{"argument_date":"2003-12-03T00:00:00Z","arguments":[{"argument_date":"2003-12-03T00:00:00Z","heading":"What happened at the argument","official_detail_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcript/2003","official_transcript_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-1377.pdf","paragraphs":["Mr. Campbell argued emotional distress is an adverse effect.","Mr. Stewart argued adverse effect requires actual damages.","Justice Kennedy questioned the government interpretation."],"reargument":false,"sequence":1,"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 25, lines 49-25","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-1377.pdf","page_label":"file page 25, lines 49-25"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 15-57","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-1377.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 15-57"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 5-13","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-1377.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 5-13"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 50, lines 33-13","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-1377.pdf","page_label":"file page 50, lines 33-13"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 52, lines 49-1","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-1377.pdf","page_label":"file page 52, lines 49-1"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 57, lines 7-9","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-1377.pdf","page_label":"file page 57, lines 7-9"}]}],"caption":"Doe v. Chao","case_history":[{"changed_at":"2026-08-29T20:06:30.724398Z","explanation":"An official oral-argument transcript was verified.","status":"argued"},{"changed_at":"2026-08-29T20:06:30.753805Z","explanation":"An official oral-argument transcript was verified.","status":"argued"}],"case_status":"argued","dek":"the side that brought the case seeks emotional distress damages. The government argues actual financial loss is required.","dek_sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 25, lines 49-25","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-1377.pdf","page_label":"file page 25, lines 49-25"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 15-57","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-1377.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 15-57"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 50, lines 33-13","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-1377.pdf","page_label":"file page 50, lines 33-13"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 52, lines 49-1","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-1377.pdf","page_label":"file page 52, lines 49-1"}],"dispositions":[],"latest_court_document_date":"2003-12-03T00:00:00Z","maturity":"official_transcript","official_detail_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcript/2003","official_disposition_urls":[],"official_docket_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/docket/docketfiles/html/public/02-1377.html","primary_docket":"02-1377","revisions":[{"correction_note":"Rewritten to the concise citizen-facing editorial standard.","created_at":"2026-08-31T16:04:13.978239Z","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 case tests the Privacy Act definition of adverse effect. the side that brought the case claims emotional distress qualifies. The government insists actual damages are necessary."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 25, lines 49-25","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-1377.pdf","page_label":"file page 25, lines 49-25"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 15-57","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-1377.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 15-57"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 50, lines 33-13","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-1377.pdf","page_label":"file page 50, lines 33-13"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 52, lines 49-1","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-1377.pdf","page_label":"file page 52, lines 49-1"}]},{"heading":"How the case got here","paragraphs":["The Supreme Court heard oral argument in this case on December 3, 2003."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 5-13","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-1377.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 5-13"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 57, lines 7-9","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-1377.pdf","page_label":"file page 57, lines 7-9"}]},{"heading":"What each side wants","paragraphs":["the side that brought the case wants emotional distress damages.","The government wants to deny emotional distress damages."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 25, lines 49-25","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-1377.pdf","page_label":"file page 25, lines 49-25"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 15-57","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-1377.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 15-57"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 50, lines 33-13","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-1377.pdf","page_label":"file page 50, lines 33-13"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 52, lines 49-1","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-1377.pdf","page_label":"file page 52, lines 49-1"}]},{"heading":"What each side says","paragraphs":["the side that brought the case argues adverse effect includes emotional distress.","The government argues adverse effect requires actual financial loss."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 25, lines 49-25","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-1377.pdf","page_label":"file page 25, lines 49-25"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 15-57","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-1377.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 15-57"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 50, lines 33-13","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-1377.pdf","page_label":"file page 50, lines 33-13"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 52, lines 49-1","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-1377.pdf","page_label":"file page 52, lines 49-1"}]},{"heading":"What the justices asked","paragraphs":["Justice Kennedy asked about absurd results of the government view."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 57, lines 7-9","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-1377.pdf","page_label":"file page 57, lines 7-9"}]},{"heading":"Why it matters","paragraphs":["This defines privacy violation remedies. It determines who receives compensation for emotional harm. It shapes government accountability standards."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 25, lines 49-25","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-1377.pdf","page_label":"file page 25, lines 49-25"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 15-57","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-1377.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 15-57"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 50, lines 33-13","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-1377.pdf","page_label":"file page 50, lines 33-13"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 52, lines 49-1","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-1377.pdf","page_label":"file page 52, lines 49-1"}]},{"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/2003/02-1377.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 5-13"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 57, lines 7-9","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-1377.pdf","page_label":"file page 57, lines 7-9"}]}],"slug":"2003-02-1377-doe-v-chao","term":"2003","title":"Does Privacy Act Adverse Effect Require Actual Damages?","title_sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 25, lines 49-25","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-1377.pdf","page_label":"file page 25, lines 49-25"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 15-57","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-1377.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 15-57"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 50, lines 33-13","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-1377.pdf","page_label":"file page 50, lines 33-13"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 52, lines 49-1","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-1377.pdf","page_label":"file page 52, lines 49-1"}],"topics":[],"undated_disposition_date_fallback":null,"updated_at":"2026-09-05T03:22:24Z"}