2009 term opinions of the Supreme Court of the United States
The 2009 term of the Supreme Court of the United States began October 5, 2009, and concluded October 3, 2010. The table illustrates which opinion was filed by each justice in each case and which justices joined each opinion.
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 voted without filing or joining an opinion.
2009 term opinions
#
Case name and citation
Argued
Decided
Roberts
Stevens
Scalia
Kennedy
Thomas
Ginsburg
Breyer
Alito
Sotomayor
1
Corcoran v. Levenhagen , 558 U.S. 1 October 20, 2009
2
Bobby v. Van Hook , 558 U.S. 4 November 9, 2009
3
Wong v. Belmontes , 558 U.S. 15 November 16, 2009
4
Porter v. McCollum , 558 U.S. 30 November 30, 2009
5
Michigan v. Fisher , 558 U.S. 45 December 7, 2009
6
Beard v. Kindler , 558 U.S. 53 November 2, 2009 December 8, 2009
7
Union Pacific v. Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen , 558 U.S. 67 October 7, 2009 December 8, 2009
8
Alvarez v. Smith , 558 U.S. 87 October 14, 2009 December 8, 2009
9
Mohawk Industries, Inc. v. Carpenter , 558 U.S. 100 October 5, 2009 December 8, 2009
10
McDaniel v. Brown , 558 U.S. 120 January 11, 2010
11
Smith v. Spisak , 558 U.S. 139 October 13, 2009 January 12, 2010
12
NRG Power Marketing, LLC v. Maine Pub. Util. Comm'n , 558 U.S. 165 October 13, 2009 January 13, 2010
13
Hollingsworth v. Perry , 558 U.S. 183 January 13, 2010
14
Presley v. Georgia , 558 U.S. 209 January 19, 2010
15
Wellons v. Hall , 558 U.S. 220 January 19, 2010
16
Kucana v. Holder , 558 U.S. 233 November 10, 2009 January 20, 2010
17
South Carolina v. North Carolina , 558 U.S. 256 October 13, 2009 January 20, 2010
18
Wood v. Allen , 558 U.S. 290 November 4, 2009 January 20, 2010
19
Citizens United v. Federal Election Comm'n ,[ 1] 558 U.S. 310 September 9, 2009 January 21, 2010
20
Hemi Group, LLC v. City of New York , 559 U.S. 1 November 3, 2009 January 25, 2010
21
Briscoe v. Virginia ,[ 2] 559 U.S. 32 January 11, 2010 January 25, 2010
22
Wilkins v. Gaddy , 559 U.S. 34 February 22, 2010
23
Thaler v. Haynes , 559 U.S. 43 February 22, 2010
24
Florida v. Powell , 559 U.S. 50 December 7, 2009 February 23, 2010
25
Hertz Corp. v. Friend , 559 U.S. 77 November 10, 2009 February 23, 2010
26
Maryland v. Shatzer , 559 U.S. 98 October 5, 2009 February 24, 2010
27
Kiyemba v. Obama , 559 U.S. 131 March 1, 2010
28
Johnson v. United States , 559 U.S. 133 October 6, 2009 March 2, 2010
29
Reed Elsevier, Inc. v. Muchnick , 559 U.S. 154 October 7, 2009 March 2, 2010
30
Mac's Shell Service, Inc. v. Shell Oil Products Co. , 559 U.S. 175 January 19, 2010 March 2, 2010
31
Bloate v. United States , 559 U.S. 196 October 6, 2009 March 8, 2010
32
Milavetz, Gallop & Milavetz, P. A. v. United States , 559 U.S. 229 December 1, 2009 March 8, 2010
33
United Student Aid Funds, Inc. v. Espinosa , 559 U.S. 260 December 1, 2009 March 23, 2010
34
Graham Cty. ...Consv. Dist. v. United States ex rel. Wilson , 559 U.S. 280 November 30, 2009 March 30, 2010
35
Berghuis v. Smith , 559 U.S. 314 January 20, 2010 March 30, 2010
36
Jones v. Harris Associates , 559 U.S. 335 November 2, 2009 March 30, 2010
37
Padilla v. Kentucky , 559 U.S. 356 October 13, 2009 March 31, 2010
38
Shady Grove Orthopedic Assoc. P.A. v. Allstate Ins. , 559 U.S. 393 November 2, 2009 March 31, 2010
39
United States v. Stevens , 559 U.S. 460 October 6, 2009 April 20, 2010
40
Conkright v. Frommert , 559 U.S. 506 January 20, 2010 April 21, 2010
41
Perdue v. Kenny A. , 559 U.S. 542 October 14, 2009 April 21, 2010
42
Jerman v. Carlisle, McNellie, Rini, Kramer & Ulrich LPA , 559 U.S. 573 January 13, 2010 April 21, 2010
43
Merck & Co. v. Reynolds , 559 U.S. 633 November 30, 2009 April 27, 2010
44
Stolt-Nielsen S. A. v. AnimalFeeds Int'l Corp. , 559 U.S. 662 December 9, 2009 April 27, 2010
45
Salazar v. Buono , 559 U.S. 700 October 7, 2009 April 28, 2010
46
Renico v. Lett , 559 U.S. 766 March 29, 2010 May 3, 2010
47
Hui v. Castaneda , 559 U.S. 799 March 2, 2010 May 3, 2010
48
Abbott v. Abbott , 560 U.S. 1 January 12, 2010 May 17, 2010
49
Graham v. Florida , 560 U.S. 48 November 9, 2009 May 17, 2010
50
United States v. Comstock , 560 U.S. 126 January 12, 2010 May 17, 2010
51
Sullivan v. Florida ,[ 3] 560 U.S. 181 November 9, 2009 May 17, 2010
52
American Needle, Inc. v. National Football League , 560 U.S. 183 January 13, 2010 May 24, 2010
53
Lewis v. Chicago , 560 U.S. 205 February 22, 2010 May 24, 2010
54
United States v. O'Brien , 560 U.S. 218 February 23, 2010 May 24, 2010
55
Hardt v. Reliance Standard Life Ins. Co. , 560 U.S. 242 April 26, 2010 May 24, 2010
56
United States v. Marcus , 560 U.S. 258 February 24, 2010 May 24, 2010
57
Robertson v. United States ex rel. Watson ,[ 4] 560 U.S. 272 March 31, 2010 May 24, 2010
58
Jefferson v. Upton , 560 U.S. 284 May 24, 2010
59
Samantar v. Yousuf , 560 U.S. 305 March 3, 2010 June 1, 2010
60
Alabama v. North Carolina , 560 U.S. 330 January 11, 2010 June 1, 2010
61
Berghuis v. Thompkins , 560 U.S. 370 March 1, 2010 June 1, 2010
62
Levin v. Commerce Energy, Inc. , 560 U.S. 413 March 22, 2010 June 1, 2010
63
Carr v. United States , 560 U.S. 438 February 24, 2010 June 1, 2010
64
Barber v. Thomas , 560 U.S. 474 March 30, 2010 June 7, 2010
65
Hamilton v. Lanning , 560 U.S. 505 March 22, 2010 June 7, 2010
66
Krupski v. Costa Crociere S. p. A. , 560 U.S. 538 April 21, 2010 June 7, 2010
67
United States v. Juvenile Male ,[ 5] 560 U.S. 558 June 7, 2010
68
Carachuri-Rosendo v. Holder , 560 U.S. 563 March 31, 2010 June 14, 2010
69
Astrue v. Ratliff , 560 U.S. 586 February 22, 2010 June 14, 2010
70
Dolan v. United States , 560 U.S. 605 April 20, 2010 June 14, 2010
71
Holland v. Florida , 560 U.S. 631 March 1, 2010 June 14, 2010
72
New Process Steel, L.P. v. NLRB , 560 U.S. 674 March 23, 2010 June 17, 2010
61
Stop the Beach Renourishment v. FL Dept. of Env. Protection , 560 U.S. 702 December 2, 2009 June 17, 2010
74
Ontario v. Quon , 560 U.S. 746 April 19, 2010 June 17, 2010
75
Schwab v. Reilly , 560 U.S. 770 November 3, 2009 June 17, 2010
76
Dillon v. United States , 560 U.S. 817 March 30, 2010 June 17, 2010
77
Holder v. Humanitarian Law Project , 561 U.S. 1 February 23, 2010 June 21, 2010
78
Rent-A-Center, West, Inc. v. Jackson , 561 U.S. 63 April 26, 2010 June 21, 2010
79
Kawasaki Kisen Kaisha Ltd. v. Regal-Beloit Corp. , 561 U.S. 89 March 24, 2010 June 21, 2010
80
Monsanto Co. v. Geertson Seed Farms , 561 U.S. 139 April 27, 2010 June 21, 2010
81
Doe v. Reed , 561 U.S. 186 April 28, 2010 June 24, 2010
82
Morrison v. National Australia Bank Ltd. , 561 U.S. 247 March 29, 2010 June 24, 2010
83
Granite Rock Co. v. Teamsters , 561 U.S. 287 January 19, 2010 June 24, 2010
84
Magwood v. Patterson , 561 U.S. 320 March 24, 2010 June 24, 2010
85
Skilling v. United States , 561 U.S. 358 March 1, 2010 June 24, 2010
86
Black v. United States , 561 U.S. 465 December 8, 2009 June 24, 2010
87
Weyhrauch v. United States ,[ 6] 561 U.S. 476 December 8, 2009 June 24, 2010
88
Free Enterprise Fund v. Public Co. Acct. Oversight Bd. , 561 U.S. 477 December 7, 2009 June 28, 2010
89
Bilski v. Kappos , 561 U.S. 593 November 9, 2009 June 28, 2010
90
Christian Legal Soc. of Hastings College of Law v. Martinez , 561 U.S. 661 April 19, 2010 June 28, 2010
91
McDonald v. Chicago , 561 U.S. 742 March 2, 2010 June 28, 2010
92
Sears v. Upton , 561 U.S. 945 June 29, 2010
#
Case name and citation
Argued
Decided
Roberts
Stevens
Scalia
Kennedy
Thomas
Ginsburg
Breyer
Alito
Sotomayor
2009 term membership and statistics
This was the fifth term of Chief Justice Roberts' tenure, the first term for Justice Sotomayor, and the last term for Justice Stevens.
Justice
Appointment history
Agreement with judgment
Opinions filed
Seniority
Name
President
Date confirmed
%
#
Total
Chief Justice
John Roberts
George W. Bush
September 29, 2005
90.2%
83/92
8
3
2
2
15
Associate Justice
John Paul Stevens
Gerald Ford
December 19, 1975
72.5%
66/91
6
13
2
12
33
Associate Justice
Antonin Scalia
Ronald Reagan
September 26, 1986
87%
80/92
8
15
0
6
29
Associate Justice
Anthony Kennedy
Ronald Reagan
February 18, 1988
90.2%
83/92
9
8
0
4
21
Associate Justice
Clarence Thomas
George H. W. Bush
October 23, 1991
84.8%
78/92
8
13
1
4
26
Associate Justice
Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Bill Clinton
August 10, 1993
79.3%
73/92
9
3
0
3
15
Associate Justice
Stephen Breyer
Bill Clinton
August 3, 1994
76.9%
70/91
9
6
2
7
24
Associate Justice
Samuel Alito
George W. Bush
January 31, 2006
86.7%
78/90
8
10
0
7
25
Associate Justice
Sonia Sotomayor
Barack Obama
August 6, 2009
80.2%
69/86
8
2
2
4
16
Notes on statistics:
Opinion counts only include the bench opinions listed above; opinions relating to orders or in-chambers opinions are not included.
Agreement with the Court's judgment does not guarantee agreement with the reasoning expressed in its opinion. A justice is not considered in agreement if they dissented even in part. Agreement percentages are based only on the listed cases in which a justice participated and are rounded to the nearest one-tenth of one percentage point.
Totals
73
73
9
49
204
Notes
^ Citizens United v. Federal Election Comm'n , 558 U.S. 310 (2010), was originally argued March 24, 2009 and reargued September 9, 2009.
^ In Briscoe v. Virginia , 559 U.S. 32 (2010), the Court vacated the Supreme Court of Virginia's judgment and remanded for further proceedings not inconsistent with Melendez-Diaz v. Massachusetts , 557 U.S. 305 (2009).
^ In Sullivan v. Florida , 560 U.S. 181 (2010), the Court dismissed the writ of certiorari as improvidently granted .
^ In Robertson v. United States ex rel. Watson , 560 U.S. 272 (2010), the Court dismissed the writ of certiorari as improvidently granted .
^ In United States v. Juvenile Male , 560 U.S. 558 (2010), the Court granted certiorari and certified a question to the Supreme Court of Montana; see later opinion at 564 U.S. 932 (2011).
^ In Weyhrauch v. United States , 561 U.S. 476 (2010), the Court vacated the Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit's judgment and remanded for further consideration in light of Skilling v. United States , 561 U.S. 358 (2010), which was handed down the same day.
References
Supreme Court of the United States 2009 term
(October 5, 2009 - October 3, 2010)
List of cases by Court Seal of the United States Supreme Court Complete list By recent term By subject matter Other lists