Skinner v. Switzer

Docket No.	Op. Below	Argument	Opinion	Vote	Author	Term
09-9000	5th Cir.	Oct 13, 2010 Tr.Aud.	Mar 7, 2011	6-3	Ginsburg	OT 2010

Holding: Federal courts have subject matter jurisdiction over civil rights lawsuits, filed under Section 1983, that seek access to DNA evidence to challenge a state conviction.

Plain English Holding: Convicted inmates seeking access to DNA evidence to prove their innocence may do so by filing a federal civil rights lawsuit, rather than having to undertake the more difficult process of filing a petition for a writ of habeas corpus.

Judgment: Reversed, 6-3, in an opinion by Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on March 7, 2011. Justice Thomas filed a dissent, which was joined by Justice Kennedy and Justice Alito.

SCOTUSblog Coverage

Last week's opinions in Plain English (Lisa McElroy)
A limited DNA access plea allowed (Lyle Denniston)
The Term so far in plain English (Lisa McElroy)
Argument recap: Drawing a line between habeas and Section 1983 (Thomas J.G. Scott - Guest)
Argument day podcast: Skinner v. Switzer (Adam Schlossman)
Argument preview: seeking access to DNA testing after Osborne (Thomas J.G. Scott - Guest)
Special feature: Texas death row DNA case (Part 3) (Mary A. Fischer)
Special feature: Texas death row DNA case (Part 2) (Mary A. Fischer)
Special feature: Texas death row DNA case (Mary A. Fischer)

Briefs and Documents

Merits Briefs

Amicus Briefs

Certiorari-Stage Documents

Featured Posts

Battle over border wall comes to the court – Amy Howe

Trump administration ends effort to include citizenship question on 2020 census – Amy Howe

Tom Goldstein and Sarah Harrington review past Supreme Court term with Casetext’s Laura Safdie – SCOTUStalk
Sponsored by Casetext
SCOTUStalk see all
Email Digest Sign-Up
Receive a daily email digest from Feedburner by entering your email.
Merits Case Pages and Archives

Archives

or

This Week at the Court
The justices are on their summer recess.
Major Cases
- Department of Commerce v. New York
  The secretary of the Department of Commerce did not violate the enumeration clause or the Census Act in deciding to reinstate a citizenship question on the 2020 census questionnaire, but the district court was warranted in remanding the case back to the agency where the evidence tells a story that does not match the secretary’s explanation for his decision.
- Kisor v. Wilkie
  Auer v. Robbins and Bowles v. Seminole Rock & Sand Co – under which deference is given to an agency’s reasonable reading of its own genuinely ambiguous regulations – are not overruled.
- Rucho v. Common Cause
  Partisan gerrymandering claims present political questions beyond the reach of the federal courts.
- The American Legion v. American Humanist Association
  The Bladensburg Cross does not violate the establishment clause of the First Amendment.
- Gamble v. United States
  The dual-sovereignty doctrine – under which two offenses are not the “same offence” for double jeopardy purposes if prosecuted by separate sovereigns – is upheld.
see all this term’s cases »
Recent Decisions
- Lamone v. Benisek Partisan gerrymandering claims present political questions beyond the reach of the federal courts.
- Department of Commerce v. New York The secretary of the Department of Commerce did not violate the enumeration clause or the Census Act in deciding to reinstate a citizenship question on the 2020 census questionnaire, but the district court was warranted in remanding the case back to the agency where the evidence tells a story that does not match the secretary’s explanation for his decision.
- Mitchell v. Wisconsin The Wisconsin Supreme Court’s judgment – affirming the drunk-driving convictions of Gerald Mitchell, who was administered a warrantless blood test while he was unconscious – is vacated, and the case is remanded.
- Rucho v. Common Cause Partisan gerrymandering claims present political questions beyond the reach of the federal courts.
- Kisor v. Wilkie Auer v. Robbins and Bowles v. Seminole Rock & Sand Co – under which deference is given to an agency’s reasonable reading of its own genuinely ambiguous regulations – are not overruled.
- Tennessee Wine & Spirits Retailers Association v. Thomas Tennessee’s 2-year durational-residency requirement applicable to retail liquor store license applicants violates the commerce clause and is not saved by the 21st Amendment.
- United States v. Haymond The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit’s judgment – that 18 U. S. C. §3583(k)’s last two sentences are unconstitutional and unenforceable – is vacated, and the case is remanded.
- Food Marketing Institute v. Argus Leader Media Where commercial or financial information is both customarily and actually treated as private by its owner and provided to the government under an assurance of privacy, the information is “confidential” within the meaning of 5 U. S. C. §552(b)(4), the Freedom of Information Act’s Exemption 4.
- Iancu v. Brunetti The Lanham Act prohibition on the registration of “immoral” or “scandalous” trademarks infringes the First Amendment.
- The Dutra Group v. Batterton A plaintiff may not recover punitive damages on a maritime claim of unseaworthiness.
- United States v. Davis Title 18 U. S. C. §924(c)(3)(B), which provides enhanced penalties for using a firearm during a “crime of violence,” is unconstitutionally vague.
see all this term’s cases »
Current Relists
Recent Special Features
Statistical Snapshot

Cases argued 70

Cases decided 67

Summary reversals 5

Merits cases granted to date 74

see all »
Live Blog Archives
See all
Twitter Feed

Tweets by @SCOTUSblog

Majority Opinions by Author
Voting Breakdown Argued Cases

Calendar: July 2019
Full Calendar Submit Event

July 2019

Su Mo Tu We Th Fr Sa

1

2

3

4
Holiday

5

6

7

8

9

10

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

25

26

27

28

29

30

31
- Orders/Opinions
- Arguments
- Conferences
- Events
- Holidays
- Multiple

Su	Mo	Tu	We	Th	Fr	Sa
	1	2	3	4 Holiday	5	6
7	8	9	10	11	12	13
14	15	16	17	18	19	20
21	22	23	24	25	26	27
28	29	30	31

Download our App in the Apple Store
Videos see all

Justice Thomas at the Supreme Court Historical Society

On June 3, Justice Clarence Thomas spoke with David Rubenstein for the Supreme Court Historical Society’s annual lecture at the Supreme Court.

Peabody Award
Awarded the Peabody Award for excellence in electronic media.
Sigma Delta Chi
Awarded the Sigma Delta Chi deadline reporting award for online coverage of the Affordable Care Act decision.
National Press Club Award
Awarded the National Press Club's Breaking News Award for coverage of the Affordable Care Act decision.
Silver Gavel Award
Awarded the Silver Gavel Award by the American Bar Association for fostering the American public’s understanding of the law and the legal system.
American Gavel Award
Awarded the American Gavel Award for Distinguished Reporting About the Judiciary to recognize the highest standards of reporting about courts and the justice system.
Webby Award
Awarded the Webby Award for excellence on the internet.

Cases argued	70
Cases decided	67
Summary reversals	5
Merits cases granted to date	74

Skinner v. Switzer

SCOTUSblog Coverage

Briefs and Documents

Merits Briefs

Amicus Briefs

Certiorari-Stage Documents

Featured Posts

Battle over border wall comes to the court – Amy Howe

Trump administration ends effort to include citizenship question on 2020 census – Amy Howe

Tom Goldstein and Sarah Harrington review past Supreme Court term with Casetext’s Laura Safdie – SCOTUStalk

Sponsored by Casetext

SCOTUStalk see all

Email Digest Sign-Up

Merits Case Pages and Archives

This Week at the Court

Major Cases

Recent Decisions

Current Relists

Recent Special Features

Statistical Snapshot

Live Blog Archives

Twitter Feed

Majority Opinions by Author

Voting Breakdown Argued Cases

Calendar: July 2019

July 2019

Holiday

Download our App in the Apple Store

Videos see all

Peabody Award

Sigma Delta Chi

National Press Club Award

Silver Gavel Award

American Gavel Award

Webby Award