{"ID":55434,"name":"Norfolk Southern Railway Co. v. Sorrell","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/cases\/2006\/05-746","view_count":0,"docket_number":"05-746","additional_docket_numbers":null,"manner_of_jurisdiction":"Writ of \u003Ci\u003Ecertiorari\u003C\/i\u003E","first_party":"Norfolk Southern Railway Company","second_party":"Timothy Sorrell","timeline":[{"event":"Granted","dates":[1147669200],"href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/case_timeline\/case_timeline\/39810"},{"event":"Argued","dates":[1160456400],"href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/case_timeline\/case_timeline\/39811"},{"event":"Decided","dates":[1168408800],"href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/case_timeline\/case_timeline\/39812"}],"lower_court":{"ID":76,"name":"State appellate court","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/courts\/state_appellate_court"},"facts_of_the_case":"\u003Cp\u003ESorrell, an employee of Norfolk Southern Railway, crashed his company truck while swerving to avoid another company truck. Sorrell suffered injuries and sued Norfolk Southern for damages under the Federal Employers Liability Act (FELA). Both Sorrell and the railroad had been negligent in the incident to some extent. Norfolk Southern argued that under the FELA, the \u0022causation standard\u0022 - the standard for assigning the blame for an incident - was the same for both the employee and the railroad. According to Norfolk Southern, any damages awarded to Sorrell for the railroad\u0027s negligence had to be reduced by the amount of the damages that was attributable to Sorrell\u0027s own negligence. (If Sorrell was 60% responsible for the accident, for example, the damages would be reduced by 60%.)\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe trial ruled instead that the causation standards were different: the railroad was responsible for any negligence that contributed to the accident, but the employee was only responsible for negligence that directly caused damage. Under this more lenient standard for employee negligence, the trial court awarded Sorrell $1.5 million.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe Missouri Court of Appeals affirmed. The Missouri Supreme Court declined to hear the case, but the U.S. Supreme Court granted review.\u003C\/p\u003E\n","question":"\u003Cp\u003EIs the causation standard for employee negligence under the Federal Employers Liability Act different from the causation standard for railroad negligence?\u003C\/p\u003E\n","conclusion":"\u003Cp\u003ENo. The Court ruled unanimously that the causation standard for employee negligence is the same as the standard for railroad negligence. The opinion by Chief Justice John Roberts held that \u0022the common law applied the same causation standard to defendant and plaintiff negligence, and FELA did not expressly depart from that approach.\u0022 In the absence of any explicit indication from the text of FELA, the Court relied on common law principles of negligence. The Court held that Congress had most likely intended for juries to compare each party\u0027s contribution under the same standard - a simple \u0022apples to apples\u0022 comparison. The Court ruled only that the causation standards were the same; it declined to rule on the question of what the standard of causation should be.\u003C\/p\u003E\n","advocates":[{"advocate":{"ID":19760,"name":"Carter G. Phillips","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/people\/carter_g_phillips","view_count":0,"last_name":"Phillips","roles":null,"thumbnail":null,"length_of_service":0,"identifier":"carter_g_phillips"},"advocate_description":"argued the cause for Petitioner","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/case_advocate\/case_advocate\/19429"},{"advocate":{"ID":36504,"name":"Mary L. Perry","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/people\/mary_l_perry","view_count":0,"last_name":"Perry","roles":null,"thumbnail":null,"length_of_service":0,"identifier":"mary_l_perry"},"advocate_description":"argued the cause for Respondent","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/case_advocate\/case_advocate\/19430"}],"oral_argument_audio":[{"id":21678,"title":"Oral Argument - October 10, 2006","public_note":null,"unavailable":null,"display_title":null,"href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/case_media\/oral_argument_audio\/21678"}],"citation":{"volume":"549","page":"158","year":"2007","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/case_citation\/case_citation\/20680"},"decisions":[{"description":null,"votes":[{"member":{"ID":15060,"name":"John Paul Stevens","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/people\/john_paul_stevens","view_count":0,"last_name":"Stevens","roles":[{"id":2704,"type":"scotus_justice","date_start":188200800,"date_end":1277787600,"appointing_president":"Gerald Ford","role_title":"Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States","institution_name":"Supreme Court of the United States","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/preson_role\/scotus_justice\/2704"}],"thumbnail":{"id":32732,"mime":"image\/png","size":62101,"href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/people\/john_paul_stevens\/john_paul_stevens.thumb.png"},"length_of_service":12611,"identifier":"john_paul_stevens"},"vote":"majority","opinion_type":"none","joining":null,"seniority":2,"ideology":-2.782,"href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/decision_vote\/decision_vote\/179308"},{"member":{"ID":15049,"name":"Antonin Scalia","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/people\/antonin_scalia","view_count":0,"last_name":"Scalia","roles":[{"id":2693,"type":"scotus_justice","date_start":528094800,"date_end":1455343200,"appointing_president":"Ronald Reagan","role_title":"Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States","institution_name":"Supreme Court of the United States","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/preson_role\/scotus_justice\/2693"}],"thumbnail":{"id":32678,"mime":"image\/png","size":58944,"href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/people\/antonin_scalia\/antonin_scalia.thumb.png"},"length_of_service":10732,"identifier":"antonin_scalia"},"vote":"majority","opinion_type":"none","joining":[{"ID":15042,"name":"David H. Souter","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/people\/david_h_souter","view_count":0,"last_name":"Souter","roles":[{"id":2686,"type":"scotus_justice","date_start":655362000,"date_end":1246251600,"appointing_president":"George H. W. Bush","role_title":"Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States","institution_name":"Supreme Court of the United States","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/preson_role\/scotus_justice\/2686"}],"thumbnail":{"id":32703,"mime":"image\/png","size":42141,"href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/people\/david_h_souter\/david_h_souter.thumb.png"},"length_of_service":6839,"identifier":"david_h_souter"}],"seniority":3,"ideology":2.532,"href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/decision_vote\/decision_vote\/179309"},{"member":{"ID":15113,"name":"Anthony M. Kennedy","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/people\/anthony_m_kennedy","view_count":0,"last_name":"Kennedy","roles":[{"id":2757,"type":"scotus_justice","date_start":572162400,"date_end":1533013200,"appointing_president":"Ronald Reagan","role_title":"Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States","institution_name":"Supreme Court of the United States","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/preson_role\/scotus_justice\/2757"}],"thumbnail":{"id":32679,"mime":"image\/png","size":47100,"href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/people\/anthony_m_kennedy\/anthony_m_kennedy.thumb.png"},"length_of_service":11121,"identifier":"anthony_m_kennedy"},"vote":"majority","opinion_type":"none","joining":null,"seniority":4,"ideology":0.446,"href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/decision_vote\/decision_vote\/179310"},{"member":{"ID":15042,"name":"David H. Souter","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/people\/david_h_souter","view_count":0,"last_name":"Souter","roles":[{"id":2686,"type":"scotus_justice","date_start":655362000,"date_end":1246251600,"appointing_president":"George H. W. Bush","role_title":"Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States","institution_name":"Supreme Court of the United States","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/preson_role\/scotus_justice\/2686"}],"thumbnail":{"id":32703,"mime":"image\/png","size":42141,"href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/people\/david_h_souter\/david_h_souter.thumb.png"},"length_of_service":6839,"identifier":"david_h_souter"},"vote":"majority","opinion_type":"concurrence","joining":null,"seniority":5,"ideology":-1.447,"href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/decision_vote\/decision_vote\/179311"},{"member":{"ID":15100,"name":"Clarence Thomas","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/people\/clarence_thomas","view_count":0,"last_name":"Thomas","roles":[{"id":2744,"type":"scotus_justice","date_start":688194000,"date_end":0,"appointing_president":"George H. W. Bush","role_title":"Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States","institution_name":"Supreme Court of the United States","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/preson_role\/scotus_justice\/2744"}],"thumbnail":{"id":32680,"mime":"image\/png","size":49064,"href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/people\/clarence_thomas\/clarence_thomas.thumb.png"},"length_of_service":12518,"identifier":"clarence_thomas"},"vote":"majority","opinion_type":"none","joining":null,"seniority":6,"ideology":3.913,"href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/decision_vote\/decision_vote\/179312"},{"member":{"ID":15084,"name":"Ruth Bader Ginsburg","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/people\/ruth_bader_ginsburg","view_count":0,"last_name":"Ginsburg","roles":[{"id":2728,"type":"scotus_justice","date_start":744958800,"date_end":1600405200,"appointing_president":"Bill Clinton","role_title":"Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States","institution_name":"Supreme Court of the United States","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/preson_role\/scotus_justice\/2728"}],"thumbnail":{"id":32681,"mime":"image\/png","size":45030,"href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/people\/ruth_bader_ginsburg\/ruth_bader_ginsburg.thumb.png"},"length_of_service":9901,"identifier":"ruth_bader_ginsburg"},"vote":"majority","opinion_type":"special concurrence","joining":null,"seniority":7,"ideology":-1.713,"href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/decision_vote\/decision_vote\/179313"},{"member":{"ID":15139,"name":"Stephen G. Breyer","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/people\/stephen_g_breyer","view_count":0,"last_name":"Breyer","roles":[{"id":2785,"type":"scotus_justice","date_start":775890000,"date_end":1656565200,"appointing_president":"Bill Clinton","role_title":"Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States","institution_name":"Supreme Court of the United States","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/preson_role\/scotus_justice\/2785"}],"thumbnail":{"id":32682,"mime":"image\/png","size":49908,"href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/people\/stephen_g_breyer\/stephen_g_breyer.thumb.png"},"length_of_service":10193,"identifier":"stephen_g_breyer"},"vote":"majority","opinion_type":"none","joining":null,"seniority":8,"ideology":-1.381,"href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/decision_vote\/decision_vote\/179314"},{"member":{"ID":15086,"name":"John G. Roberts, Jr.","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/people\/john_g_roberts_jr","view_count":0,"last_name":"Roberts","roles":[{"id":2730,"type":"scotus_justice","date_start":1127970000,"date_end":0,"appointing_president":"George W. Bush","role_title":"Chief Justice of the United States","institution_name":"Supreme Court of the United States","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/preson_role\/scotus_justice\/2730"}],"thumbnail":{"id":32683,"mime":"image\/png","size":52305,"href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/people\/john_g_roberts_jr\/john_g_roberts_jr.thumb.png"},"length_of_service":7428,"identifier":"john_g_roberts_jr"},"vote":"majority","opinion_type":"none","joining":null,"seniority":1,"ideology":1.411,"href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/decision_vote\/decision_vote\/179315"},{"member":{"ID":15068,"name":"Samuel A. Alito, Jr.","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/people\/samuel_a_alito_jr","view_count":0,"last_name":"Alito","roles":[{"id":2712,"type":"scotus_justice","date_start":1138687200,"date_end":0,"appointing_president":"George W. Bush","role_title":"Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States","institution_name":"Supreme Court of the United States","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/preson_role\/scotus_justice\/2712"}],"thumbnail":{"id":32684,"mime":"image\/png","size":44799,"href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/people\/samuel_alito_jr\/samuel_alito_jr.thumb.png"},"length_of_service":7304,"identifier":"samuel_a_alito_jr"},"vote":"majority","opinion_type":"concurrence","joining":[{"ID":15042,"name":"David H. Souter","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/people\/david_h_souter","view_count":0,"last_name":"Souter","roles":[{"id":2686,"type":"scotus_justice","date_start":655362000,"date_end":1246251600,"appointing_president":"George H. W. Bush","role_title":"Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States","institution_name":"Supreme Court of the United States","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/preson_role\/scotus_justice\/2686"}],"thumbnail":{"id":32703,"mime":"image\/png","size":42141,"href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/people\/david_h_souter\/david_h_souter.thumb.png"},"length_of_service":6839,"identifier":"david_h_souter"}],"seniority":9,"ideology":1.443,"href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/decision_vote\/decision_vote\/179316"}],"majority_vote":9,"minority_vote":0,"winning_party":"Norfolk Southern Railway Company","decision_type":"majority opinion","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/case_decision\/case_decision\/13449"}],"first_party_label":"Petitioner","second_party_label":"Respondent","heard_by":[{"ID":15149,"name":"Roberts Court (2006-2009)","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/courts\/roberts2","view_count":0,"members":[{"ID":15086,"name":"John G. Roberts, Jr.","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/people\/john_g_roberts_jr","view_count":0,"last_name":"Roberts","roles":[{"id":2730,"type":"scotus_justice","date_start":1127970000,"date_end":0,"appointing_president":"George W. Bush","role_title":"Chief Justice of the United States","institution_name":"Supreme Court of the United States","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/preson_role\/scotus_justice\/2730"}],"thumbnail":{"id":32683,"mime":"image\/png","size":52305,"href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/people\/john_g_roberts_jr\/john_g_roberts_jr.thumb.png"},"length_of_service":7428,"identifier":"john_g_roberts_jr"},{"ID":15060,"name":"John Paul Stevens","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/people\/john_paul_stevens","view_count":0,"last_name":"Stevens","roles":[{"id":2704,"type":"scotus_justice","date_start":188200800,"date_end":1277787600,"appointing_president":"Gerald Ford","role_title":"Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States","institution_name":"Supreme Court of the United States","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/preson_role\/scotus_justice\/2704"}],"thumbnail":{"id":32732,"mime":"image\/png","size":62101,"href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/people\/john_paul_stevens\/john_paul_stevens.thumb.png"},"length_of_service":12611,"identifier":"john_paul_stevens"},{"ID":15049,"name":"Antonin Scalia","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/people\/antonin_scalia","view_count":0,"last_name":"Scalia","roles":[{"id":2693,"type":"scotus_justice","date_start":528094800,"date_end":1455343200,"appointing_president":"Ronald Reagan","role_title":"Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States","institution_name":"Supreme Court of the United States","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/preson_role\/scotus_justice\/2693"}],"thumbnail":{"id":32678,"mime":"image\/png","size":58944,"href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/people\/antonin_scalia\/antonin_scalia.thumb.png"},"length_of_service":10732,"identifier":"antonin_scalia"},{"ID":15113,"name":"Anthony M. Kennedy","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/people\/anthony_m_kennedy","view_count":0,"last_name":"Kennedy","roles":[{"id":2757,"type":"scotus_justice","date_start":572162400,"date_end":1533013200,"appointing_president":"Ronald Reagan","role_title":"Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States","institution_name":"Supreme Court of the United States","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/preson_role\/scotus_justice\/2757"}],"thumbnail":{"id":32679,"mime":"image\/png","size":47100,"href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/people\/anthony_m_kennedy\/anthony_m_kennedy.thumb.png"},"length_of_service":11121,"identifier":"anthony_m_kennedy"},{"ID":15042,"name":"David H. Souter","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/people\/david_h_souter","view_count":0,"last_name":"Souter","roles":[{"id":2686,"type":"scotus_justice","date_start":655362000,"date_end":1246251600,"appointing_president":"George H. W. Bush","role_title":"Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States","institution_name":"Supreme Court of the United States","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/preson_role\/scotus_justice\/2686"}],"thumbnail":{"id":32703,"mime":"image\/png","size":42141,"href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/people\/david_h_souter\/david_h_souter.thumb.png"},"length_of_service":6839,"identifier":"david_h_souter"},{"ID":15100,"name":"Clarence Thomas","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/people\/clarence_thomas","view_count":0,"last_name":"Thomas","roles":[{"id":2744,"type":"scotus_justice","date_start":688194000,"date_end":0,"appointing_president":"George H. W. Bush","role_title":"Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States","institution_name":"Supreme Court of the United States","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/preson_role\/scotus_justice\/2744"}],"thumbnail":{"id":32680,"mime":"image\/png","size":49064,"href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/people\/clarence_thomas\/clarence_thomas.thumb.png"},"length_of_service":12518,"identifier":"clarence_thomas"},{"ID":15084,"name":"Ruth Bader Ginsburg","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/people\/ruth_bader_ginsburg","view_count":0,"last_name":"Ginsburg","roles":[{"id":2728,"type":"scotus_justice","date_start":744958800,"date_end":1600405200,"appointing_president":"Bill Clinton","role_title":"Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States","institution_name":"Supreme Court of the United States","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/preson_role\/scotus_justice\/2728"}],"thumbnail":{"id":32681,"mime":"image\/png","size":45030,"href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/people\/ruth_bader_ginsburg\/ruth_bader_ginsburg.thumb.png"},"length_of_service":9901,"identifier":"ruth_bader_ginsburg"},{"ID":15139,"name":"Stephen G. Breyer","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/people\/stephen_g_breyer","view_count":0,"last_name":"Breyer","roles":[{"id":2785,"type":"scotus_justice","date_start":775890000,"date_end":1656565200,"appointing_president":"Bill Clinton","role_title":"Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States","institution_name":"Supreme Court of the United States","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/preson_role\/scotus_justice\/2785"}],"thumbnail":{"id":32682,"mime":"image\/png","size":49908,"href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/people\/stephen_g_breyer\/stephen_g_breyer.thumb.png"},"length_of_service":10193,"identifier":"stephen_g_breyer"},{"ID":15068,"name":"Samuel A. Alito, Jr.","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/people\/samuel_a_alito_jr","view_count":0,"last_name":"Alito","roles":[{"id":2712,"type":"scotus_justice","date_start":1138687200,"date_end":0,"appointing_president":"George W. Bush","role_title":"Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States","institution_name":"Supreme Court of the United States","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/preson_role\/scotus_justice\/2712"}],"thumbnail":{"id":32684,"mime":"image\/png","size":44799,"href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/people\/samuel_alito_jr\/samuel_alito_jr.thumb.png"},"length_of_service":7304,"identifier":"samuel_a_alito_jr"}],"court_start":1138687200,"images":[{"id":12234,"mime":"image\/jpeg","size":70439,"href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/courts\/roberts2.jpg"}],"identifier":"roberts2"}],"decided_by":{"ID":15149,"name":"Roberts Court (2006-2009)","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/courts\/roberts2","view_count":0,"members":[{"ID":15086,"name":"John G. Roberts, Jr.","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/people\/john_g_roberts_jr","view_count":0,"last_name":"Roberts","roles":[{"id":2730,"type":"scotus_justice","date_start":1127970000,"date_end":0,"appointing_president":"George W. Bush","role_title":"Chief Justice of the United States","institution_name":"Supreme Court of the United States","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/preson_role\/scotus_justice\/2730"}],"thumbnail":{"id":32683,"mime":"image\/png","size":52305,"href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/people\/john_g_roberts_jr\/john_g_roberts_jr.thumb.png"},"length_of_service":7428,"identifier":"john_g_roberts_jr"},{"ID":15060,"name":"John Paul Stevens","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/people\/john_paul_stevens","view_count":0,"last_name":"Stevens","roles":[{"id":2704,"type":"scotus_justice","date_start":188200800,"date_end":1277787600,"appointing_president":"Gerald Ford","role_title":"Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States","institution_name":"Supreme Court of the United States","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/preson_role\/scotus_justice\/2704"}],"thumbnail":{"id":32732,"mime":"image\/png","size":62101,"href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/people\/john_paul_stevens\/john_paul_stevens.thumb.png"},"length_of_service":12611,"identifier":"john_paul_stevens"},{"ID":15049,"name":"Antonin Scalia","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/people\/antonin_scalia","view_count":0,"last_name":"Scalia","roles":[{"id":2693,"type":"scotus_justice","date_start":528094800,"date_end":1455343200,"appointing_president":"Ronald Reagan","role_title":"Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States","institution_name":"Supreme Court of the United States","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/preson_role\/scotus_justice\/2693"}],"thumbnail":{"id":32678,"mime":"image\/png","size":58944,"href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/people\/antonin_scalia\/antonin_scalia.thumb.png"},"length_of_service":10732,"identifier":"antonin_scalia"},{"ID":15113,"name":"Anthony M. Kennedy","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/people\/anthony_m_kennedy","view_count":0,"last_name":"Kennedy","roles":[{"id":2757,"type":"scotus_justice","date_start":572162400,"date_end":1533013200,"appointing_president":"Ronald Reagan","role_title":"Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States","institution_name":"Supreme Court of the United States","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/preson_role\/scotus_justice\/2757"}],"thumbnail":{"id":32679,"mime":"image\/png","size":47100,"href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/people\/anthony_m_kennedy\/anthony_m_kennedy.thumb.png"},"length_of_service":11121,"identifier":"anthony_m_kennedy"},{"ID":15042,"name":"David H. Souter","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/people\/david_h_souter","view_count":0,"last_name":"Souter","roles":[{"id":2686,"type":"scotus_justice","date_start":655362000,"date_end":1246251600,"appointing_president":"George H. W. Bush","role_title":"Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States","institution_name":"Supreme Court of the United States","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/preson_role\/scotus_justice\/2686"}],"thumbnail":{"id":32703,"mime":"image\/png","size":42141,"href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/people\/david_h_souter\/david_h_souter.thumb.png"},"length_of_service":6839,"identifier":"david_h_souter"},{"ID":15100,"name":"Clarence Thomas","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/people\/clarence_thomas","view_count":0,"last_name":"Thomas","roles":[{"id":2744,"type":"scotus_justice","date_start":688194000,"date_end":0,"appointing_president":"George H. W. Bush","role_title":"Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States","institution_name":"Supreme Court of the United States","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/preson_role\/scotus_justice\/2744"}],"thumbnail":{"id":32680,"mime":"image\/png","size":49064,"href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/people\/clarence_thomas\/clarence_thomas.thumb.png"},"length_of_service":12518,"identifier":"clarence_thomas"},{"ID":15084,"name":"Ruth Bader Ginsburg","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/people\/ruth_bader_ginsburg","view_count":0,"last_name":"Ginsburg","roles":[{"id":2728,"type":"scotus_justice","date_start":744958800,"date_end":1600405200,"appointing_president":"Bill Clinton","role_title":"Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States","institution_name":"Supreme Court of the United States","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/preson_role\/scotus_justice\/2728"}],"thumbnail":{"id":32681,"mime":"image\/png","size":45030,"href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/people\/ruth_bader_ginsburg\/ruth_bader_ginsburg.thumb.png"},"length_of_service":9901,"identifier":"ruth_bader_ginsburg"},{"ID":15139,"name":"Stephen G. Breyer","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/people\/stephen_g_breyer","view_count":0,"last_name":"Breyer","roles":[{"id":2785,"type":"scotus_justice","date_start":775890000,"date_end":1656565200,"appointing_president":"Bill Clinton","role_title":"Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States","institution_name":"Supreme Court of the United States","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/preson_role\/scotus_justice\/2785"}],"thumbnail":{"id":32682,"mime":"image\/png","size":49908,"href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/people\/stephen_g_breyer\/stephen_g_breyer.thumb.png"},"length_of_service":10193,"identifier":"stephen_g_breyer"},{"ID":15068,"name":"Samuel A. Alito, Jr.","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/people\/samuel_a_alito_jr","view_count":0,"last_name":"Alito","roles":[{"id":2712,"type":"scotus_justice","date_start":1138687200,"date_end":0,"appointing_president":"George W. Bush","role_title":"Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States","institution_name":"Supreme Court of the United States","href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/preson_role\/scotus_justice\/2712"}],"thumbnail":{"id":32684,"mime":"image\/png","size":44799,"href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/people\/samuel_alito_jr\/samuel_alito_jr.thumb.png"},"length_of_service":7304,"identifier":"samuel_a_alito_jr"}],"court_start":1138687200,"images":[{"id":12234,"mime":"image\/jpeg","size":70439,"href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/courts\/roberts2.jpg"}],"identifier":"roberts2"},"term":"2006","location":null,"opinion_announcement":[{"id":22730,"title":"Opinion Announcement - January 10, 2007","unavailable":null,"href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/case_media\/opinion_announcement_audio\/22730"}],"description":null,"written_opinion":[{"id":2215,"title":"Concurring opinion","author":null,"type":{"value":"concurring","label":"Concurring opinion"},"justia_opinion_id":1962226,"justia_opinion_url":"https:\/\/supreme.justia.com\/cases\/federal\/us\/549\/158\/concurrence2.html","judge_full_name":"Ruth Bader Ginsburg","judge_last_name":"Ginsburg","title_overwrite":null,"href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/case_document\/written_opinion\/2215"},{"id":2216,"title":"Concurring opinion","author":null,"type":{"value":"concurring","label":"Concurring opinion"},"justia_opinion_id":1962227,"justia_opinion_url":"https:\/\/supreme.justia.com\/cases\/federal\/us\/549\/158\/concurrence.html","judge_full_name":"David H. Souter","judge_last_name":"Souter","title_overwrite":null,"href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/case_document\/written_opinion\/2216"},{"id":2217,"title":"Syllabus","author":null,"type":{"value":"syllabus","label":"Syllabus"},"justia_opinion_id":1962228,"justia_opinion_url":"https:\/\/supreme.justia.com\/cases\/federal\/us\/549\/158\/","judge_full_name":null,"judge_last_name":null,"title_overwrite":null,"href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/case_document\/written_opinion\/2217"},{"id":2218,"title":"Opinion of the Court","author":null,"type":{"value":"majority","label":"Opinion of the Court"},"justia_opinion_id":1962229,"justia_opinion_url":"https:\/\/supreme.justia.com\/cases\/federal\/us\/549\/158\/opinion.html","judge_full_name":"John G. Roberts, Jr.","judge_last_name":"Roberts","title_overwrite":null,"href":"https:\/\/api.oyez.org\/case_document\/written_opinion\/2218"}],"related_cases":null,"justia_url":"https:\/\/supreme.justia.com\/cases\/federal\/us\/549\/158\/","argument2_url":null}