{"argument_date":"2002-01-16T00:00:00Z","arguments":[{"argument_date":"2002-01-16T00:00:00Z","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/2001/00-1937.pdf","paragraphs":["Jeffrey Lamken argued the program targets long-term disabilities.","Lamken stated the law forces premature retirement due to severe impairment.","Lamken emphasized the SSI program lacks a five-month waiting period.","Lamken argued the five-month waiting period is a distinct statutory element."],"reargument":false,"sequence":1,"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 26, lines 11-11","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1937.pdf","page_label":"file page 26, lines 11-11"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 15-40","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1937.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 15-40"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 5-13","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1937.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 5-13"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 51, lines 13-19","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1937.pdf","page_label":"file page 51, lines 13-19"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 52, lines 21-47","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1937.pdf","page_label":"file page 52, lines 21-47"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 54, lines 49-1","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1937.pdf","page_label":"file page 54, lines 49-1"}]}],"caption":"Barnhart v. Walton","case_history":[{"changed_at":"2026-08-29T20:06:32.621123Z","explanation":"An official oral-argument transcript was verified.","status":"argued"},{"changed_at":"2026-08-29T20:06:32.653675Z","explanation":"An official oral-argument transcript was verified.","status":"argued"}],"case_status":"argued","dek":"Cleveland Walton argues the law requires a five-month wait. The government says the statute does not mandate this delay.","dek_sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 26, lines 11-11","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1937.pdf","page_label":"file page 26, lines 11-11"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 15-40","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1937.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 15-40"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 51, lines 13-19","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1937.pdf","page_label":"file page 51, lines 13-19"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 52, lines 21-47","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1937.pdf","page_label":"file page 52, lines 21-47"}],"dispositions":[],"latest_court_document_date":"2002-01-16T00:00:00Z","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/00-1937.html","primary_docket":"00-1937","revisions":[{"correction_note":"Rewritten to the concise citizen-facing editorial standard.","created_at":"2026-08-31T17:15:45.801106Z","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 interpretation of Social Security statutes. One side claims the text mandates a five-month waiting period. The other side argues the plain language does not require this delay. The Court must determine which statutory interpretation is correct."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 26, lines 11-11","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1937.pdf","page_label":"file page 26, lines 11-11"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 15-40","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1937.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 15-40"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 51, lines 13-19","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1937.pdf","page_label":"file page 51, lines 13-19"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 52, lines 21-47","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1937.pdf","page_label":"file page 52, lines 21-47"}]},{"heading":"How the case got here","paragraphs":["The Supreme Court heard oral argument in this case on January 16, 2002."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 5-13","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1937.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 5-13"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 54, lines 49-1","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1937.pdf","page_label":"file page 54, lines 49-1"}]},{"heading":"What each side wants","paragraphs":["The government wants the Court to reject the five-month waiting period requirement.","Cleveland Walton wants the Court to enforce the five-month waiting period requirement."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 26, lines 11-11","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1937.pdf","page_label":"file page 26, lines 11-11"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 15-40","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1937.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 15-40"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 51, lines 13-19","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1937.pdf","page_label":"file page 51, lines 13-19"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 52, lines 21-47","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1937.pdf","page_label":"file page 52, lines 21-47"}]},{"heading":"What each side says","paragraphs":["The government argues the statute's plain language does not mandate a five-month wait.","Cleveland Walton argues the statute's plain language requires a five-month waiting period."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 26, lines 11-11","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1937.pdf","page_label":"file page 26, lines 11-11"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 15-40","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1937.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 15-40"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 51, lines 13-19","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1937.pdf","page_label":"file page 51, lines 13-19"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 52, lines 21-47","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1937.pdf","page_label":"file page 52, lines 21-47"}]},{"heading":"What the justices asked","paragraphs":["Chief Justice Rehnquist asked the side that brought the case to address the five-month waiting period.","Chief Justice Rehnquist asked the side that brought the case to clarify the statutory language."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 54, lines 49-1","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1937.pdf","page_label":"file page 54, lines 49-1"}]},{"heading":"Why it matters","paragraphs":["This case defines the timing of disability benefit eligibility. It determines when workers receive financial support after severe impairment. The outcome shapes the administration of the Social Security program."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 26, lines 11-11","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1937.pdf","page_label":"file page 26, lines 11-11"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 15-40","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1937.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 15-40"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 51, lines 13-19","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1937.pdf","page_label":"file page 51, lines 13-19"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 52, lines 21-47","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1937.pdf","page_label":"file page 52, lines 21-47"}]},{"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 5-13","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1937.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 5-13"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 54, lines 49-1","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1937.pdf","page_label":"file page 54, lines 49-1"}]}],"slug":"2001-00-1937-barnhart-v-walton","term":"2001","title":"Does a five-month waiting period apply to disability benefits?","title_sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 26, lines 11-11","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1937.pdf","page_label":"file page 26, lines 11-11"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 15-40","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1937.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 15-40"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 51, lines 13-19","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1937.pdf","page_label":"file page 51, lines 13-19"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 52, lines 21-47","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2001/00-1937.pdf","page_label":"file page 52, lines 21-47"}],"topics":[],"undated_disposition_date_fallback":null,"updated_at":"2026-09-05T03:22:24Z"}