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Alford v. Greene

Consolidated with:

Docket No. Op. Below Argument Opinion Vote Author Term
09-1478 9th Cir. Mar 1, 2011 May 26, 2011 7-2 Kagan OT 2010

Holding: Although the Court may generally review a lower court's constitutional ruling at the behest of governmental officials who won a final judgment on constitutional grounds, here the case is moot because the respondent (the plaintiff below) no longer has a stake in preserving the court's holding because she no longer needs protection from the practice at issue.

Plain English Holding: A government official can ask the Supreme Court to review a lower court's ruling that he violated the Constitution, even if the lower court ultimately concluded that he could not be sued for that conduct.

Judgment: Vacated in part and remanded on May 26, 2011. Justice Scalia filed a concurring opinion. Justice Sotomayor concurred in the judgment, in an opinion that was joined by Justice Breyer. Justice Kennedy filed a dissenting opinion that was joined by Justice Thomas.

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