Dietz v. Bouldin
| Docket No. | Op. Below | Argument | Opinion | Vote | Author | Term |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15-458 | 9th Cir. | Apr 26, 2016 | Jun 9, 2016 | 6-2 | Sotomayor | OT 2015 |
Holding: A federal district court has a limited inherent power to rescind a jury discharge order and recall a jury in a civil case for further deliberations after identifying an error in the jury's verdict. The district court did not abuse that power here.
Judgment: Affirmed, 6-2, in an opinion by Justice Sotomayor on June 9, 2016. Justice Thomas filed a dissenting opinion, in which Justice Kennedy joined.
SCOTUSblog Coverage
- Opinion analysis: Federal judges have inherent, limited power to recall a discharged civil jury (Rory Little, June 10, 2016)
- Argument analysis: Pragmatic common-law development of federal "inherent authority"? (Rory Little, April 27, 2016)
- Argument preview: May a federal judge "recall" a jury soon after discharge? (Rory Little, April 20, 2016)
| Date | Proceedings and Orders |
|---|---|
| 10/09/2015 | Petition for a writ of certiorari filed. (Response due November 12, 2015) |
| 10/21/2015 | Order extending time to file response to petition to and including December 14, 2015. |
| 12/01/2015 | Brief of respondent Hillary Bouldin in opposition filed. |
| 12/15/2015 | DISTRIBUTED for Conference of January 8, 2016. |
| 12/15/2015 | Reply of petitioner Rocky Dietz filed. (Distributed) |
| 01/11/2016 | DISTRIBUTED for Conference of January 15, 2016. |
| 01/19/2016 | Petition GRANTED. |
| 02/29/2016 | Joint appendix filed. (Statement of costs filed) |
| 02/29/2016 | Brief of petitioner Rocky Dietz filed. |
| 03/04/2016 | SET FOR ARGUMENT ON Tueasday, April 26, 2016 |
| 03/14/2016 | Record requested from U.S.C.A. 9th Circuit. |
| 03/15/2016 | CIRCULATED. |
| 03/30/2016 | Brief of respondent Hillary Bouldin filed. (Distributed) |
| 04/06/2016 | Brief amicus curiae of the United States filed. (Distributed) |
| 04/06/2016 | Motion of the Solicitor General for leave to participate in oral argument as amicus curiae and for divided argument filed. |
| 04/08/2016 | Motion of the Solicitor General for leave to participate in oral argument as amicus curiae and for divided argument GRANTED. |
| 04/15/2016 | Reply of petitioner Rocky Dietz filed. (Distributed) |
| 04/26/2016 | Argued. For petitioner: Kannon K. Shanmugam, Washington, D. C. For respondent: Neal K. Katyal, Washington, D. C.; and John F. Bash, Assistant to the Solicitor General, Department of Justice, Washington, D. C. (for United States, as amicus curiae). |
| 06/09/2016 | Adjudged to be AFFIRMED. Sotomayor, J., delivered the opinion of the Court, in which Roberts, C. J., and Ginsburg, Breyer, Alito, and Kagan, JJ., joined. Thomas, J., filed a dissenting opinion, in which Kennedy, J., joined. |
| 07/12/2016 | JUDGMENT ISSUED |