Yates v. United States

Docket No.	Op. Below	Argument	Opinion	Vote	Author	Term
13-7451	11th Cir.	Nov 5, 2014 Tr.Aud.	Feb 25, 2015	5-4	Ginsburg	OT 2014

Holding: For purposes of 18 U.S.C. § 1519, which imposes criminal liability on anyone who “knowingly . . . destroys . . . any record, document, or tangible object with the intent to impede, obstruct, or influence the investigation or proper administration of any matter within the jurisdiction of any department or agency of the United States,” a “tangible object” is one used to record or preserve information.

Judgment: Reversed and remanded, 5-4, in an opinion by Justice Ginsburg on February 25, 2015. Justice Alito filed an opinion concurring in the judgment. Justice Kagan filed a dissenting opinion, in which Justices Scalia, Kennedy, and Thomas joined.

SCOTUSblog Coverage

Opinion analysis: A fisherman slips through federal prosecutors' net (Lyle Denniston)
Justices take the measure of fish case: In Plain English (Amy Howe)
Argument analysis: Building to a Scalia crescendo (Lyle Denniston)
Making a federal case out of fishy facts: In Plain English (Amy Howe)
Argument preview: Can plain language be vague? (Lyle Denniston)
Detention challenge denied (Lyle Denniston)

Date	Proceedings and Orders (key to color coding)
Nov 13 2013	Petition for a writ of certiorari and motion for leave to proceed in forma pauperis filed. (Response due December 20, 2013)
Nov 26 2013	Waiver of right of respondent United States to respond filed.
Dec 5 2013	DISTRIBUTED for Conference of January 10, 2014.
Jan 6 2014	Response Requested . (Due February 5, 2014)
Jan 28 2014	Order extending time to file response to petition to and including March 7, 2014.
Feb 5 2014	Brief amicus curiae of Cause of Action filed.
Feb 5 2014	Brief amicus curiae of National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers filed.
Mar 5 2014	Order further extending time to file response to petition to and including March 14, 2014.
Mar 14 2014	Brief of respondent United States in opposition filed.
Mar 28 2014	Reply of petitioner John L. Yates filed.
Apr 3 2014	DISTRIBUTED for Conference of April 18, 2014.
Apr 21 2014	DISTRIBUTED for Conference of April 25, 2014.
Apr 28 2014	Motion to proceed in forma pauperis Granted. Petition for a writ of certiorari GRANTED limited to Question 1 presented by the petition.
May 15 2014	The time to file the joint appendix and petitioner's brief on the merits is extended to and including June 30, 2014.
May 15 2014	The time to file respondent's brief on the merits is extended to and including August 19, 2014.
May 28 2014	Consent to the filing of amicus curiae briefs, in support of either party or of neither party, received from counsel for the petitioner.
Jun 30 2014	Joint appendix filed. (Statement of costs filed.)
Jun 30 2014	Brief of petitioner John L. Yates filed.
Jul 3 2014	Brief amici curiae of Chamber of Commerce of the United States of America & National Association of Manufacturers filed.
Jul 7 2014	Brief amici curiae of National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, et al. filed.
Jul 7 2014	Brief amici curiae of Eighteen Criminal Law Professors filed.
Jul 7 2014	Brief amicus curiae of Cato Institute filed.
Jul 7 2014	Brief amicus curiae of Washington Legal Foundation filed.
Jul 7 2014	Brief amici curiae of Cause of Action, et al. filed.
Jul 7 2014	Brief amicus curiae of National Federation of Independent Business Small Business Legal Center filed.
Jul 7 2014	Brief amicus curiae of The Honorable Michael Oxley filed.
Jul 7 2014	Brief amici curiae of Pacific Legal Foundation, et al. filed.
Aug 19 2014	Brief of respondent United States filed.
Sep 4 2014	SET FOR ARGUMENT on Wednesday, November 5, 2014.
Sep 8 2014	Record requested from U.S.C.A. 11th Circuit.
Sep 8 2014	Record received from U.S.C.A 11th Circuit is electronic and located on PACER.
Sep 18 2014	Reply of petitioner John L. Yates filed. (Distributed)
Sep 19 2014	CIRCULATED
Nov 5 2014	Argued. For petitioner: John L. Badalamenti, Assistant Federal Defender, Tampa, Fla. For respondent: Roman Martinez, Assistant to the Solicitor General, Department of Justice, Washington, D. C.
Nov 5 2014	Letter from the Solicitor General filed. (Distributed)
Feb 25 2015	Judgment REVERSED and case REMANDED. Ginsburg, J., announced the judgment of the Court and delivered an opinion, in which Roberts, C. J., and Breyer and Sotomayor, JJ., joined. Alito, J., filed an opinion concurring in the judgment. Kagan, J., filed a dissenting opinion, in which Scalia, Kennedy, and Thomas, JJ., joined.
Mar 30 2015	JUDGMENT ISSUED.

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Yates v. United States

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