{"argument_date":"2001-04-25T00:00:00Z","arguments":[{"argument_date":"2001-04-25T00:00:00Z","heading":"What happened at the argument","official_detail_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcript/2000","official_transcript_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/00-391.pdf","paragraphs":["Krauss argued the state court added an unwarranted condition to Belton. He asserted the lower court misread the precedent.","Garre argued Belton permits searching a car incident to arrest. He stated the rule applies when an individual is arrested alongside the car.","Dodge argued the facts here differ greatly from Belton. She noted the officer in Belton faced four individuals on a busy Thruway."],"reargument":false,"sequence":1,"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 17, lines 37-17","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/00-391.pdf","page_label":"file page 17, lines 37-17"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 25, lines 31-31","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/00-391.pdf","page_label":"file page 25, lines 31-31"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 19-9","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/00-391.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 19-9"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 5-17","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/00-391.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 5-17"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 37, lines 21-23","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/00-391.pdf","page_label":"file page 37, lines 21-23"}]}],"caption":"Florida v. Thomas","case_history":[{"changed_at":"2026-08-29T20:06:33.216656Z","explanation":"An official oral-argument transcript was verified.","status":"argued"}],"case_status":"argued","dek":"Florida argues the state court added an invalid condition to the Belton rule. Thomas argues the facts here differ from Belton.","dek_sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 17, lines 37-17","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/00-391.pdf","page_label":"file page 17, lines 37-17"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 25, lines 31-31","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/00-391.pdf","page_label":"file page 25, lines 31-31"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 19-9","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/00-391.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 19-9"}],"dispositions":[],"latest_court_document_date":"2001-04-25T00:00:00Z","maturity":"official_transcript","official_detail_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcript/2000","official_disposition_urls":[],"official_docket_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/docket/docketfiles/html/public/00-391.html","primary_docket":"00-391","revisions":[{"correction_note":"Rewritten to the concise citizen-facing editorial standard.","created_at":"2026-08-31T17:45:39.755700Z","maturity":"official_transcript","revision_number":1},{"correction_note":"Migrated to the dated official Court activity contract without model use.","created_at":"2026-09-05T03:22:24Z","maturity":"official_transcript","revision_number":2}],"schema_version":"1.1","sections":[{"heading":"What this case is about","paragraphs":["The dispute centers on the scope of vehicle searches incident to arrest. Florida claims the state court misapplied Belton. Thomas claims the facts justify a different outcome."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 17, lines 37-17","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/00-391.pdf","page_label":"file page 17, lines 37-17"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 25, lines 31-31","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/00-391.pdf","page_label":"file page 25, lines 31-31"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 19-9","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/00-391.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 19-9"}]},{"heading":"How the case got here","paragraphs":["The Supreme Court heard oral argument in this case on April 25, 2001."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 5-17","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/00-391.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 5-17"}]},{"heading":"What each side wants","paragraphs":["Florida wants the Court to reverse the state court decision. It seeks to uphold the search under Belton.","Thomas wants the Court to affirm the state court decision. It seeks to limit the Belton rule here."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 17, lines 37-17","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/00-391.pdf","page_label":"file page 17, lines 37-17"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 25, lines 31-31","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/00-391.pdf","page_label":"file page 25, lines 31-31"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 19-9","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/00-391.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 19-9"}]},{"heading":"What each side says","paragraphs":["Florida argues the state court added an unreasonable condition to Belton. It claims the search was valid under existing law.","Thomas argues the facts differ significantly from Belton. It claims the officer faced a different situation."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 17, lines 37-17","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/00-391.pdf","page_label":"file page 17, lines 37-17"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 25, lines 31-31","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/00-391.pdf","page_label":"file page 25, lines 31-31"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 19-9","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/00-391.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 19-9"}]},{"heading":"What the justices asked","paragraphs":["Chief Justice Rehnquist asked if the case was submitted. He noted the Court remained in session."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 5-17","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/00-391.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 5-17"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 37, lines 21-23","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/00-391.pdf","page_label":"file page 37, lines 21-23"}]},{"heading":"Why it matters","paragraphs":["This case defines the limits of vehicle searches. It affects police authority during arrests. It shapes Fourth Amendment protections for drivers."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 17, lines 37-17","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/00-391.pdf","page_label":"file page 17, lines 37-17"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 25, lines 31-31","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/00-391.pdf","page_label":"file page 25, lines 31-31"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 19-9","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/00-391.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 19-9"}]},{"heading":"What happens next","paragraphs":["This article currently covers the argument record. Use the official docket link for later case activity."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 5-17","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/00-391.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 5-17"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 37, lines 21-23","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/00-391.pdf","page_label":"file page 37, lines 21-23"}]}],"slug":"2000-00-391-florida-v-thomas","term":"2000","title":"Can police search a car after the driver leaves it?","title_sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 17, lines 37-17","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/00-391.pdf","page_label":"file page 17, lines 37-17"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 25, lines 31-31","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/00-391.pdf","page_label":"file page 25, lines 31-31"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 19-9","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/00-391.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 19-9"}],"topics":[],"undated_disposition_date_fallback":null,"updated_at":"2026-09-05T03:22:24Z"}