October Term 2020
53 opinions
- Alabama Assn. of Realtors v. Department of Health and Human Servs.594 U. S. 758 (2021)0–3 · Breyer, Sotomayor, Kagan dissentingAugust 26, 2021
- Dunn v. Reeves594 U. S. 731 (2021)6-3 · Sotomayor, Kagan dissenting
Holding. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit erred in characterizing the Alabama court's case-specific analysis as a "categorical rule" that any prisoner will always lose an ineffective-assistance-of-trial-counsel claim if he fails to call and question trial counsel concerning his or her actions and reasoning; the Alabama court did not violate clearly established federal law when it rejected Reeves' ineffective-assistance-of-trial-counsel claim.
July 2, 2021 - Brnovich v. Democratic National Committee594 U. S. 647 (2021)6-3 · Kagan, Breyer, Sotomayor dissenting
Holding. Arizona's out-of-precinct policy and H.B. 2023 do not violate Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act, and H.B. 2023 was not enacted with a racially discriminatory purpose.
July 1, 2021 - Americans for Prosperity Foundation v. Bonta594 U. S. 595 (2021)6-3 · Sotomayor, Breyer, Kagan dissenting
Holding. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit's judgment, which vacated the district court's injunction of California's compelled disclosure of I.R.S. Form 990 Schedule Bs as not narrowly tailored to the state's interest in investigating charitable misconduct, is reversed, and the cases are remanded.
July 1, 2021 - Minerva Surgical, Inc. v. Hologic, Inc.594 U. S. 559 (2021)5-4 · Alito, Barrett, Thomas, Gorsuch dissenting
Holding. The well-grounded patent law doctrine of assignor estoppel applies only when the assignor's claim of invalidity contradicts explicit or implicit representations the assignor made in assigning the patent.
June 29, 2021 - Johnson v. Guzman Chavez594 U. S. 523 (2021)6-3 · Breyer, Sotomayor, Kagan dissenting
Holding. The detention of a noncitizen ordered removed from the United States who reenters without authorization is governed by 8 U.S.C. § 1231.
June 29, 2021 - PennEast Pipeline Co. v. New Jersey594 U. S. 482 (2021)5-4 · Gorsuch, Thomas, Barrett, Kagan dissenting
Holding. A certificate of public convenience and necessity issued by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission pursuant to Section 717f(h) of the Natural Gas Act authorizes a private company to condemn all necessary rights-of-way, whether owned by private parties or states.
June 29, 2021 - Pakdel v. City and County of San Francisco594 U. S. 474 (2021)9-0
Holding. Administrative exhaustion of state remedies is not a prerequisite for a 42 U.S.C. § 1983 takings claim when the government has reached a conclusive position.
June 28, 2021 - Lombardo v. St. Louis594 U. S. 464 (2021)6-3 · Alito, Thomas, Gorsuch dissenting
Holding. Because it is unclear in this excessive force case whether the Eighth Circuit incorrectly thought the use of a prone restraint is per se constitutional so long as an individual appears to resist officers' efforts to subdue him, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 8th Circuit's judgment is vacated, and the case is remanded to give the lower court the opportunity in the first instance to employ the careful, context-specific analysis required by this court's excessive force precedent.
June 28, 2021 - TransUnion LLC v. Ramirez594 U. S. 413 (2021)5-4 · Thomas, Breyer, Sotomayor, Kagan dissenting
Holding. Only a plaintiff concretely harmed by a defendant's violation of the Fair Credit Reporting Act has Article III standing to seek damages against that private defendant in federal court.
June 25, 2021 - HollyFrontier Cheyenne Refining, LLC v. Renewable Fuels Assn.594 U. S. 382 (2021) · Reversed6-3 · Barrett, Sotomayor, Kagan dissenting
Holding. Under the Renewable Fuel Program's fuel blending requirements for domestic refineries, a small refinery that previously received a hardship exemption may obtain an "extension" under 42 U.S.C. § 7545(o)(9)(B)(i) even if the refinery did not seek a hardship exemption every year after initially doing so in exemption coverage in a previous year.
June 25, 2021 - Yellen v. Confederated Tribes of Chehalis Reservation594 U. S. 338 (2021)6-3 · Gorsuch, Thomas, Kagan dissenting
Holding. Alaska Native Corporations are "Indian tribe[s]" under the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act and thus eligible for funding available to "Tribal governments" under Title V of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act.
June 25, 2021 - Lange v. California594 U. S. 295 (2021) · Vacated and remanded9-0
Holding. Under the Fourth Amendment, pursuit of a fleeing misdemeanor suspect does not always or categorically qualify as an exigent circumstance justifying a warrantless entry into a home.
June 23, 2021 - Collins v. Yellen594 U. S. 220 (2021)7-2 · dissenting
Holding. Because the Federal Housing Finance Agency did not exceed its authority under the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008 as a conservator of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the anti-injunction provisions of the Recovery Act bar the statutory claim brought by shareholders of those entities; the Recovery Act's structure, which restricts the President's power to remove the FHFA director, violates the separation of powers.
June 23, 2021 - Mahanoy Area School Dist. v. B. L.594 U. S. 180 (2021)8-1 · Thomas dissenting
Holding. The school district's decision to suspend student Brandi Levy from the cheerleading team for posting to social media (outside of school hours and away from the school's campus) vulgar language and gestures critical of the school violates the First Amendment.
June 23, 2021 - Cedar Point Nursery v. Hassid6-3 · Breyer, Sotomayor, Kagan dissenting
Holding. A California regulation granting labor organizations a "right to take access" to an agricultural employer's property to solicit support for unionization constitutes a per se physical taking.
June 23, 2021 - Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. v. Arkansas Teacher Retirement System594 U. S. 113 (2021)8-1 · dissenting
Holding. The generic nature of a misrepresentation in connection with the sale of securities often is important evidence of price impact that courts should consider at class certification; defendants bear the burden of persuasion to prove a lack of price impact by a preponderance of the evidence at class certification.
June 21, 2021 - National Collegiate Athletic Assn. v. Alston594 U. S. 69 (2021)9-0
Holding. The district court's injunction pertaining to certain NCAA rules limiting the education-related benefits that schools may make available to student-athletes is consistent with established antitrust principles.
June 21, 2021 - United States v. Arthrex, Inc.594 U. S. 1 (2021)5-4 · Thomas, Breyer, Sotomayor, Kagan dissenting
Holding. The unreviewable authority wielded by Administrative Patent Judges during inter partes review is incompatible with their appointment by the Secretary of Commerce to an inferior office.
June 21, 2021 - California v. Texas593 U. S. 659 (2021)7-2 · Alito, Gorsuch dissenting
Holding. Plaintiffs lack standing to challenge the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act's minimum essential coverage provision.
June 17, 2021 - Nestlé USA, Inc. v. Doe593 U. S. 628 (2021)8-1 · Alito dissenting
Holding. To plead facts sufficient to support a domestic application of the Alien Tort Statute, 28 U.S.C. § 1350, plaintiffs must allege more domestic conduct than general corporate activity.
June 17, 2021 - Fulton v. Philadelphia593 U. S. 522 (2021)9-0
Holding. Philadelphia's refusal to contract with Catholic Social Services for the provision of foster care services unless CSS agrees to certify same-sex couples as foster parents violates the free exercise clause of the First Amendment.
June 17, 2021 - Greer v. United States593 U. S. 503 (2021)9-0
Holding. In felon-in-possession cases under 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1), an error under Rehaif v. United States is not a basis for plain-error relief unless the defendant first makes a sufficient argument or representation on appeal that he would have presented evidence at trial that he did not in fact know he was a felon.
June 14, 2021 - Terry v. United States593 U. S. 486 (2021)9-0
Holding. A sentence reduction under the First Step Act is available only if an offender's prior conviction of a crack cocaine offense triggered a mandatory minimum sentence.
June 14, 2021 - Borden v. United States593 U. S. 420 (2021)5-4 · Kavanaugh, Roberts, Alito, Barrett dissenting
Holding. The decision of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit, holding that an offense with a mental state of recklessness may qualify as a "violent felony" under the Armed Career Criminal Act's elements clause, 18 U.S.C. § 924(e)(2)(B)(i), is reversed, and the case is remanded.
June 10, 2021 - Sanchez v. Mayorkas593 U. S. 409 (2021)9-0
Holding. An individual who entered the United States unlawfully is not eligible to become a lawful permanent resident under 8 U.S.C. § 1255 even if the United States has granted the individual temporary protected status.
June 7, 2021 - Van Buren v. United States593 U. S. 374 (2021)6-3 · Thomas, Roberts, Alito dissenting
Holding. An individual "exceeds authorized access" under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act of 1986, 18 U.S.C. § 1030(a)(2), when he accesses a computer with authorization but then obtains information located in particular areas of the computer, such as files, folders or databases, that are off-limits to him.
June 3, 2021 - Garland v. Ming Dai593 U. S. 357 (2021)9-0
Holding. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit's rule in immigration disputes, that in the absence of an explicit adverse credibility determination by an immigration judge or the Board of Immigration Appeals, a reviewing court must treat a petitioning noncitizen's testimony as credible and true, cannot be reconciled with the terms of the Immigration and Nationality Act.
June 1, 2021 - United States v. Cooley593 U. S. 345 (2021)9-0
Holding. A tribal police officer has authority to detain temporarily and to search a non-Native American traveling on a public right-of-way running through a reservation for potential violations of state or federal law.
June 1, 2021 - San Antonio v. Hotels.com, L. P.593 U. S. 330 (2021)9-0
Holding. Federal Rule of Appellate Procedure 39 does not permit a district court to alter a court of appeals' allocation of the costs listed in subdivision (e) of that rule.
May 27, 2021 - United States v. Palomar-Santiago593 U. S. 321 (2021)9-0
Holding. Each of 8 U.S.C. § 1326(d) 's statutory requirements for bringing a collateral attack on a prior deportation order is mandatory.
May 24, 2021 - Guam v. United States593 U. S. 310 (2021)9-0
Holding. A settlement of environmental liabilities must resolve a specific liability under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980 to give rise to a contribution action under that act.
May 24, 2021 - Edwards v. Vannoy593 U. S. 255 (2021)6-3 · Kagan, Breyer, Sotomayor dissenting
Holding. The jury-unanimity rule announced in Ramos v. Louisiana does not apply retroactively on federal collateral review.
May 17, 2021 - BP p.l.c. v. Mayor and City Council of Baltimore593 U. S. 230 (2021)7-1 · Sotomayor dissenting
Holding. Where defendant energy companies premised 28 U.S.C. § 1447(d) removal in part on the federal officer removal statute, Section 1442, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit erred in holding that it lacked jurisdiction to consider all grounds for removal rejected by the district court.
May 17, 2021 - CIC Servs., LLC v. IRS593 U. S. 209 (2021)9-0
Holding. A suit to enjoin IRS Notice 2016-66 does not trigger the Anti-Injunction Act even though a violation of the notice may result in a tax penalty.
May 17, 2021 - Caniglia v. Strom593 U. S. 194 (2021)9-0
Holding. Neither the holding nor logic of Cady v. Dombrowski justifies the removal of Edward Caniglia's firearms from his home by police officers under a "community caretaking exception" to the Fourth Amendment's warrant requirement.
May 17, 2021 - Niz-Chavez v. Garland593 U. S. 155 (2021) · Reversed6-3 · Kavanaugh, Roberts, Alito dissenting
Holding. A notice to appear sufficient to trigger the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 's stop-time rule is a single document containing all the information about an individual's removal hearing specified in 8 U.S.C. § 1229(a)(1).
April 29, 2021 - Alaska v. Wright593 U. S. 152 (2021)9-0
Holding. The requirement under 28 U.S.C. § 2254(a) that a habeas petitioner be "in custody pursuant to the judgment of a State court" is not met if the state judgment is simply a necessary predicate to a federal conviction.
April 26, 2021 - Jones v. Mississippi593 U. S. 98 (2021)6-3 · Sotomayor, Breyer, Kagan dissenting
Holding. The Eighth Amendment does not require a finding that a juvenile is permanently incorrigible before imposing a sentence of life without parole.
April 22, 2021 - Carr v. Saul593 U. S. 83 (2021)9-0
Holding. Principles of issue exhaustion do not require Social Security disability claimants to argue at the agency level that the administrative law judges hearing their disability claims were unconstitutionally appointed.
April 22, 2021 - AMG Capital Management, LLC v. FTC593 U. S. 67 (2021)9-0
Holding. Section 13(b) of the Federal Trade Commission Act, 15 U.S.C. § 53(b), does not authorize the commission to seek, or a court to award, equitable monetary relief such as restitution or disgorgement.
April 22, 2021 - Tandon v. Newsom593 U. S. 61 (2021)5-4 · Kagan, Breyer, Sotomayor dissenting
Holding. California is enjoined from enforcing COVID-19 "restrictions on private gatherings as applied to applicants" at-home religious exercise, pending disposition of the appeal in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit and disposition of the petition for a writ of certiorari, if any.
April 9, 2021 - Google LLC v. Oracle America, Inc.593 U. S. 1 (2021)6-2 · Thomas, Alito dissenting
Holding. Google's limited copying of the Java SE Application Programming Interface allowed programmers to put their accrued talents to work in a transformative program and constituted a fair use of that material under copyright law.
April 5, 2021 - Florida v. Georgia592 U. S. 433 (2021)UnanimousApril 1, 2021
- FCC v. Prometheus Radio Project592 U. S. 414 (2021)9-0
Holding. The Federal Communications Commission's 2017 decision to repeal or modify three of its media ownership rules was not arbitrary or capricious for purposes of the Administrative Procedure Act.
April 1, 2021 - Facebook, Inc. v. Duguid592 U. S. 395 (2021)9-0
Holding. To qualify as an "automatic telephone dialing system" under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991, a device must have the capacity either to store, or to produce, a telephone number using a random or sequential number generator.
April 1, 2021 - Mays v. Hines592 U. S. 385 (2021)8-1 · dissenting
Holding. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit erred in revisiting, on federal habeas review, the decision of a Tennessee court supported by ample evidence that did not exceed the possibility of fairminded disagreement supporting that court's conclusion.
March 29, 2021 - Ford Motor Co. v. Montana Eighth Judicial Dist.592 U. S. 351 (2021)8-0
Holding. The connection between plaintiffs' product-liability claims arising from car accidents occurring in each plaintiff's state of residence and Ford's activities in those states is sufficient to support specific jurisdiction in the respective state courts, even though the automobiles involved in the accidents were manufactured and sold elsewhere.
March 25, 2021 - Torres v. Madrid592 U. S. 306 (2021)5-3 · Gorsuch, Thomas, Alito dissenting
Holding. The application of physical force to the body of a person with intent to restrain is a seizure even if the person does not submit and is not subdued.
March 25, 2021 - Uzuegbunam v. Preczewski592 U. S. 279 (2021)8-1 · Roberts dissenting
Holding. A request for nominal damages satisfies the redressability element necessary for Article III standing where a plaintiff's claim is based on a completed violation of a legal right.
March 8, 2021 - United States Fish and Wildlife Serv. v. Sierra Club, Inc.592 U. S. 261 (2021)7-2 · Breyer, Sotomayor dissenting
Holding. The deliberative process privilege gives protection from disclosure under the Freedom of Information Act to in-house draft biological opinions that are both predecisional and deliberative, even if the drafts reflect the agencies' last views about a proposal.
March 4, 2021 - Pereida v. Wilkinson592 U. S. 224 (2021)5-3 · Breyer, Sotomayor, Kagan dissenting
Holding. A nonpermanent resident seeking to cancel a lawful removal order fails to carry his burden of showing that he has not been convicted of a disqualifying offense when the statutory conviction on his record is ambiguous regarding whether a disqualifying offense formed the basis of his conviction.
March 4, 2021 - Brownback v. King592 U. S. 209 (2021)9-0
Holding. The district court's dismissal of King's claims under the Federal Tort Claims Act triggered the "judgment bar" in 28 U.S.C. § 2676 that precludes him from raising separate claims under Bivens v. Six Unknown Federal Narcotics Agents on appeal.
February 25, 2021