When does the statute of limitations for a claim for damages arising out of a false arrest start running when the fruits of the search were introduced in a person's criminal trial and he was convicted?

Bowles v. Russell (No. 06-5306) - Opinion Announcement

Thu, 14 Jun 2007 11:00:00 -0500

No details yet.

BP America Production Company v. Burton (No. 05-669) - Opinion Announcement

Mon, 11 Dec 2006 10:00:00 -0500

Can a preliminary injunction that is later reversed be the basis for awarding a party the status of the "prevailing party" and therefore entitling that party to attorney's fees?

Brendlin v. California (No. 06-8120) - Opinion Announcement

Mon, 18 Jun 2007 11:00:00 -0500

No details yet.

Burton v. Waddington (No. 05-9222) - Opinion Announcement

Tue, 09 Jan 2007 10:00:00 -0500

No details yet.

Carey v. Musladin (No. 05-785) - Opinion Announcement

Mon, 11 Dec 2006 10:00:00 -0500

When a vehicle is subject to a traffic stop, is a passenger in the vehicle "detained" for purposes of the Fourth Amendment?

Claiborne v. United States (No. 06-5618) - Opinion Announcement

Mon, 04 Jun 2007 03:00:00 -0500

No details yet.

Credit Suisse First Boston Ltd. v. Billing (No. 05-1157) - Opinion Announcement

Mon, 18 Jun 2007 11:00:00 -0500

Is the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003 unconstitutional under the Due Process Clause of the Fifth Amendment because it lacks an exception for partial-birth abortions necessary to protect the health of the mother or because it is unconstitutionally vague?

Cunningham v. California (No. 05-6551) - Opinion Announcement

Mon, 22 Jan 2007 10:00:00 -0500

1) What standard for determining harmless error applies to habeas cases where the constitutional error is not recognized until the case is appealed to federal court? 2) If the Brecht standard applies, does the defense or the prosecution bear the burden of persuasion on the question of injurious influence?

Davenport v. Washington Education Association (No. 05-1589) - Opinion Announcement

Thu, 14 Jun 2007 11:00:00 -0500

1) Do Grutter v. Bollinger and Gratz v. Bollinger allow a school district to use race as the sole factor to assign high school students to public schools?

2) Can a student enrollment plan that requires each school's student population to be between 15% and 50% African-American meet the Fourteenth Amendment's requirement that racial classifications be narrowly tailored to a compelling government interest?

Dayton v. Hanson (No. 06-618) - Opinion Announcement

Mon, 21 May 2007 11:00:00 -0500

No details yet.

EC Term of Years Trust v. United States (No. 05-1541) - Opinion Announcement

Mon, 30 Apr 2007 11:00:00 -0500

1) Did the Fourth Circuit's decision violate the section of the Clean Air Act that provides that national Clean Air Act regulations are subject to challenge only in the D.C. Circuit?

2) Does the Clean Air Act require the EPA to interpret the term "modification" consistently in its Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) provisions and New Source Performance Standards (NSPS) regulations?

Environmental Defense v. Duke Energy Corporation (No. 05-848) - Opinion Announcement

Mon, 02 Apr 2007 11:00:00 -0500

Is the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act's ban on the use of corporate treasury funds for political advertisements in the 60 days before an election unconstitutional as applied to advertisements that do not explicitly endorse or oppose a candidate?

Federal Election Commission v. Wisconsin Right to Life (No. 06-969) - Opinion Announcement

Mon, 25 Jun 2007 11:00:00 -0500

No details yet.

Fry v. Pliler (No. 06-5247) - Opinion Announcement

Mon, 11 Jun 2007 11:00:00 -0500

No details yet.

Global Crossing Telecommunications v. Metrophones Telecommunications (No. 05-705) - Opinion Announcement

Tue, 17 Apr 2007 11:00:00 -0500

Can a party that is potentially responsible for the cost of cleaning up contaminated property under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA) bring an action against another potentially responsible party under Section 107(a), even if the party does not satisfy the requirements for bringing an action for contribution under Section 113(f) of CERCLA?

Gonzales v. Carhart (No. 05-380) - Opinion Announcement

Wed, 18 Apr 2007 11:00:00 -0500

Does a district court have to establish its jurisdiction over a case before dismissing the suit on the ground that it should be argued in another court that is more convenient for the parties ("forum non conveniens")?

Gonzales v. Duenas-Alvarez (No. 05-1629) - Opinion Announcement

Wed, 17 Jan 2007 10:00:00 -0500

Does a conviction for attempted burglary qualify as a "violent felony" under the Armed Career Criminal Act?

Hein v. Freedom From Religion Foundation (No. 06-157) - Opinion Announcement

Mon, 25 Jun 2007 11:00:00 -0500

No details yet.

Hinck v. United States (No. 06-376) - Opinion Announcement

Mon, 21 May 2007 11:00:00 -0500

No details yet.

James v. United States (No. 05-9264) - Opinion Announcement

Wed, 18 Apr 2007 11:00:00 -0500

No details yet.

Jones v. Bock (No. 05-7058) - Opinion Announcement

Mon, 22 Jan 2007 10:00:00 -0500

1) Is a regulation found under a subpart headed "Interpretations" still entitled to be given Chevron deference by the courts?

2) Did the Second Circuit err in holding a Department of Labor regulation unpersuasive and thus undeserving of Skidmore deference?

KSR International Co. v. Teleflex, Inc. (No. 04-1350) - Opinion Announcement

Mon, 30 Apr 2007 11:00:00 -0500

Was the Federal Circuit correct in holding that an invention cannot be held "obvious", and thus unpatentable, without a finding of some "teaching, suggestion, or motivation" that would have led a "person of ordinary skill in the art" to the invention by combining previously-existing ideas?

Lawrence v. Florida (No. 05-8820) - Opinion Announcement

Tue, 20 Feb 2007 10:00:00 -0500

No details yet.

Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company (No. 05-1074) - Opinion Announcement

Tue, 29 May 2007 11:00:00 -0500

Can a plaintiff claim a violation of Section 1 of the Sherman Act by alleging parallel conduct by defendants amounting to a conspiracy?

Leegin Creative Leather Products, Inc. v. PSKS, Inc. (No. 06-480) - Opinion Announcement

Thu, 28 Jun 2007 11:00:00 -0500

No details yet.

Limtiaco v. Camacho (No. 06-116) - Opinion Announcement

Tue, 27 Mar 2007 11:00:00 -0500

No details yet.

Long Island Care at Home, Ltd. v. Coke (No. 06-593) - Opinion Announcement

Mon, 11 Jun 2007 11:00:00 -0500

No details yet.

Lopez v. Gonzales (No. 05-547) - Opinion Announcement

Tue, 05 Dec 2006 10:00:00 -0500

Does a federal Court of Appeals exceed its authority under the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996 by overturning a death sentence on the ground that the prosecutor's penalty phase closing argument was "unfairly inflammatory"?

Marrama v. Citizens Bank of Massachusetts (No. 05-996) - Opinion Announcement

Wed, 21 Feb 2007 10:00:00 -0500

No details yet.

Massachusetts v. Environmental Protection Agency (No. 05-1120) - Opinion Announcement

Mon, 02 Apr 2007 11:00:00 -0500

1) Was the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals correct in holding that the improper instruction given to Smith's jury was harmless error and not sufficient to invalidate his death sentence?

2) Was the Texas court correct to require a standard of "egregious harm" when evaluating whether an unconstitutional jury instruction should invalidate a death sentence?

MedImmune, Inc. v. Genentech, Inc. (No. 05-608) - Opinion Announcement

Tue, 09 Jan 2007 10:00:00 -0500

Is it per se illegal under Section 1 of the Sherman Act for a manufacturer to set mandatory minimum prices for its products?

Microsoft Corporation v. AT&T Corp. (No. 05-1056) - Opinion Announcement

Mon, 30 Apr 2007 11:00:00 -0500

Can a plaintiff bring a salary discrimination suit under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 when the disparate pay is received during the 180-day statutory limitations period, but is the result of discriminatory pay decisions that occurred outside the limitations period?

Morse v. Frederick (No. 06-278) - Opinion Announcement

Mon, 25 Jun 2007 11:00:00 -0500

No details yet.

National Association of Home Builders, et al. v. Defenders of Wildlife (No. 06-340) - Opinion Announcement

Mon, 25 Jun 2007 11:00:00 -0500

No details yet.

Norfolk Southern Railway Company v. Sorrell (No. 05-746) - Opinion Announcement

Wed, 10 Jan 2007 10:00:00 -0500

1) Does the Speech or Debate Clause of the U.S. Constitution bar federal court jurisdiction of suits under the Congressional Accountability Act of 1995 by congressional employees whose job duties are part of the due functioning of the legislative process?

2) Was the Office of Senator Mark Dayton entitled to appeal the judgment of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit directly to the Supreme Court?

3) Was the case rendered moot by the expiration of Senator Dayton's term of office?

Osborn v. Haley (No. 05-593) - Opinion Announcement

Mon, 22 Jan 2007 10:00:00 -0500

If an employer with no discriminatory motive fires a subordinate based in part on the influence of another employee with a discriminatory motive, can the employer be held liable for discrimination under Section 703(a) of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964?

Panetti v. Quarterman (No. 06-6407) - Opinion Announcement

Thu, 28 Jun 2007 11:00:00 -0500

No details yet.

Parents Involved in Community Schools v. Seattle School District No. 1 (No. 05-908) - Opinion Announcement

Thu, 28 Jun 2007 11:00:00 -0500

No details yet.

Philip Morris USA v. Williams (No. 05-1256) - Opinion Announcement

Tue, 20 Feb 2007 10:00:00 -0500

Can a party challenge, under 28 U.S.C. 1346(a)(1), an Internal Revenue Service tax levy on its property intended to collect taxes owed by another party, even if the party could have sued under 26 U.S.C. 7426 but failed to file the suit before the time limit expired?

PowerEx Corp. v. Reliant Energy Services, Inc. (No. 05-85) - Opinion Announcement

Mon, 18 Jun 2007 11:00:00 -0500

No details yet.

Rita v. United States (No. 06-5754) - Opinion Announcement

Thu, 21 Jun 2007 11:00:00 -0500

No details yet.

Rockwell International Corp. v. United States ex rel Stone (No. 05-1272) - Opinion Announcement

Tue, 27 Mar 2007 11:00:00 -0500

Does a state law requiring labor unions to obtain permission from non-union members before using the non-members' fees for political purposes violate unions' First Amendment rights?

Roper v. Weaver (No. 06-313) - Opinion Announcement

Mon, 21 May 2007 11:00:00 -0500

No details yet.

Safeco Insurance Company of America, et al. v. Charles Burr (No. 06-84) - Opinion Announcement

Mon, 04 Jun 2007 11:00:00 -0500

No details yet.

Schriro v. Landrigan (No. 05-1575) - Opinion Announcement

Mon, 14 May 2007 11:00:00 -0500

1) When a defendant facing death has a certiorari petition pending before the United States Supreme Court, does the time the petition is pending count toward the one-year statute of limitations in the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act?

2) Does the division in the Circuit Courts over the statute of limitations constitute an extraordinary circumstance that would allow the Court to set aside the time limit?

3) Does the ineffectiveness of a defendant's counsel constitute an extraordinary circumstance that would allow the Court to set aside the time limit?

Scott v. Harris (No. 05-1631) - Opinion Announcement

Mon, 30 Apr 2007 11:00:00 -0500

Can the right in Section 706(a) of the Bankruptcy Code to convert a Chapter 7 bankruptcy to another chapter be denied because of bad faith?

Sinochem International Co. v. Malaysia International Shipping Corporation (No. 06-102) - Opinion Announcement

Mon, 05 Mar 2007 10:00:00 -0500

No details yet.

Smith v. Texas (No. 05-11304) - Opinion Announcement

Wed, 25 Apr 2007 11:00:00 -0500

1) Is the decision of the Comptroller of Currency that federal authority over national banks extends to state-chartered operating subsidiaries of national banks entitled to judicial deference under Chevron U.S.A. v. Natural Resources Defense Council?

2) Does 12 CFR 7.4006 violate the Tenth Amendment by treating a state-chartered operating subsidiary the same as a national bank for purposes of federal regulation?

Sole v. Wyner (No. 06-531) - Opinion Announcement

Mon, 04 Jun 2007 11:00:00 -0500

No details yet.

Tellabs Inc. v. Makor Issues & Rights (No. 06-484) - Opinion Announcement

Thu, 21 Jun 2007 11:00:00 -0500

No details yet.

Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association v. Brentwood Academy (No. 06-427) - Opinion Announcement

Thu, 21 Jun 2007 11:00:00 -0500

No details yet.

The Permanent Mission of India v. City of New York (No. 06-134) - Opinion Announcement

Thu, 14 Jun 2007 03:00:00 -0500

No details yet.

Travelers Casualty v. Pacific Gas and Electric Co. (No. 05-1429) - Opinion Announcement

Tue, 20 Mar 2007 00:00:00 -0500

Does California's Determinate Sentencing Law violate the 6th Amendment right to a jury trial by permitting judges to impose enhanced sentences based on their determination of facts not found by the jury or admitted by the defendant?

United Haulers Association v. Oneida-Herkimer Solid Waste Management Authority (No. 05-1345) - Opinion Announcement

Mon, 30 Apr 2007 11:00:00 -0500

Does a drug crime constitute an "aggravated felony" under the Immigration and Naturalization Act if the crime is a felony under state law but only a misdemeanor under federal law?

United States v. Atlantic Research Corp. (No. 06-562) - Opinion Announcement

Mon, 11 Jun 2007 03:00:00 -0500

No details yet.

United States v. Resendiz-Ponce (No. 05-998) - Opinion Announcement

Tue, 09 Jan 2007 10:00:00 -0500

No details yet.

Uttecht v. Brown (No. 06-413) - Opinion Announcement

Mon, 04 Jun 2007 11:00:00 -0500

No details yet.

Wallace v. Kato (No. 05-1240) - Opinion Announcement

Wed, 21 Feb 2007 10:00:00 -0500

Does the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 require an employer to consider merging an employee pension plan into a multiemployer pension plan prior to terminating the plan?

Watson v. Philip Morris (No. 05-1284) - Opinion Announcement

Mon, 11 Jun 2007 11:00:00 -0500

1) Does a police officer who stops a high-speed chase by ramming a fleeing suspect's car violate the Fourth Amendment's protection against unreasonable seizure?

2) Was it "clearly established" in federal law that an officer violates the Fourth Amendment by using deadly force during a high-speed chase?

Watters v. Wachovia Bank (No. 05-1342) - Opinion Announcement

Tue, 17 Apr 2007 11:00:00 -0500

Does a plaintiff alleging predatory buying in violation of the Sherman Act need to establish that the defendant paid so much for raw materials that it operated at a loss and the defendant had a "dangerous probability" of recouping its losses?

Weyerhaeuser Company v. Ross-Simmons Hardwood Lumber Company, Inc. (No. 05-381) - Opinion Announcement

Tue, 20 Feb 2007 10:00:00 -0500

1) Does a suit to recover property taxes imposed on property owned by a foreign state fall within the Foreign Sovereign Immunity Act's "immovable property" exception to sovereign immunity?

2) Did the court of appeals err in relying on two international agreements to which the United States is not a party in the course of interpreting the Foreign Sovereign Immunity Act?

Whorton v. Bockting (No. 05-595) - Opinion Announcement

Wed, 28 Feb 2007 10:00:00 -0500

Did the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit fail to give proper deference to a trial judge's dismissal of a juror on the grounds that he could not carry out the duties of a juror in a capital sentencing case?

Wilkie v. Robbins (No. 06-219) - Opinion Announcement

Mon, 25 Jun 2007 11:00:00 -0500

No details yet.

Winkelman v. Parma City School District (No. 05-983) - Opinion Announcement

Mon, 21 May 2007 11:00:00 -0500

No details yet.

Zuni Public School District v. U.S. Department of Education (No. 05-1508) - Opinion Announcement

Tue, 17 Apr 2007 11:00:00 -0500

Is the causation standard for employee negligence under the Federal Employers Liability Act different from the causation standard for railroad negligence?