The Supreme Court’s emergency docket, also known as the shadow docket, consists of applications seeking immediate action from the court. Unlike the merits docket, these cases are handled on an expedited basis with limited briefing and typically no oral argument, and the court often resolves them in unsigned orders with little or no explanation. This page shows significant emergency applications that have been filed during the current term.
Applications involving the death penalty are shaded in gray. Applications involving all other topics are in white.
Decided applications are listed by decision date. View this list sorted by case name.
Pending applications (1)
| Docket | Case Page | Issue(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 25a169 | Noem v. Perdomo | Whether the Supreme Court should stay a district court order preventing federal immigration officers from conducting detentive stops in seven southern California counties, including Los Angeles, without reasonable suspicion. |
Decided applications (15)
| Docket | Case Page | Issue(s) | Decision |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25a103 | National Institutes of Health v. American Public Health Association | Whether the Supreme Court should stay district court judgments blocking the National Institutes of Health from terminating grants | Emergency application for stay of district court judgments is granted in part and denied in part. Chief Justice Roberts and Justices Sotomayor, Kagan, and Jackson would deny in full. Justices Thomas, Alito, Gorsuch, and Kavanaugh would grant in full. |
| 25a187 | Hessler v. U.S. | Whether the Supreme Court will issue a certificate of appealability to permit Simon Hessler's petition for habeas relief to proceed. | Emergency application for a certificate of appealability denied on Aug. 21, 2025. |
| 25a191 | Bates v. DeSantis | Whether the Supreme Court should stay the execution of Kayle Barrington Bates. | Emergency application for stay of execution is denied on Aug. 19, 2025. |
| 25a174 | Bates v. Dixon | Whether the Supreme Court should stay the execution of Kayle Barrington Bates. | Emergency application for stay of execution is denied on Aug. 19, 2025. |
| 25a185 | Bates v. Florida | Whether the Supreme Court should stay the execution of Kayle Barrington Bates. | Emergency application for stay of execution is denied on Aug. 19, 2025. |
| 25a97 | NetChoice, LLC v. Fitch | Whether the Supreme Court should reinstate a preliminary injunction blocking Mississippi's online age verification law from taking effect | Emergency application to vacate an appeals court's stay of a preliminary injunction denied on Aug. 14, 2025. Justice Kavanaugh wrote a concurring opinion. |
| 25a136 | Black v. Tennessee | Whether the Supreme Court should stay the execution of Byron Lewis Black. | Emergency application for stay of execution denied on Aug. 4, 2025. |
| 25a137 | Black v. Tennessee | Whether the Supreme Court should stay the execution of Byron Lewis Black. | Emergency application for stay of execution denied on Aug. 4, 2025. |
| 25a118 | Black v. Tennessee | Whether the Supreme Court should stay the execution of Byron Lewis Black. | Emergency application for stay of execution denied on Aug. 4, 2025. |
| 25a65 | Black v. Tennessee | Whether the Supreme Court should stay the execution of Byron Lewis Black. | Emergency application for stay of execution denied on Aug. 4, 2025. |
| 25a104 | Zakrzewski v. Florida | Whether the Supreme Court should stay the execution of Edward James Zakrzewski. | Emergency application for stay of execution denied on July 30, 2025. |
| 25a62 | Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians v. Howe | Whether the Supreme Court should stay an appeals court mandate stating that private plaintiffs cannot rely on 42 U.S.C. § 1983 to file suit under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act. | Emergency application to recall and stay an appeals court mandate is granted on July 24, 2025. |
| 25a11 | Trump v. Boyle | Whether the Supreme Court should stay the district court's judgment reinstating three members of the Consumer Product Safety Commission who had been removed by President Donald Trump. | Emergency application for stay pending appeal is granted on July 23, 2025. Justice Kagan wrote a dissenting opinion, joined by Justices Sotomayor and Jackson. |
| 25a57 | Bell v. Florida | Whether the Supreme Court should stay the execution of Michael Bell. | Emergency application for stay of execution denied on July 15, 2025. Justices Sotomayor and Kagan would grant the application and the petition for a writ of certorari. |
| 25a45 | Bell v. Florida | Whether the Supreme Court should stay the execution of Michael Bell. | Emergency application for stay of execution denied on July 15, 2025. |