| The 2015 term of the Supreme Court of the United States began October 5, 2015, and concluded October 2, 2016. This was the seventh term of Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor's tenure on the Court. |
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| Type | Case | Citation | Issues | Joined by | Other opinions | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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|
Correll v. Florida | 577 U.S. 948 (2015) |
Eighth Amendment • death penalty |
| |||||||||||
| Sotomayor dissented from the Court's denial of certiorari and application for stay of execution. | |||||||||||||||
|
|
Mullenix v. Luna | 577 U.S. 20 (2015) |
Fourth Amendment • use of deadly force in effecting arrest • qualified immunity |
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|
|
Holiday v. Stephens | 577 U.S. 999 (2015) |
death penalty • appointment of counsel in clemency proceedings | ||||||||||||
| Sotomayor filed a statement respecting the Court's denial of certiorari. | |||||||||||||||
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|
Hurst v. Florida | 577 U.S. 92 (2016) |
death penalty • Sixth Amendment • right to a jury trial • judicial factfinding of aggravating circumstances after jury advisory recommendation | Roberts, Scalia, Kennedy, Thomas, Ginsburg, Kagan |
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Kansas v. Carr | 577 U.S. 127 (2016) |
Eighth Amendment • death penalty • jury instructions on standard of proof for mitigating factors |
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Brooks v. Alabama | 577 U.S. 1115 (2016) |
death penalty | Ginsburg |
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| Sotomayor concurred in the Court's denial of a stay of execution and a petition for certiorari. | |||||||||||||||
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Lockhart v. United States | 577 U.S. 347 (2016) |
federal child pornography laws • scope of sentence enhancement for prior convictions | Roberts, Kennedy, Thomas, Ginsburg, Alito |
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Americold Realty Trust v. ConAgra Foods, Inc. | 577 U.S. 378 (2016) |
diversity jurisdiction • citizenship of investment trust | Unanimous [2] | |||||||||||
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Hughes v. Talen Energy Marketing, LLC | 578 U.S. 167 (2016) |
Federal Power Act • interstate wholesale electricity rates • federal preemption |
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Ocasio v. United States | 578 U.S. 306 (2016) |
Hobbs Act • conspiracy | Roberts |
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Husky Int'l Electronics, Inc. v. Ritz | 578 U.S. 355 (2016) |
bankruptcy law • Chapter 7 • discharge exception for actual fraud | Roberts, Kennedy, Ginsburg, Breyer, Alito, Kagan |
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Zubik v. Burwell | 578 U.S. 410 (2016) |
Affordable Care Act • contraceptive mandate • Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993 | Ginsburg |
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Kernan v. Hinojosa | 578 U.S. 416 (2016) |
habeas corpus • state court unexplained denial of petition | Ginsburg |
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|
Betterman v. Montana | 578 U.S. 450 (2016) |
Sixth Amendment • Speedy Trial Clause • postconviction delay in sentencing |
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Luna Torres v. Lynch | 578 U.S. 473 (2016) |
immigration law • removal for conviction of aggravated felony | Thomas, Breyer |
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Green v. Brennan | 578 U.S. 547 (2016) |
Title VII • constructive discharge • statute of limitations | Roberts, Kennedy, Ginsburg, Breyer, Kagan |
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|
Adams v. Alabama | 578 U.S. 998 (2016) |
Eighth Amendment • mandatory life imprisonment of minors • retroactivity of new constitutional rules | Ginsburg |
| ||||||||||
| Sotomayor concurred in the Court's decision to grant certiorari, vacate the lower court's opinion, and remand. | |||||||||||||||
|
|
Simmons v. Himmelreich | 578 U.S. 621 (2016) |
Federal Tort Claims Act • exceptions for discretionary functions • judgment bar against subsequent suit against employees | Unanimous [2] | |||||||||||
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Dietz v. Bouldin | 579 U.S. 40 (2016) |
district court recall of jury in civil case after discharge | Roberts, Ginsburg, Breyer, Alito, Kagan |
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Puerto Rico v. Franklin Cal. Tax-Free Trust | 579 U.S. 131 (2016) |
bankruptcy law • preemption of municipal bankruptcy laws • Puerto Rican government-debt crisis | Ginsburg |
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Utah v. Strieff | 579 U.S. 243 (2016) |
Fourth Amendment • exclusionary rule • attenuation doctrine | Ginsburg (in part) |
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Birchfield v. North Dakota | 579 U.S. 479 (2016) |
Fourth Amendment • search incident to arrest • drunk driving • implied consent to breathalyzer or blood alcohol content tests | Ginsburg |
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Notes
- ^ All but six of Sotomayor's opinions were issued after Justice Scalia's death. Of the justices who participated the entire term, Thomas and Alito joined the fewest of Sotomayor's opinions, with five each.
- ^ a b This opinion was handed down after the death of Justice Scalia, and so was unanimous as to the eight justices remaining on the Court.
References
- "2015 Term Opinions of the Court". Supreme Court of the United States. Retrieved June 23, 2016.
- "2015 Term Opinions Relating to Orders". Supreme Court of the United States. Retrieved June 23, 2016.
- "2015 Term In-Chambers Opinions". Supreme Court of the United States. Retrieved June 23, 2016.
| The 2015 term of the Supreme Court of the United States began October 5, 2015, and concluded October 2, 2016. This was the seventh term of Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor's tenure on the Court. |
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Type | Case | Citation | Issues | Joined by | Other opinions | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
Correll v. Florida | 577 U.S. 948 (2015) |
Eighth Amendment • death penalty |
| |||||||||||
| Sotomayor dissented from the Court's denial of certiorari and application for stay of execution. | |||||||||||||||
|
|
Mullenix v. Luna | 577 U.S. 20 (2015) |
Fourth Amendment • use of deadly force in effecting arrest • qualified immunity |
| |||||||||||
|
|
Holiday v. Stephens | 577 U.S. 999 (2015) |
death penalty • appointment of counsel in clemency proceedings | ||||||||||||
| Sotomayor filed a statement respecting the Court's denial of certiorari. | |||||||||||||||
|
|
Hurst v. Florida | 577 U.S. 92 (2016) |
death penalty • Sixth Amendment • right to a jury trial • judicial factfinding of aggravating circumstances after jury advisory recommendation | Roberts, Scalia, Kennedy, Thomas, Ginsburg, Kagan |
| ||||||||||
|
|
Kansas v. Carr | 577 U.S. 127 (2016) |
Eighth Amendment • death penalty • jury instructions on standard of proof for mitigating factors |
| |||||||||||
|
|
Brooks v. Alabama | 577 U.S. 1115 (2016) |
death penalty | Ginsburg |
| ||||||||||
| Sotomayor concurred in the Court's denial of a stay of execution and a petition for certiorari. | |||||||||||||||
|
|
Lockhart v. United States | 577 U.S. 347 (2016) |
federal child pornography laws • scope of sentence enhancement for prior convictions | Roberts, Kennedy, Thomas, Ginsburg, Alito |
| ||||||||||
|
|
Americold Realty Trust v. ConAgra Foods, Inc. | 577 U.S. 378 (2016) |
diversity jurisdiction • citizenship of investment trust | Unanimous [2] | |||||||||||
|
|
Hughes v. Talen Energy Marketing, LLC | 578 U.S. 167 (2016) |
Federal Power Act • interstate wholesale electricity rates • federal preemption |
| |||||||||||
|
|
Ocasio v. United States | 578 U.S. 306 (2016) |
Hobbs Act • conspiracy | Roberts |
| ||||||||||
|
|
Husky Int'l Electronics, Inc. v. Ritz | 578 U.S. 355 (2016) |
bankruptcy law • Chapter 7 • discharge exception for actual fraud | Roberts, Kennedy, Ginsburg, Breyer, Alito, Kagan |
| ||||||||||
|
|
Zubik v. Burwell | 578 U.S. 410 (2016) |
Affordable Care Act • contraceptive mandate • Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993 | Ginsburg |
| ||||||||||
|
|
Kernan v. Hinojosa | 578 U.S. 416 (2016) |
habeas corpus • state court unexplained denial of petition | Ginsburg |
| ||||||||||
|
|
Betterman v. Montana | 578 U.S. 450 (2016) |
Sixth Amendment • Speedy Trial Clause • postconviction delay in sentencing |
| |||||||||||
|
|
Luna Torres v. Lynch | 578 U.S. 473 (2016) |
immigration law • removal for conviction of aggravated felony | Thomas, Breyer |
| ||||||||||
|
|
Green v. Brennan | 578 U.S. 547 (2016) |
Title VII • constructive discharge • statute of limitations | Roberts, Kennedy, Ginsburg, Breyer, Kagan |
| ||||||||||
|
|
Adams v. Alabama | 578 U.S. 998 (2016) |
Eighth Amendment • mandatory life imprisonment of minors • retroactivity of new constitutional rules | Ginsburg |
| ||||||||||
| Sotomayor concurred in the Court's decision to grant certiorari, vacate the lower court's opinion, and remand. | |||||||||||||||
|
|
Simmons v. Himmelreich | 578 U.S. 621 (2016) |
Federal Tort Claims Act • exceptions for discretionary functions • judgment bar against subsequent suit against employees | Unanimous [2] | |||||||||||
|
|
Dietz v. Bouldin | 579 U.S. 40 (2016) |
district court recall of jury in civil case after discharge | Roberts, Ginsburg, Breyer, Alito, Kagan |
| ||||||||||
|
|
Puerto Rico v. Franklin Cal. Tax-Free Trust | 579 U.S. 131 (2016) |
bankruptcy law • preemption of municipal bankruptcy laws • Puerto Rican government-debt crisis | Ginsburg |
| ||||||||||
|
|
Utah v. Strieff | 579 U.S. 243 (2016) |
Fourth Amendment • exclusionary rule • attenuation doctrine | Ginsburg (in part) |
| ||||||||||
|
|
Birchfield v. North Dakota | 579 U.S. 479 (2016) |
Fourth Amendment • search incident to arrest • drunk driving • implied consent to breathalyzer or blood alcohol content tests | Ginsburg |
| ||||||||||
Notes
- ^ All but six of Sotomayor's opinions were issued after Justice Scalia's death. Of the justices who participated the entire term, Thomas and Alito joined the fewest of Sotomayor's opinions, with five each.
- ^ a b This opinion was handed down after the death of Justice Scalia, and so was unanimous as to the eight justices remaining on the Court.
References
- "2015 Term Opinions of the Court". Supreme Court of the United States. Retrieved June 23, 2016.
- "2015 Term Opinions Relating to Orders". Supreme Court of the United States. Retrieved June 23, 2016.
- "2015 Term In-Chambers Opinions". Supreme Court of the United States. Retrieved June 23, 2016.