{"argument_date":"2002-02-26T00:00:00Z","arguments":[{"argument_date":"2002-02-26T00:00:00Z","heading":"What happened at the argument","official_detail_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcript/2001","official_transcript_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1737.pdf","paragraphs":["Mr. Polidoro argued the ordinance restricts speech on private property.","Mr. Gormley noted the ordinance differs from prior statutes in scope.","Mr. Cantor argued the village exercises police power to protect privacy.","Mr. Polidoro addressed Justice O'Connor's question about trick-or-treaters."],"reargument":false,"sequence":1,"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 25, lines 43-19","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1737.pdf","page_label":"file page 25, lines 43-19"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-13","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1737.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 17-13"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 5-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1737.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 5-15"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 42, lines 7-41","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1737.pdf","page_label":"file page 42, lines 7-41"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 51, lines 19-29","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1737.pdf","page_label":"file page 51, lines 19-29"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 53, lines 25-25","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1737.pdf","page_label":"file page 53, lines 25-25"}]}],"caption":"Watchtower Bible & Tract Soc. of N. Y. v. Village of Stratton","case_history":[{"changed_at":"2026-08-29T20:06:32.452873Z","explanation":"An official oral-argument transcript was verified.","status":"argued"},{"changed_at":"2026-08-29T20:06:32.462458Z","explanation":"An official oral-argument transcript was verified.","status":"argued"}],"case_status":"argued","dek":"The Watchtower Bible Society challenges a local ordinance that requires residents to register before soliciting on private property.","dek_sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 25, lines 43-19","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1737.pdf","page_label":"file page 25, lines 43-19"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-13","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1737.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 17-13"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 42, lines 7-41","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1737.pdf","page_label":"file page 42, lines 7-41"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 51, lines 19-29","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1737.pdf","page_label":"file page 51, lines 19-29"}],"dispositions":[],"latest_court_document_date":"2002-02-26T00:00:00Z","maturity":"official_transcript","official_detail_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcript/2001","official_disposition_urls":[],"official_docket_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/docket/docketfiles/html/public/00-1737.html","primary_docket":"00-1737","revisions":[{"correction_note":"Rewritten to the concise citizen-facing editorial standard.","created_at":"2026-08-31T17:08:43.333135Z","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 Watchtower Bible Society argues the village ordinance violates free speech rights. The Village of Stratton defends the rule as a privacy and safety measure."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 25, lines 43-19","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1737.pdf","page_label":"file page 25, lines 43-19"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-13","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1737.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 17-13"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 42, lines 7-41","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1737.pdf","page_label":"file page 42, lines 7-41"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 51, lines 19-29","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1737.pdf","page_label":"file page 51, lines 19-29"}]},{"heading":"How the case got here","paragraphs":["The Supreme Court heard oral argument in this case on February 26, 2002."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 5-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1737.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 5-15"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 53, lines 25-25","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1737.pdf","page_label":"file page 53, lines 25-25"}]},{"heading":"What each side wants","paragraphs":["The Watchtower Bible Society wants the Court to strike down the village ordinance.","The Village of Stratton wants the Court to uphold the village ordinance."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 25, lines 43-19","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1737.pdf","page_label":"file page 25, lines 43-19"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-13","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1737.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 17-13"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 42, lines 7-41","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1737.pdf","page_label":"file page 42, lines 7-41"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 51, lines 19-29","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1737.pdf","page_label":"file page 51, lines 19-29"}]},{"heading":"What each side says","paragraphs":["The Watchtower Bible Society argues the ordinance restricts protected speech on private property.","The Village of Stratton argues the ordinance protects resident privacy and deters crime."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 25, lines 43-19","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1737.pdf","page_label":"file page 25, lines 43-19"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-13","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1737.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 17-13"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 42, lines 7-41","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1737.pdf","page_label":"file page 42, lines 7-41"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 51, lines 19-29","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1737.pdf","page_label":"file page 51, lines 19-29"}]},{"heading":"What the justices asked","paragraphs":["Justice O'Connor asked if the ordinance applies to trick-or-treaters.","Chief Justice Rehnquist asked if the case is submitted."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 53, lines 25-25","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1737.pdf","page_label":"file page 53, lines 25-25"}]},{"heading":"Why it matters","paragraphs":["This case defines the limits of local control over door-to-door speech. It balances community safety against individual expression rights. The outcome shapes how villages regulate solicitation on private land."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 25, lines 43-19","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1737.pdf","page_label":"file page 25, lines 43-19"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-13","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1737.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 17-13"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 42, lines 7-41","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1737.pdf","page_label":"file page 42, lines 7-41"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 51, lines 19-29","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1737.pdf","page_label":"file page 51, lines 19-29"}]},{"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/2001/00-1737.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 5-15"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 53, lines 25-25","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1737.pdf","page_label":"file page 53, lines 25-25"}]}],"slug":"2001-00-1737-watchtower-bible-tract-soc-of-n-y-v-village-of-stratton","term":"2001","title":"Does a village ban on unregistered door-to-door soliciting violate the First Amendment?","title_sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 25, lines 43-19","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1737.pdf","page_label":"file page 25, lines 43-19"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-13","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1737.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 17-13"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 42, lines 7-41","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1737.pdf","page_label":"file page 42, lines 7-41"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 51, lines 19-29","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1737.pdf","page_label":"file page 51, lines 19-29"}],"topics":[],"undated_disposition_date_fallback":null,"updated_at":"2026-09-05T03:22:24Z"}