2002 term opinions of the Supreme Court of the United States

The table below lists the opinions delivered from the bench by the Supreme Court of the United States during the 2002 Term, which lasted from October 7, 2002, until October 5, 2003. The table illustrates what opinions were filed by each justice in each case, and which justices joined each opinion.[1]

Contents

Table key
Delivered the Court's opinion

Joined the Court's opinion

Filed a concurrence

Joined a concurrence

Filed a dissent

Joined a dissent

Filed a concurrence/dissent

Joined a concurrence/dissent

Did not participate in the decision
  • Decisions that do not note an argument date were decided without oral argument. Decisions that do not note a Justice delivering the Court's opinion are per curiam.
  • Multiple concurrences and dissents within a case are numbered, with joining votes numbered accordingly. Justices frequently join multiple opinions in a single case; each vote is subdivided accordingly.
  • An asterisk ( * ) in the Court's opinion denotes that it was only a majority in part or a plurality. An asterisk in a joining vote denotes that the justice joined it only in part.
  • A dash ( - ) denotes that the Justice concurred or dissented without filing a separate opinion.

2002 term opinions

Case name Argued Decided Rehnquist Stevens O'Connor Scalia Kennedy Souter Thomas Ginsburg Breyer
Ford Motor Co. v. McCauley,[2] 537 U.S. 1 October 7, 2002 October 15, 2002

Early v. Packer, 537 U.S. 3 November 4, 2002

INS v. Ventura, 537 U.S. 12 November 4, 2002

Woodford v. Visciotti, 537 U.S. 19 November 4, 2002

Syngenta Crop Protection, Inc. v. Henson, 537 U.S. 28 October 15, 2002 November 5, 2002



Yellow Transportation, Inc. v. Michigan, 537 U.S. 36 October 7, 2002 November 5, 2002

Sprietsma v. Mercury Marine, 537 U.S. 51 October 15, 2002 December 3, 2002

United States v. Bean, 537 U.S. 71 October 16, 2002 December 10, 2002

Howsam v. Dean Witter Reynolds, Inc., 537 U.S. 79 October 9, 2002 December 10, 2002

Abdur'Rahman v. Bell,[3] 537 U.S. 88 November 6, 2002 December 10, 2002

Borden Ranch Partnership v. Army Corps of Engineers,[4] 537 U.S. 99 December 16, 2002

Sattazahn v. Pennsylvania, 537 U.S. 101 November 4, 2002 January 14, 2003

*

* *
Pierce County v. Guillen, 537 U.S. 129 November 4, 2002 January 14, 2003

Barnhart v. Peabody Coal Co., 537 U.S. 149 October 8, 2002 January 15, 2003

1 1
1

2
Eldred v. Ashcroft, 537 U.S. 186 October 9, 2002 January 15, 2003

1 2
United States v. Jimenez Recio, 537 U.S. 270 November 12, 2002 January 21, 2003

Meyer v. Holley, 537 U.S. 280 December 3, 2002 January 22, 2003

FCC v. NextWave Personal Communications, Inc., 537 U.S. 293 October 8, 2002 January 27, 2003

*

Miller-El v. Cockrell, 537 U.S. 322 October 16, 2002 February 25, 2003



Washington State Dept. of Social and Health Servs. v. Keffeler, 537 U.S. 371 December 3, 2002 February 25, 2003

Scheidler v. National Organization for Women, Inc., 537 U.S. 393 December 4, 2002 February 26, 2003





Moseley v. V Secret Catalogue, Inc., 537 U.S. 418 November 12, 2002 March 4, 2003

*


Boeing Co. v. United States, 537 U.S. 437 December 9, 2002 March 4, 2003

United States v. White Mountain Apache Tribe, 537 U.S. 465 December 2, 2002 March 4, 2003





United States v. Navajo Nation, 537 U.S. 488 December 2, 2002 March 4, 2003

Clay v. United States, 537 U.S. 522 January 13, 2003 March 4, 2003

Connecticut Dept. of Public Safety v. Doe, 538 U.S. 1 November 13, 2002 March 5, 2003

1


2


3


3
Ewing v. California, 538 U.S. 11 November 5, 2002 March 5, 2003

1

2
* 1
1

2
2
1

2
1

2
Lockyer v. Andrade, 538 U.S. 63 November 5, 2002 March 5, 2003

Smith v. Doe, 538 U.S. 84 November 13, 2002 March 5, 2003

1 1


2
2 2
Cook County v. United States ex rel Chandler, 538 U.S. 119 January 14, 2003 March 10, 2003

Norfolk & Western R. Co. v. Ayers, 538 U.S. 135 November 6, 2002 March 10, 2003
*

1
*

1
*

1
*

1

2
Cuyahoga Falls v. Buckeye Community Hope Foundation, 538 U.S. 188 January 21, 2003 March 25, 2003





Woodford v. Garceau, 538 U.S. 202 January 21, 2003 March 25, 2003

Brown v. Legal Foundation of Washington, 538 U.S. 216 December 9, 2002 March 26, 2003 1

1
1

2
1
Branch v. Smith, 538 U.S. 254 December 10, 2002 March 31, 2003

*

1

2*
*

*


2
*

1

2*
*

*
*

1

2*
Archer v. Warner, 538 U.S. 314 January 13, 2003 March 31, 2003

Kentucky Assn. of Health Plans, Inc. v. Miller, 538 U.S. 329 January 14, 2003 April 2, 2003

Virginia v. Black, 538 U.S. 343 December 11, 2002 April 7, 2003



*
*

1
2 2
1*

2
PacifiCare Health Systems, Inc. v. Book, 538 U.S. 401 February 24, 2003 April 7, 2003

State Farm Mut. Automobile Ins. Co. v. Campbell, 538 U.S. 408 December 11, 2002 April 7, 2003

1 2 3
Clackamas Gastroenterology Associates, P.C. v. Wells, 538 U.S. 440 February 25, 2003 April 22, 2003

Jinks v. Richland County, 538 U.S. 456 March 5, 2003 April 22, 2003



Dole Food Co. v. Patrickson, 538 U.S. 468 January 22, 2003 April, 2003

*

*

Franchise Tax Bd. of Cal. v. Hyatt, 538 U.S. 488 February 24, 2003 April 23, 2003

Massaro v. United States, 538 U.S. 500 February 25, 2003 April 23, 2003

Demore v. Kim, 538 U.S. 510 January 15, 2003 April 29, 2003

*

1
*

1
*

1


2
*

1
*

1
*

1
*

2
Roell v. Withrow, 538 U.S. 580 February 26, 2003 April 29, 2003

Illinois ex rel. Madigan v. Telemarketing Assoc., Inc., 538 U.S. 600 March 3, 2003 May 5, 2003





Kaupp v. Texas, 538 U.S. 626 May 5, 2003

Price v. Vincent, 538 U.S. 634 April 21, 2003 May 19, 2003

Pharmaceutical Research and Mfrs. of America v. Walsh, 538 U.S. 644 January 22, 2003 May 19, 2003
*

*
*

1
*

2
*

3
Breuer v. Jim's Concrete of Brevard, Inc., 538 U.S. 691 April 2, 2003 May 19, 2003

Inyo County v. Pauite-Shoshone Indians, 538 U.S. 701 March 31, 2003 May 19, 2003

Los Angeles v. David, 538 U.S. 715 May 19, 2003

Nevada Dept. of Human Resources v. Hibbs, 538 U.S. 721 January 15, 2003 May 27, 2003

1
1

2
2


2
2


2


2
Chavez v. Martinez, 538 U.S. 760 December 4, 2002 May 27, 2003 1
2*

1

2
1*
1*

2*

2
2* 1*
2*

2*

3
2
National Park Hospitality Assn. v. Department of Interior, 538 U.S. 803 March 4, 2003 May 27, 2003

Black & Decker Disability Plan v. Nord, 538 U.S. 822 April 28, 2003 May 27, 2003

Bunkley v. Florida, 538 U.S. 835 May 27, 2003

Beneficial National Bank v. Anderson, 539 U.S. 1 April 30, 2003 June 2, 2003

Dastar Corp. v. Twentieth Century Fox Film Corp., 539 U.S. 23 April 2, 2003 June 2, 2003
Entergy La., Inc. v. Louisiana Pub. Serv. Comm'n, 539 U.S. 39 April 2, 2003 June 2, 2003
Citizens Bank v. Alafabco, Inc., 539 U.S. 52 June 2, 2003

Hillside Dairy, Inc. v. Lyons, 539 U.S. 59 April 22, 2003 June 9, 2003
*

Nguyen v. United States, 539 U.S. 69 March 24, 2003 June 9, 2003

Desert Palace, Inc. v. Costa, 539 U.S. 90 April 23, 2003 June 9, 2003


Fitzgerald v. Racing Association of Central Iowa, 539 U.S. 103 April 29, 2003 June 9, 2003
Dow Chemical Co. v. Stephenson,[5] 539 U.S. 111 February 26, 2003 June 9, 2003

Virginia v. Hicks, 539 U.S. 113 April 30, 2003 June 16, 2003




Overton v. Bazzetta, 539 U.S. 126 March 26, 2003 June 16, 2003


1
2




1
2




1




1
Federal Election Commission v. Beaumont, 539 U.S. 146 March 25, 2003 June 16, 2003

Sell v. United States, 539 U.S. 166 March 3, 2003 June 16, 2003

United States v. American Library Association, Inc., 539 U.S. 194 March 5, 2003 June 23, 2003 * 1 1 2 2 2
Gratz v. Bollinger, 539 U.S. 244 April 1, 2003 June 23, 2003

1




1
1

2

3




2
2*

3
1*

3

3*
Grutter v. Bollinger, 539 U.S. 306 April 1, 2003 June 23, 2003 1
*

1

2*

1
1

2
*

1

2

1




American Insurance Association v. Garamendi, 539 U.S. 296 April 23, 2003 June 23, 2003

Green Tree Financial Corp. v. Bazzle, 539 U.S. 444 April 22, 2003 June 23, 2003 1

1 1 2 *
Georgia v. Ashcroft, 539 U.S. 461 April 29, 2003 June 26, 2003





1




2
Wiggins v. Smith, 539 U.S. 510 March 24, 2003 June 26, 2003

Lawrence v. Texas, 539 U.S. 558 March 26, 2003 June 26, 2003 1 1
1

2
Stogner v. California, 539 U.S. 607 March 31, 2003 June 26, 2003

Nike, Inc. v. Klasky, 539 U.S. 654 April 23, 2003 June 26, 2003



2 1


*


2
Case name Argued Decided Rehnquist Stevens O'Connor Scalia Kennedy Souter Thomas Ginsburg Breyer

2002 term membership and statistics

This was the seventeenth term of Chief Justice Rehnquist's tenure, and the ninth consecutive term in which the Court's membership had not changed.

Justice Appointed by Date confirmed  % Majority Opinions filed
Chief Justice William H. Rehnquist Ronald Reagan (as Chief Justice)

Richard M. Nixon (as Associate Justice)

 September 26, 1986 (CJ)

January 7, 1972 (AJ)

 88.0%
8

0

0

4

Total=12
Associate Justice John Paul Stevens Gerald Ford December 19, 1975. 78.0%
9

11

3

7

Total=30
Associate Justice Sandra Day O'Connor Ronald Reagan September 25, 1981 87.8%
9

6

2

0

Total=17
Associate Justice Antonin Scalia Ronald Reagan September 26, 1986 79.5%
8

7

2

8

Total=25
Associate Justice Anthony Kennedy Ronald Reagan February 18, 1988 84.1%
7

6

2

5

Total=20
Associate Justice David Souter George H. W. Bush October 9, 1990 88.0%
9

5

2

6

Total=22
Associate Justice Clarence Thomas George H. W. Bush October 23, 1991 73.2%
7

7

2

11

Total=27
Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg Bill Clinton August 10, 1993 81.9%
7

3

1

6

Total=17
Associate Justice Stephen Breyer Bill Clinton August 3, 1994 80.5%
8

3

3

5

Total=19
Notes on statistics:
  • A justice is only included in the majority if they joined or concurred in the Court's judgment in full.
  • Percentages are based only on the cases in which a justice participated, and are rounded to the nearest tenth of a percent.
  • The opinion counts only include the bench opinions listed above; opinions relating to orders and in-chambers opinions are not included.

Notes

  1. ^ One decree the Court included in its list of bench opinions for the term has been omitted: Kansas v. Nebraska, 538 U.S. 720 (2003), a per curiam decree approving the parties' settlement.
  2. ^ The Court in Ford Motor Co. dismissed certiorari as improvidently granted.
  3. ^ The Court in Abdur'Rahman dismissed certiorari as improvidently granted.
  4. ^ The decision in Borden Ranch merely stated that the lower court's judgment was affirmed by an equally divided Court.
  5. ^ Dow Chemical was a summary decision that vacated and remanded the lower court in part for further consideration in light of Syngenta Crop Protection, Inc. v. Henson, 537 U.S. 28 (2002); the decision noted that the judgment was otherwise affirmed by an equally divided Court.

References

Supreme Court of the United States 2002 term (October 7, 2002 - October 5, 2003)
Opinions by justice: Chief Justice Rehnquist | Associate Justices Stevens | O'Connor | Scalia
Kennedy | Souter | Thomas | Ginsburg | Breyer
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