{"argument_date":"2002-12-10T00:00:00Z","arguments":[{"argument_date":"2002-12-10T00:00:00Z","heading":"What happened at the argument","official_detail_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcript/2002","official_transcript_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-1437.pdf","paragraphs":["Branch argues state courts have fixed unfair maps for forty years.","Smith argues federal law requires approval before state courts act.","Justice Stevens asked if the state court plan received federal approval."],"reargument":false,"sequence":1,"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 22, lines 11-31","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-1437.pdf","page_label":"file page 22, lines 11-31"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-1437.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 17-15"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 5-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-1437.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 5-15"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 32, lines 29-35","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-1437.pdf","page_label":"file page 32, lines 29-35"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 50, lines 39-7","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-1437.pdf","page_label":"file page 50, lines 39-7"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 52, lines 5-27","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-1437.pdf","page_label":"file page 52, lines 5-27"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 55, lines 19-21","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-1437.pdf","page_label":"file page 55, lines 19-21"}]}],"caption":"Branch v. Smith","case_history":[{"changed_at":"2026-08-29T20:06:31.660348Z","explanation":"An official oral-argument transcript was verified.","status":"argued"},{"changed_at":"2026-08-29T20:06:31.673429Z","explanation":"An official oral-argument transcript was verified.","status":"argued"}],"case_status":"argued","dek":"Branch and Smith dispute whether state judges can redraw electoral maps without federal pre-clearance.","dek_sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 22, lines 11-31","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-1437.pdf","page_label":"file page 22, lines 11-31"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-1437.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 17-15"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 32, lines 29-35","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-1437.pdf","page_label":"file page 32, lines 29-35"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 50, lines 39-7","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-1437.pdf","page_label":"file page 50, lines 39-7"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 52, lines 5-27","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-1437.pdf","page_label":"file page 52, lines 5-27"}],"dispositions":[],"latest_court_document_date":"2002-12-10T00:00:00Z","maturity":"official_transcript","official_detail_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcript/2002","official_disposition_urls":[],"official_docket_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/docket/docketfiles/html/public/01-1437.html","primary_docket":"01-1437","revisions":[{"correction_note":"Rewritten to the concise citizen-facing editorial standard.","created_at":"2026-08-31T22:35:53.711950Z","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":["Branch and Smith argue over state court power to fix unfair district maps."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 22, lines 11-31","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-1437.pdf","page_label":"file page 22, lines 11-31"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-1437.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 17-15"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 32, lines 29-35","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-1437.pdf","page_label":"file page 32, lines 29-35"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 50, lines 39-7","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-1437.pdf","page_label":"file page 50, lines 39-7"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 52, lines 5-27","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-1437.pdf","page_label":"file page 52, lines 5-27"}]},{"heading":"How the case got here","paragraphs":["The Supreme Court heard oral argument in this case on December 10, 2002."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 5-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-1437.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 5-15"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 55, lines 19-21","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-1437.pdf","page_label":"file page 55, lines 19-21"}]},{"heading":"What each side wants","paragraphs":["Branch wants state courts to fix unfair maps without federal approval.","Smith wants federal approval before state courts fix unfair maps."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 22, lines 11-31","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-1437.pdf","page_label":"file page 22, lines 11-31"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-1437.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 17-15"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 32, lines 29-35","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-1437.pdf","page_label":"file page 32, lines 29-35"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 50, lines 39-7","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-1437.pdf","page_label":"file page 50, lines 39-7"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 52, lines 5-27","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-1437.pdf","page_label":"file page 52, lines 5-27"}]},{"heading":"What each side says","paragraphs":["Branch argues state courts have fixed unfair maps for forty years.","Smith argues federal law requires approval before state courts act."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 22, lines 11-31","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-1437.pdf","page_label":"file page 22, lines 11-31"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-1437.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 17-15"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 32, lines 29-35","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-1437.pdf","page_label":"file page 32, lines 29-35"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 50, lines 39-7","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-1437.pdf","page_label":"file page 50, lines 39-7"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 52, lines 5-27","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-1437.pdf","page_label":"file page 52, lines 5-27"}]},{"heading":"What the justices asked","paragraphs":["Justice Stevens asked if the state court plan received federal approval."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 55, lines 19-21","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-1437.pdf","page_label":"file page 55, lines 19-21"}]},{"heading":"Why it matters","paragraphs":["This case defines who controls fair district maps. It shapes how citizens vote in local elections. It affects the balance of power between state and federal courts."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 22, lines 11-31","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-1437.pdf","page_label":"file page 22, lines 11-31"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-1437.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 17-15"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 32, lines 29-35","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-1437.pdf","page_label":"file page 32, lines 29-35"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 50, lines 39-7","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-1437.pdf","page_label":"file page 50, lines 39-7"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 52, lines 5-27","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-1437.pdf","page_label":"file page 52, lines 5-27"}]},{"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/2002/01-1437.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 5-15"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 55, lines 19-21","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-1437.pdf","page_label":"file page 55, lines 19-21"}]}],"slug":"2002-01-1437-branch-v-smith","term":"2002","title":"Can state courts fix unfair district maps without federal approval?","title_sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 22, lines 11-31","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-1437.pdf","page_label":"file page 22, lines 11-31"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-1437.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 17-15"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 32, lines 29-35","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-1437.pdf","page_label":"file page 32, lines 29-35"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 50, lines 39-7","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-1437.pdf","page_label":"file page 50, lines 39-7"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 52, lines 5-27","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2002/01-1437.pdf","page_label":"file page 52, lines 5-27"}],"topics":[],"undated_disposition_date_fallback":null,"updated_at":"2026-09-05T03:22:24Z"}