Fernandez v. California

Docket No.	Op. Below	Argument	Opinion	Vote	Author	Term
12-7822	Cal. Ct. App.	Nov 13, 2013 Tr.Aud.	Feb 25, 2014	6-3	Alito	OT 2013

Disclosure: Kevin Russell, of Goldstein & Russell, P.C., whose attorneys contribute to this blog in various capacities, is among counsel to the petitioner in this case.

Holding: The Court’s decision in Georgia v. Randolph, holding that the consent of one occupant is insufficient to authorize police to search a premises if another occupant is present and objects to the search, does not apply when an occupant provides consent well after the objecting occupant has been removed from the premises.

Judgment: Affirmed, 6-3, in an opinion by Justice Alito on February 25, 2014. Justice Scalia and Justice Thomas filed concurring opinions. Justice Ginsburg filed a dissenting opinion in which Justice Sotomayor and Justice Kagan joined.

SCOTUSblog Coverage

Five thoughts on Fernandez v. California (Orin Kerr)
Opinion analysis: The Court narrowly limits a precedent allowing co-occupant objections to warrantless consent searches (Rory Little)
Argument recap: Court seems poised to limit Georgia v. Randolph to “physically present” co-tenants (Rory Little)
Fernandez v. California and the problem of third-party consent (Orin Kerr)
Court to rule on government prayer (Lyle Denniston)

Date	Proceedings and Orders (key to color coding)
Dec 17 2012	Petition for a writ of certiorari and motion for leave to proceed in forma pauperis filed. (Response due January 22, 2013)
Jan 2 2013	Waiver of right of respondent California to respond filed.
Jan 17 2013	DISTRIBUTED for Conference of February 15, 2013.
Feb 4 2013	Response Requested . (Due March 6, 2013)
Feb 28 2013	Order extending time to file response to petition to and including April 5, 2013.
Apr 3 2013	Brief of respondent California in opposition filed.
Apr 17 2013	DISTRIBUTED for Conference of May 9, 2013.
May 13 2013	DISTRIBUTED for Conference of May 16, 2013.
May 20 2013	Motion to proceed in forma pauperis and petition for a writ of certiorari GRANTED.
Jun 7 2013	Motion to appoint counsel filed by petitioner Walter Fernandez.
Jun 12 2013	The time to file the joint appendix and petitioner's brief on the merits is extended to and including July 31, 2013.
Jun 12 2013	The time to file respondent's brief on the merits is extended to and including September 25, 2013.
Jun 25 2013	Motion DISTRIBUTED for Conference of June 26, 2013.
Jun 27 2013	Motion to appoint counsel filed by petitioner GRANTED. Gerald P. Peters, Esquire, of Thousand Oaks, California, is appointed to serve as counsel for the petitioner in this case.
Jul 31 2013	Joint appendix filed. (Statement of costs filed.)
Jul 31 2013	Brief of petitioner Walter Fernandez filed.
Aug 7 2013	Brief amicus curiae of National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers filed.
Aug 19 2013	CIRCULATED.
Aug 20 2013	SET FOR ARGUMENT on Wednesday, November 13, 2013
Sep 19 2013	Record received from Court of Appeal of California, 2nd Appellate District.(1 box)
Sep 25 2013	Brief of respondent California filed. (Distributed)
Oct 2 2013	Brief amicus curiae of United States filed. (Distributed)
Oct 2 2013	Motion of the Solicitor General for leave to participate in oral argument as amicus curiae and for divided argument filed.
Oct 21 2013	Motion of the Solicitor General for leave to participate in oral argument as amicus curiae and for divided argument GRANTED.
Oct 25 2013	Reply of petitioner Walter Fernandez filed. (Distributed)
Nov 13 2013	Argued. For petitioner: Jeffrey L. Fisher, Stanford, Cal. For respondent: Louis W. Karlin, Deputy Attorney General, Los Angeles, Cal.; and Joseph R. Palmore, Assistant to the Solicitor General, Department of Justice, Washington, D. C. (for United States, as amicus curiae.)
Feb 25 2014	Adjudged to be AFFIRMED. Alito, J., delivered the opinion of the Court, in which Roberts, C. J., and Scalia, Kennedy, Thomas, and Breyer, JJ., joined. Scalia, J., and Thomas, J., filed concurring opinions. Ginsburg, J., filed a dissenting opinion, in which Sotomayor and Kagan, JJ., joined.
Mar 31 2014	MANDATE ISSUED.
Mar 31 2014	Record received from Court of Appeal of California, 2nd Appellate District has been returned.

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Editor's Note :

Fernandez v. California

SCOTUSblog Coverage

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Opinion analysis: Justices uphold arbitration exemption for transportation workers in rare victory for arbitration opponents – Ronald Mann

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