Difference between revisions of "Template:Infobox US Supreme Court case/doc"
imported>Joe Decker |
imported>AlanM1 (General copyedit/clarify) |
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== Usage == | == Usage == | ||
| − | |||
This template aims to standardize U.S. Supreme Court cases. It's a very versatile template that includes features such as: argue dates that are automatically formatted correctly, citations that include a link to the text of the case, and accurate court membership with a much lower chance of error. | This template aims to standardize U.S. Supreme Court cases. It's a very versatile template that includes features such as: argue dates that are automatically formatted correctly, citations that include a link to the text of the case, and accurate court membership with a much lower chance of error. | ||
| Line 17: | Line 16: | ||
;Optional parameters | ;Optional parameters | ||
| − | Most parameters in this template are optional. Leaving parameters such as '''ReargueDate''', '''Concurrence5''', or '''Overruled''' blank is '''OK''' and will not change or alter anything in the template. Parameters such as '''Majority''', '''JoinMajority''', etc. are all optional. Any fields that need to be added can be done so easily & | + | Most parameters in this template are optional. Leaving parameters such as '''ReargueDate''', '''Concurrence5''', or '''Overruled''' blank is '''OK''' and will not change or alter anything in the template. Parameters such as '''Majority''', '''JoinMajority''', etc. are all optional. Any fields that need to be added can be done so easily – either add the code if you feel comfortable doing so, or contact [[User talk:MZMcBride|me]] and I will add the fields you need. |
{| style="margin:auto; width:100%; border-collapse:collapse; background:transparent;" | {| style="margin:auto; width:100%; border-collapse:collapse; background:transparent;" | ||
! Commonly needed | ! Commonly needed | ||
| Line 167: | Line 166: | ||
===Argue dates=== | ===Argue dates=== | ||
| − | ''Most'' cases will only need to use '''ArgueDate''', '''ArgueYear''', '''DecideDate''', | + | ''Most'' cases will only need to use '''ArgueDate''', '''ArgueYear''', '''DecideDate''', and '''DecideYear'''. Only cases that have more than one argue date need to use '''ArgueDateA''' and '''ArgueDateB'''. '''ReargueDate''' and '''ReargueYear''' should only be used if there was a reargue date. |
===Citations=== | ===Citations=== | ||
====USVol and USPage==== | ====USVol and USPage==== | ||
| − | Cases should be cited using the ''[[U.S. Reports]]'' volume and page number in the '''USVol''' and '''USPage''' fields, respectively. If the case does not yet have a page assigned, use "___" (three underscores) | + | Cases should be cited using the ''[[U.S. Reports]]'' volume and page number in the '''USVol''' and '''USPage''' fields, respectively. If the case does not yet have a page assigned, use "{{Para|'''USPage'''|___}}" (three underscores). |
====ParallelCitations==== | ====ParallelCitations==== | ||
| − | The '''ParallelCitations''' field is for additional (parallel) citations for the same case | + | The '''ParallelCitations''' field is for additional (parallel) citations for the same case (e.g. "{{Para|'''ParallelCitations'''|111 S. Ct. 1282; 113 L. Ed. 2d 358}}"). |
====Docket==== | ====Docket==== | ||
| − | For newer cases (those decided after 2000 or so), you should enter the Supreme Court docket number in the '''Docket''' field | + | For newer cases (those decided after 2000 or so), you should enter the Supreme Court docket number in the '''Docket''' field (e.g. "{{Para|'''Docket'''|06-1234}}"). |
===Prior history=== | ===Prior history=== | ||
| Line 186: | Line 185: | ||
===Holding=== | ===Holding=== | ||
| − | A very brief (one or two sentence) description of what the central ruling of the case was. This may or may not be fact specific, depending on how broadly the court's opinion was worded; follow with a short statement of what the specific outcome of the case was | + | A very brief (one or two sentence) description of what the central ruling of the case was. This may or may not be fact-specific, depending on how broadly the court's opinion was worded; follow with a short statement of what the specific outcome of the case was. |
===Court membership=== | ===Court membership=== | ||
| − | To add the court membership, you need to put in the key from the [[#Court composition key|list below]] which covers the relevant year in which the court issued the case decision, not heard oral argument. This will automatically fill in the members of the court for the appropriate year. The syntax is '''SCOTUS | + | To add the court membership, you need to put in the key from the [[#Court composition key|list below]] which covers the relevant year in which the court issued the case decision, not heard oral argument. This will automatically fill in the members of the court for the appropriate year(s). The syntax is "{{Para|'''SCOTUS'''|''yyyy''[''c''][''-yyyy'']}}". That is, it takes one of the three forms: |
| − | + | * "{{Para|'''SCOTUS'''|1939}}" for a single-year composition | |
| − | + | * "{{Para|'''SCOTUS'''|1938b}}" for the rare case of more than one composition within a year | |
| + | * "{{Para|'''SCOTUS'''|1940-1941}}" for the usual range of years | ||
| − | + | {{Important|Note that the years in a range '''MUST''' be separated by a hyphen (-), not an endash (–) or any other separator. This is contrary to the current MOS ([[WP:YEAR]]), but necessary.}} | |
| − | |||
====Court composition key==== | ====Court composition key==== | ||
| Line 316: | Line 315: | ||
===Case opinions=== | ===Case opinions=== | ||
| − | |||
All the written opinions handed down in the case are listed in the following categories of majority, concurrent, etc. Always follow the designations used in the reported decision. | All the written opinions handed down in the case are listed in the following categories of majority, concurrent, etc. Always follow the designations used in the reported decision. | ||
List all justices under these headings only by their last name, as their full names are already given above in the court membership section. | List all justices under these headings only by their last name, as their full names are already given above in the court membership section. | ||
| − | '''Note:''' List at the end, after all opinions, if a judge was on the court at the time the decision was rendered yet did not participate in the case because of a recent appointment, recusal, or other absence. Example: "Kennedy took no part in the consideration or decision of the case". | + | '''Note:''' List at the end, after all opinions, if a judge was on the court at the time the decision was rendered, yet did not participate in the case because of a recent appointment, recusal, or other absence. Example: "Kennedy took no part in the consideration or decision of the case". |
====Majority==== | ====Majority==== | ||
| Line 327: | Line 325: | ||
====Joined by==== | ====Joined by==== | ||
| − | The justices who joined in the majority/plurality opinion. Early cases (18th- | + | The justices who joined in the majority/plurality opinion. Early cases (18th – mid-19th century) may not list who has joined in the majority—unless they are listed as the author of a separate concurrence or dissent, or as joining such a separate opinion, list them as joining the majority.{{Huh?|date=February 2013|reason=It's not clear what the last clause ("list them as joining the majority") means. Is it a command/instruction to the reader?}} If the decision was unanimous, simply say that it was joined by a "unanimous court" rather than relisting every judge. |
| − | If the decision was unanimous, simply say that it was joined by a "unanimous court" rather than relisting every judge. | ||
====Concurrences, concurrence/dissents, dissents==== | ====Concurrences, concurrence/dissents, dissents==== | ||
| Line 334: | Line 331: | ||
====Concurrence/dissent==== | ====Concurrence/dissent==== | ||
| − | These will usually be labeled in the original opinion as " | + | These will usually be labeled in the original opinion as "concurring in part and dissenting in part". Follow these designations, because from the text of the opinion alone it is sometimes difficult to tell concurrences from dissents from partial concurrences/partial dissents. |
===Laws applied=== | ===Laws applied=== | ||
| − | + | These are citations to the constitutional and statutory provisions that were the primary basis for the decision only. They do NOT necessarily include all case law, nor every law that happens to be cited in the case or rejected as inapplicable with minimal discussion. | |
== Manual of Style == | == Manual of Style == | ||
This is a proposed manual of style. Its contents are based on the infoboxes found in various case articles, but notably the styles used in the three featured-article cases: ''[[Dred Scott v. Sandford]]'', ''[[Roe v. Wade]]'', and ''[[Lawrence v. Texas]]''. This manual attempts to add consistency throughout all of the case articles. This manual's aim is to focus on the style that is currently widely used throughout United States Supreme Court cases. ''It is in no way a final draft, or set in stone. Changes should be made to it, and then implemented in the different articles.'' | This is a proposed manual of style. Its contents are based on the infoboxes found in various case articles, but notably the styles used in the three featured-article cases: ''[[Dred Scott v. Sandford]]'', ''[[Roe v. Wade]]'', and ''[[Lawrence v. Texas]]''. This manual attempts to add consistency throughout all of the case articles. This manual's aim is to focus on the style that is currently widely used throughout United States Supreme Court cases. ''It is in no way a final draft, or set in stone. Changes should be made to it, and then implemented in the different articles.'' | ||
| − | The manual follows the template's layout. All | + | The manual follows the template's layout. All parameter names are in '''bold''' (e.g. '''Litigants'''). Cases inside a single set of brackets [ ] are examples where a certain item can be seen "in action." |
===General notes=== | ===General notes=== | ||
| Line 348: | Line 345: | ||
===Litigants=== | ===Litigants=== | ||
| − | In almost all cases, '''Litigants''' will be the name of the article, often also known as the short name of the case found at the top of the printed pages of the case [''[[Dred Scott v. Sandford]]'']. | + | In almost all cases, '''Litigants''' will be the same as the name of the article, often also known as the short name of the case found at the top of the printed pages of the case [''[[Dred Scott v. Sandford]]'']. |
<!--Cases heard simultaneously, cases combined??--> | <!--Cases heard simultaneously, cases combined??--> | ||
| Line 354: | Line 351: | ||
Most cases will simply need to use '''ArgueDate''' and '''ArgueYear'''. If the case was argued over more than one day, '''ArgueDateA''' and '''ArgueDateB''' can be employed. Unless the argue dates span over more than one month, the month's name should only be used once [''[[Eisenstadt v. Baird]]'']. If a case was reargued, the same style should be used [''[[Champion v. Ames]]'']. Also, the full name of the month should always be used. | Most cases will simply need to use '''ArgueDate''' and '''ArgueYear'''. If the case was argued over more than one day, '''ArgueDateA''' and '''ArgueDateB''' can be employed. Unless the argue dates span over more than one month, the month's name should only be used once [''[[Eisenstadt v. Baird]]'']. If a case was reargued, the same style should be used [''[[Champion v. Ames]]'']. Also, the full name of the month should always be used. | ||
| − | Older cases may not list an argue date. Thorough research can generally produce one, | + | Older cases may not list an argue date. Thorough research can generally produce one, but if a date can not be found, leave the parameters blank. Other old cases will have a submitted date; in these instances, use '''SubmitDate''' and '''SubmitYear''' [''[[Nix v. Hedden]]'']. |
===Decide date=== | ===Decide date=== | ||
| Line 365: | Line 362: | ||
===Volume and page=== | ===Volume and page=== | ||
| − | '''USVol''' and '''USPage''' | + | '''USVol''' and '''USPage''' are the [[United States Reports]] volume number and starting page on which the case was reported. |
====Docket number==== | ====Docket number==== | ||
| − | Newer cases should use '''Docket''' [''[[Hamdan v. Rumsfeld]]'']. | + | Newer cases should use '''Docket''' (e.g. "{{Para|'''Docket'''|05-184}}") [''[[Hamdan v. Rumsfeld]]'']. |
===Citations=== | ===Citations=== | ||
| − | The U.S. Reports citation will be generated automatically from the '''USVol''' and '''USPage''' fields. Most cases should include additional citations such as the Supreme Court Reporter (S. Ct.) in the '''ParallelCitations''' field. You should ''not'' begin this field with anything other than the next citation; a [[semicolon]] or another space is redundant [''[[Loving v. Virginia]]'']. Each citation should be separated by a semicolon and a single space, never any other type of punctuation. | + | The U.S. Reports citation will be generated automatically from the '''USVol''' and '''USPage''' fields. Most cases should include additional citations such as the Supreme Court Reporter (S. Ct.) in the '''ParallelCitations''' field. You should ''not'' begin this field with anything other than the next citation; a [[semicolon]] or another space is redundant [''[[Loving v. Virginia]]'']. Each citation should be separated by a semicolon and a single space, never any other type of punctuation (e.g. "{{Para|'''ParallelCitations'''|87 S. Ct. 1817; 18 L. Ed. 2d 1010; 1967 U.S. LEXIS 1082}}"). |
| − | Newer cases that have yet to be assigned a specific volume and page should use " | + | Newer cases that have yet to be assigned a specific volume and page should use "{{Para|'''USPage'''|___}}" (three underscores). The correct volume that a case will be in when it's assigned its page can be found on the Supreme Court's website; it will be on top of every odd-numbered page of the PDF [[slip opinion]] except the first. Other citations will be available and should be separated by a semi-colon and a single space [''[[eBay Inc. v. MercExchange, L.L.C.]]'']. |
===Prior history=== | ===Prior history=== | ||
| − | '''Prior''' is the most lenient field. The information here should be whatever you can gather. Sometimes that will be only a short statement [''[[Immigration and Naturalization Service v. Chadha]]''] or may be more | + | '''Prior''' is the most lenient field. The information here should be whatever you can gather. Sometimes that will be only a short statement [''[[Immigration and Naturalization Service v. Chadha]]''] or may be more in-depth [''[[Roe v. Wade]]'']. All formatting here must be added by the user. '''Prior''' should never end in a period, comma, or semi-colon. An exception can be made if a period is used as part of an abbreviation. |
===Subsequent history=== | ===Subsequent history=== | ||
| − | '''Subsequent''' | + | '''Subsequent''' is optional. Newer cases most likely won't have a subsequent history. Older cases may never have gone any further after being decided by the Supreme Court. A simple "None" can be used in this instance.{{Clarify|date=February 2013|reason=Is there a difference between empty and "None"?}} Once again, '''Subsequent''' should never end in a period, comma, or semi-colon. An exception can be made if a period is used as part of an abbreviation and all formatting here must be added by the user. |
===Holding=== | ===Holding=== | ||
| Line 385: | Line 382: | ||
===Court membership=== | ===Court membership=== | ||
| − | '''SCOTUS''' | + | '''SCOTUS''' contains the court composition years in which the case was decided [''[[Lawrence v. Texas]]'']. Use the [[#Court composition key|key above]] and fill in the code for the relevant years during which the case was decided. This will automatically fill in the members of the court for the appropriate year(s). The syntax is "{{Para|'''SCOTUS'''|''yyyy''[''c''][''-yyyy'']}}". That is, it takes one of the three forms: |
| + | * "{{Para|'''SCOTUS'''|1939}}" for a single-year composition | ||
| + | * "{{Para|'''SCOTUS'''|1938b}}" for the rare case of more than one composition within a year | ||
| + | * "{{Para|'''SCOTUS'''|1940-1941}}" for the usual range of years | ||
| + | |||
| + | {{Important|Note that the years in a range '''MUST''' be separated by a hyphen (-), not an endash (–) or any other separator. This is contrary to the current MOS ([[WP:YEAR]]), but necessary.}} | ||
===Case opinions=== | ===Case opinions=== | ||
| Line 394: | Line 396: | ||
===Superseded and overruled=== | ===Superseded and overruled=== | ||
| − | + | '''Superseded''' may be used when a later case partially changes the ruling in an earlier case. For example, the case of ''[[Ring v. Arizona]]'' (where it was decided that in a death penalty case heard by a jury, only the jury can impose death) superseded ''[[Walton v. Arizona]]'', as it partially overruled the previous case. | |
| − | + | '''Overruled''' may be used where a later case changes the findings in an earlier one. As noted above in the ''Ring'' case, it also overruled ''[[Spaziano v. Florida]]'' which made a jury's decision whether or not to impose the death penalty to be completely advisory, as a judge in ''Spaziano'' could overrule a jury's recommendation for life and impose the death penalty, ''Ring'' made the decision by the jury to impose life instead of death as mandatory and does not allow the judge to override the decision and impose death anyway. (The judge can overrule a jury's decision to impose death and impose life instead, however.) | |
===Overturned=== | ===Overturned=== | ||
If the holding of a case is completely changed by a later case, the original case is said to be overturned. This happened when the finding that ''[[separate but equal|Separate But Equal]]'', which was established in the 19th century in ''[[Plessy v. Ferguson]]'', was overturned when the Supreme Court discarded this concept in ''[[Brown v. Board of Education]]''. | If the holding of a case is completely changed by a later case, the original case is said to be overturned. This happened when the finding that ''[[separate but equal|Separate But Equal]]'', which was established in the 19th century in ''[[Plessy v. Ferguson]]'', was overturned when the Supreme Court discarded this concept in ''[[Brown v. Board of Education]]''. | ||
| − | The Supreme Court also overturned a prior case when it announced in ''[[Lawrence v. Texas]]'' that it had been wrong in deciding the original case of ''[[Bowers v. Hardwick]]'', in deciding in that case that Georgia's anti-sodomy law was constitutional (Georgia's own Supreme Court would decide years earlier that the law was unconstitutional under the state constitution in [[Powell v. Georgia]]). The Supreme Court | + | The Supreme Court also overturned a prior case when it announced in ''[[Lawrence v. Texas]]'' that it had been wrong in deciding the original case of ''[[Bowers v. Hardwick]]'', in deciding in that case that Georgia's anti-sodomy law was constitutional (Georgia's own Supreme Court would decide years earlier that the law was unconstitutional under the state constitution in [[Powell v. Georgia]]). The Supreme Court decided in ''Lawrence'' that the laws making non-commercial consensual sodomy illegal are unconstitutional, and that the decision in ''Bowers'' was wrongly decided. |
| − | When a case is overturned, the ''' | + | When a case is overturned, the '''Overturned''' parameter should be used, giving the name of the later case (as a link in brackets) that overturned the original case. |
</div><!--(end font-size:95%)--> | </div><!--(end font-size:95%)--> | ||
Revision as of 02:33, 22 February 2013
| This is a documentation subpage for Template:Infobox US Supreme Court case. It contains usage information, categories and other content that is not part of the original template page. |
This infobox should italicize the article title automatically. If this is not required, add |italic title=no to the list of parameters. If this is required but the title is not being italicized, try |italic title=force. |
Contents
Assistance
If you find yourself confused in how to use this template or need assistance, please feel free to leave comments on the talk page.
Usage
This template aims to standardize U.S. Supreme Court cases. It's a very versatile template that includes features such as: argue dates that are automatically formatted correctly, citations that include a link to the text of the case, and accurate court membership with a much lower chance of error.
For a detailed description of this template's usage, see below. For information about commonly inserted information, refer to this guide. The template is part of WikiProject U.S. Supreme Court cases.
Parameters
Parameter names shown opposite in italics indicate parameters that form external links.
- Optional parameters
Most parameters in this template are optional. Leaving parameters such as ReargueDate, Concurrence5, or Overruled blank is OK and will not change or alter anything in the template. Parameters such as Majority, JoinMajority, etc. are all optional. Any fields that need to be added can be done so easily – either add the code if you feel comfortable doing so, or contact me and I will add the fields you need.
| Commonly needed | Uncommonly needed |
|---|---|
{{Infobox SCOTUS case
|Litigants=
|ArgueDate=
|ArgueYear=
|DecideDate=
|DecideYear=
|FullName=
|USVol=
|USPage=
|ParallelCitations=
|Docket=XX-XXX
|OralArgument=http://www.oyez.org/cases/YYYY-YYYY/YYYY/YY-Docket/argument/
|OralReargument=http://www.oyez.org/cases/YYYY-YYYY/YYYY/YY-Docket/reargument/
|OpinionAnnouncement=http://www.oyez.org/cases/YYYY-YYYY/YYYY/YY-Docket/opinion/
|Prior=
|Subsequent=
|Holding=
|SCOTUS=YEAR-YEAR <!-- needs a hyphen and not an en-dash between the years-->
|Majority=
|JoinMajority=
|Concurrence=
|JoinConcurrence=
|Concurrence2=
|JoinConcurrence2=
|Concurrence/Dissent=
|JoinConcurrence/Dissent=
|Dissent=
|JoinDissent=
|Dissent2=
|JoinDissent2=
|LawsApplied=
}}
|
{{Infobox SCOTUS case
|Litigants=
|Litigants2=
|Litigants3=
|Litigants4=
|Litigants5=
|OriginalJurisdiction=yes
|ArgueDate=
|ArgueDateA=
|ArgueDateB=
|ArgueYear=
|ReargueDate=
|ReargueDate2=
|ReargueDateA=
|ReargueDateB=
|ReargueDateA2=
|ReargueDateB2=
|ReargueYear=
|ReargueYear2=
|SubmitDate=
|SubmitYear=
|DecideDate=
|DecideYear=
|FullName=
|Docket=
|Docket2=
|Docket3=
|Docket4=
|Docket5=
|OralArgument=
|ParallelCitations=
|USVol=
|USPage=
|Claim=
|Prior=
|Procedural=
|Subsequent=
|QuestionsPresented=
|Holding=
|SCOTUS=YEAR-YEAR
|PerCuriam=yes
|Majority=
|JoinMajority=
|Majority2=
|JoinMajority2=
|Majority3=
|JoinMajority3=
|Plurality=
|JoinPlurality=
|Concurrence=
|JoinConcurrence=
|Concurrence2=
|JoinConcurrence2=
|Concurrence3=
|JoinConcurrence3=
|Concurrence4=
|JoinConcurrence4=
|Concurrence5=
|JoinConcurrence5=
|Concurrence/Dissent=
|JoinConcurrence/Dissent=
|Concurrence/Dissent2=
|JoinConcurrence/Dissent2=
|Concurrence/Dissent3=
|JoinConcurrence/Dissent3=
|Concurrence/Dissent4=
|JoinConcurrence/Dissent4=
|Concurrence/Dissent5=
|JoinConcurrence/Dissent5=
|Concurrence/Dissent6=
|JoinConcurrence/Dissent6=
|Concurrence/Dissent7=
|JoinConcurrence/Dissent7=
|Concurrence/Dissent8=
|JoinConcurrence/Dissent8=
|Dissent=
|JoinDissent=
|ConcurrenceDissent=
|Dissent2=
|JoinDissent2=
|ConcurrenceDissent2=
|Dissent3=
|JoinDissent3=
|ConcurrenceDissent3=
|Dissent4=
|JoinDissent4=
|ConcurrenceDissent4=
|Dissent5=
|JoinDissent5=
|ConcurrenceDissent5=
|NotParticipating=
|Seriatim=
|Seriatim2=
|Seriatim3=
|Seriatim4=
|Seriatim5=
|LawsApplied=
|Superseded=
|Overruled=
|Overturned=
}}
|
Argue dates
Most cases will only need to use ArgueDate, ArgueYear, DecideDate, and DecideYear. Only cases that have more than one argue date need to use ArgueDateA and ArgueDateB. ReargueDate and ReargueYear should only be used if there was a reargue date.
Citations
USVol and USPage
Cases should be cited using the U.S. Reports volume and page number in the USVol and USPage fields, respectively. If the case does not yet have a page assigned, use "|USPage=___" (three underscores).
ParallelCitations
The ParallelCitations field is for additional (parallel) citations for the same case (e.g. "|ParallelCitations=111 S. Ct. 1282; 113 L. Ed. 2d 358").
Docket
For newer cases (those decided after 2000 or so), you should enter the Supreme Court docket number in the Docket field (e.g. "|Docket=06-1234").
Prior history
This field can contain citations to prior decisions in the case, in trial court or lower appellate courts, or prior decisions by the subject court; these should be preceded by a two to four word description of the ruling—this (together with the subsequent history, following) is merely the bare bones procedural history of the case—what happened when at what court. Please use the citation only for the preferred court reporter (not all parallel citations) to reduce length. If unreported (as with most criminal convictions, for example), list the ruling, the court, and the date.
Subsequent history
This field can contain citations to or general descriptions of subsequent decisions by lower courts after a remand or vacation, or by the same court, as in a denial of rehearing, or continuing proceedings in a trial court.
Holding
A very brief (one or two sentence) description of what the central ruling of the case was. This may or may not be fact-specific, depending on how broadly the court's opinion was worded; follow with a short statement of what the specific outcome of the case was.
Court membership
To add the court membership, you need to put in the key from the list below which covers the relevant year in which the court issued the case decision, not heard oral argument. This will automatically fill in the members of the court for the appropriate year(s). The syntax is "|SCOTUS=yyyy[c][-yyyy]". That is, it takes one of the three forms:
- "
|SCOTUS=1939" for a single-year composition - "
|SCOTUS=1938b" for the rare case of more than one composition within a year - "
|SCOTUS=1940-1941" for the usual range of years
| Caution | Note that the years in a range MUST be separated by a hyphen (-), not an endash (–) or any other separator. This is contrary to the current MOS (WP:YEAR), but necessary. |
Court composition key
To view the make-up of each Court, see List of Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States by court composition.
| 1789-1844 | 1845-1903 | 1903-1954 | 1954-Present |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
|
Case opinions
All the written opinions handed down in the case are listed in the following categories of majority, concurrent, etc. Always follow the designations used in the reported decision.
List all justices under these headings only by their last name, as their full names are already given above in the court membership section.
Note: List at the end, after all opinions, if a judge was on the court at the time the decision was rendered, yet did not participate in the case because of a recent appointment, recusal, or other absence. Example: "Kennedy took no part in the consideration or decision of the case".
Majority
The justice who authored the majority opinion.
Joined by
The justices who joined in the majority/plurality opinion. Early cases (18th – mid-19th century) may not list who has joined in the majority—unless they are listed as the author of a separate concurrence or dissent, or as joining such a separate opinion, list them as joining the majority.[clarification needed] If the decision was unanimous, simply say that it was joined by a "unanimous court" rather than relisting every judge.
Concurrences, concurrence/dissents, dissents
List all concurrences, followed by concurrence/dissents, followed by dissents. Within each grouping, try to order the opinions by the seniority of the authoring justice, with the chief justice always considered the most senior regardless of actual length of tenure.
Concurrence/dissent
These will usually be labeled in the original opinion as "concurring in part and dissenting in part". Follow these designations, because from the text of the opinion alone it is sometimes difficult to tell concurrences from dissents from partial concurrences/partial dissents.
Laws applied
These are citations to the constitutional and statutory provisions that were the primary basis for the decision only. They do NOT necessarily include all case law, nor every law that happens to be cited in the case or rejected as inapplicable with minimal discussion.
Manual of Style
This is a proposed manual of style. Its contents are based on the infoboxes found in various case articles, but notably the styles used in the three featured-article cases: Dred Scott v. Sandford, Roe v. Wade, and Lawrence v. Texas. This manual attempts to add consistency throughout all of the case articles. This manual's aim is to focus on the style that is currently widely used throughout United States Supreme Court cases. It is in no way a final draft, or set in stone. Changes should be made to it, and then implemented in the different articles.
The manual follows the template's layout. All parameter names are in bold (e.g. Litigants). Cases inside a single set of brackets [ ] are examples where a certain item can be seen "in action."
General notes
Formatting is done automatically. There is no need to use wiki markup ('' or ''') or HTML (<b> or <i>) for most parameters. Exceptions are: Prior, Subsequent, and Overruled.
Litigants
In almost all cases, Litigants will be the same as the name of the article, often also known as the short name of the case found at the top of the printed pages of the case [Dred Scott v. Sandford].
Argue date
Most cases will simply need to use ArgueDate and ArgueYear. If the case was argued over more than one day, ArgueDateA and ArgueDateB can be employed. Unless the argue dates span over more than one month, the month's name should only be used once [Eisenstadt v. Baird]. If a case was reargued, the same style should be used [Champion v. Ames]. Also, the full name of the month should always be used.
Older cases may not list an argue date. Thorough research can generally produce one, but if a date can not be found, leave the parameters blank. Other old cases will have a submitted date; in these instances, use SubmitDate and SubmitYear [Nix v. Hedden].
Decide date
There is only ever one DecideDate and DecideYear.
Full name
The full case name should try to include the first and last names of all parties and whatever other information is included in the full name of the case [Bowers v. Hardwick]. For example, Michael J. Bowers, Attorney General of Georgia v. Michael Hardwick, et al. If that information cannot be found, using a shorter name of the case is permissible.
Any time "et al." is used, there should always be a comma preceding it.
Volume and page
USVol and USPage are the United States Reports volume number and starting page on which the case was reported.
Docket number
Newer cases should use Docket (e.g. "|Docket=05-184") [Hamdan v. Rumsfeld].
Citations
The U.S. Reports citation will be generated automatically from the USVol and USPage fields. Most cases should include additional citations such as the Supreme Court Reporter (S. Ct.) in the ParallelCitations field. You should not begin this field with anything other than the next citation; a semicolon or another space is redundant [Loving v. Virginia]. Each citation should be separated by a semicolon and a single space, never any other type of punctuation (e.g. "|ParallelCitations=87 S. Ct. 1817; 18 L. Ed. 2d 1010; 1967 U.S. LEXIS 1082").
Newer cases that have yet to be assigned a specific volume and page should use "|USPage=___" (three underscores). The correct volume that a case will be in when it's assigned its page can be found on the Supreme Court's website; it will be on top of every odd-numbered page of the PDF slip opinion except the first. Other citations will be available and should be separated by a semi-colon and a single space [eBay Inc. v. MercExchange, L.L.C.].
Prior history
Prior is the most lenient field. The information here should be whatever you can gather. Sometimes that will be only a short statement [Immigration and Naturalization Service v. Chadha] or may be more in-depth [Roe v. Wade]. All formatting here must be added by the user. Prior should never end in a period, comma, or semi-colon. An exception can be made if a period is used as part of an abbreviation.
Subsequent history
Subsequent is optional. Newer cases most likely won't have a subsequent history. Older cases may never have gone any further after being decided by the Supreme Court. A simple "None" can be used in this instance.[clarification needed] Once again, Subsequent should never end in a period, comma, or semi-colon. An exception can be made if a period is used as part of an abbreviation and all formatting here must be added by the user.
Holding
Holding consists of a few sentences describing the Court's ruling. It should be concise and it should always end in a period.
Court membership
SCOTUS contains the court composition years in which the case was decided [Lawrence v. Texas]. Use the key above and fill in the code for the relevant years during which the case was decided. This will automatically fill in the members of the court for the appropriate year(s). The syntax is "|SCOTUS=yyyy[c][-yyyy]". That is, it takes one of the three forms:
- "
|SCOTUS=1939" for a single-year composition - "
|SCOTUS=1938b" for the rare case of more than one composition within a year - "
|SCOTUS=1940-1941" for the usual range of years
| Caution | Note that the years in a range MUST be separated by a hyphen (-), not an endash (–) or any other separator. This is contrary to the current MOS (WP:YEAR), but necessary. |
Case opinions
Laws applied
Superseded and overruled
Superseded may be used when a later case partially changes the ruling in an earlier case. For example, the case of Ring v. Arizona (where it was decided that in a death penalty case heard by a jury, only the jury can impose death) superseded Walton v. Arizona, as it partially overruled the previous case.
Overruled may be used where a later case changes the findings in an earlier one. As noted above in the Ring case, it also overruled Spaziano v. Florida which made a jury's decision whether or not to impose the death penalty to be completely advisory, as a judge in Spaziano could overrule a jury's recommendation for life and impose the death penalty, Ring made the decision by the jury to impose life instead of death as mandatory and does not allow the judge to override the decision and impose death anyway. (The judge can overrule a jury's decision to impose death and impose life instead, however.)
Overturned
If the holding of a case is completely changed by a later case, the original case is said to be overturned. This happened when the finding that Separate But Equal, which was established in the 19th century in Plessy v. Ferguson, was overturned when the Supreme Court discarded this concept in Brown v. Board of Education.
The Supreme Court also overturned a prior case when it announced in Lawrence v. Texas that it had been wrong in deciding the original case of Bowers v. Hardwick, in deciding in that case that Georgia's anti-sodomy law was constitutional (Georgia's own Supreme Court would decide years earlier that the law was unconstitutional under the state constitution in Powell v. Georgia). The Supreme Court decided in Lawrence that the laws making non-commercial consensual sodomy illegal are unconstitutional, and that the decision in Bowers was wrongly decided.
When a case is overturned, the Overturned parameter should be used, giving the name of the later case (as a link in brackets) that overturned the original case.
See also
- Template:Infobox COA case For US court of appeals cases.
- Template:Infobox high court to create a US State Supreme Court template, for example, Oregon Supreme Court