{"argument_date":"2001-02-20T00:00:00Z","arguments":[{"argument_date":"2001-02-20T00:00:00Z","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/2000/99-1884.pdf","paragraphs":["the sides that brought the case assert the Third Circuit failed to apply the Custis rationale correctly.","the opposing sides claim a constitutional interest in reliable sentencing requires federal oversight.","the opposing sides argue federal habeas corpus protects that specific constitutional interest."],"reargument":false,"sequence":1,"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 19, lines 17-47","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/99-1884.pdf","page_label":"file page 19, lines 17-47"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 28, lines 19-43","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/99-1884.pdf","page_label":"file page 28, lines 19-43"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-58","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/99-1884.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 17-58"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 5-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/99-1884.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 5-15"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 41, lines 1-3","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/99-1884.pdf","page_label":"file page 41, lines 1-3"}]}],"caption":"Lackawanna County District Attorney v. Coss","case_history":[{"changed_at":"2026-08-29T20:06:33.350808Z","explanation":"An official oral-argument transcript was verified.","status":"argued"}],"case_status":"argued","dek":"The dispute centers on whether federal habeas corpus allows review of state sentencing errors.","dek_sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 19, lines 17-47","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/99-1884.pdf","page_label":"file page 19, lines 17-47"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 28, lines 19-43","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/99-1884.pdf","page_label":"file page 28, lines 19-43"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-58","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/99-1884.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 17-58"}],"dispositions":[],"latest_court_document_date":"2001-02-20T00:00:00Z","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/99-1884.html","primary_docket":"99-1884","revisions":[{"correction_note":"Rewritten to the concise citizen-facing editorial standard.","created_at":"2026-08-31T18:07:00.756494Z","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":["This case tests the scope of federal habeas corpus power over state sentencing."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 19, lines 17-47","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/99-1884.pdf","page_label":"file page 19, lines 17-47"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 28, lines 19-43","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/99-1884.pdf","page_label":"file page 28, lines 19-43"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-58","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/99-1884.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 17-58"}]},{"heading":"How the case got here","paragraphs":["The Supreme Court heard oral argument in this case on February 20, 2001."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 5-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/99-1884.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 5-15"}]},{"heading":"What each side wants","paragraphs":["the sides that brought the case want the Court to affirm the Third Circuit's refusal to review the sentence.","the opposing sides want the Court to allow federal habeas review of the state sentence."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 19, lines 17-47","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/99-1884.pdf","page_label":"file page 19, lines 17-47"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 28, lines 19-43","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/99-1884.pdf","page_label":"file page 28, lines 19-43"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-58","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/99-1884.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 17-58"}]},{"heading":"What each side says","paragraphs":["the sides that brought the case argue the Third Circuit correctly applied the Custis precedent to bar review.","the opposing sides argue federal habeas review is necessary to protect constitutional sentencing interests."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 19, lines 17-47","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/99-1884.pdf","page_label":"file page 19, lines 17-47"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 28, lines 19-43","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/99-1884.pdf","page_label":"file page 28, lines 19-43"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-58","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/99-1884.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 17-58"}]},{"heading":"What the justices asked","paragraphs":["Chief Justice Rehnquist asked if the case was submitted after the argument concluded."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 41, lines 1-3","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/99-1884.pdf","page_label":"file page 41, lines 1-3"}]},{"heading":"Why it matters","paragraphs":["This dispute defines the boundary between state and federal judicial authority over criminal sentences."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 19, lines 17-47","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/99-1884.pdf","page_label":"file page 19, lines 17-47"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 28, lines 19-43","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/99-1884.pdf","page_label":"file page 28, lines 19-43"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-58","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/99-1884.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 17-58"}]},{"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 5-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/99-1884.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 5-15"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 41, lines 1-3","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/99-1884.pdf","page_label":"file page 41, lines 1-3"}]}],"slug":"2000-99-1884-lackawanna-county-district-attorney-v-coss","term":"2000","title":"Can federal courts review state sentences for constitutional errors?","title_sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 19, lines 17-47","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/99-1884.pdf","page_label":"file page 19, lines 17-47"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 28, lines 19-43","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/99-1884.pdf","page_label":"file page 28, lines 19-43"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-58","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2000/99-1884.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 17-58"}],"topics":[],"undated_disposition_date_fallback":null,"updated_at":"2026-09-05T03:22:24Z"}