{"argument_date":"2004-02-23T00:00:00Z","arguments":[{"argument_date":"2004-02-23T00:00:00Z","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/2003/02-1657.pdf","paragraphs":["Brian Wolfman argued for the veteran. He cited a prior case to support his position. He emphasized the government's clear error.","The government lawyer argued for strict compliance. He cited cases enforcing time limits. He stressed the finality of the deadline.","The veteran's lawyer referenced a specific Supreme Court case. He used it to counter the government's strict deadline argument."],"reargument":false,"sequence":1,"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 26, lines 7-33","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-1657.pdf","page_label":"file page 26, lines 7-33"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-43","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-1657.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 17-43"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 5-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-1657.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 5-15"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 51, lines 21-47","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-1657.pdf","page_label":"file page 51, lines 21-47"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 53, lines 23-21","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-1657.pdf","page_label":"file page 53, lines 23-21"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 55, lines 23-27","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-1657.pdf","page_label":"file page 55, lines 23-27"}]}],"caption":"Scarborough v. Principi","case_history":[{"changed_at":"2026-08-29T20:06:30.413132Z","explanation":"An official oral-argument transcript was verified.","status":"argued"},{"changed_at":"2026-08-29T20:06:30.422086Z","explanation":"An official oral-argument transcript was verified.","status":"argued"}],"case_status":"argued","dek":"A veteran seeks court fees after winning a disability case. The government argues he missed the filing deadline.","dek_sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 26, lines 7-33","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-1657.pdf","page_label":"file page 26, lines 7-33"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-43","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-1657.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 17-43"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 51, lines 21-47","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-1657.pdf","page_label":"file page 51, lines 21-47"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 53, lines 23-21","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-1657.pdf","page_label":"file page 53, lines 23-21"}],"dispositions":[],"latest_court_document_date":"2004-02-23T00:00:00Z","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/02-1657.html","primary_docket":"02-1657","revisions":[{"correction_note":"Rewritten to the concise citizen-facing editorial standard.","created_at":"2026-08-31T22:25:53.967800Z","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 whether a strict time limit blocks fee requests. The veteran claims his win proves the government acted wrongly. The government insists the deadline is absolute."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 26, lines 7-33","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-1657.pdf","page_label":"file page 26, lines 7-33"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-43","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-1657.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 17-43"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 51, lines 21-47","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-1657.pdf","page_label":"file page 51, lines 21-47"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 53, lines 23-21","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-1657.pdf","page_label":"file page 53, lines 23-21"}]},{"heading":"How the case got here","paragraphs":["The Supreme Court heard oral argument in this case on February 23, 2004."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 5-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-1657.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 5-15"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 55, lines 23-27","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-1657.pdf","page_label":"file page 55, lines 23-27"}]},{"heading":"What each side wants","paragraphs":["The veteran wants the court to award his lawyer fees. He argues his win proves the government acted unreasonably.","The government wants the court to deny the fee request. It argues the veteran missed the strict 30-day filing deadline."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 26, lines 7-33","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-1657.pdf","page_label":"file page 26, lines 7-33"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-43","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-1657.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 17-43"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 51, lines 21-47","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-1657.pdf","page_label":"file page 51, lines 21-47"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 53, lines 23-21","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-1657.pdf","page_label":"file page 53, lines 23-21"}]},{"heading":"What each side says","paragraphs":["The veteran argues his victory shows the government made a clear error. He believes this justifies paying his legal costs.","The government argues the law sets a strict 30-day limit. It claims missing this deadline automatically bars fee recovery."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 26, lines 7-33","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-1657.pdf","page_label":"file page 26, lines 7-33"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-43","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-1657.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 17-43"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 51, lines 21-47","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-1657.pdf","page_label":"file page 51, lines 21-47"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 53, lines 23-21","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-1657.pdf","page_label":"file page 53, lines 23-21"}]},{"heading":"What the justices asked","paragraphs":["Chief Justice Rehnquist asked if the case was submitted. He signaled the end of the oral argument session."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 55, lines 23-27","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-1657.pdf","page_label":"file page 55, lines 23-27"}]},{"heading":"Why it matters","paragraphs":["This dispute defines how strictly courts enforce fee deadlines. It affects whether lawyers get paid for winning government cases. It shapes the cost of challenging federal agencies."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 26, lines 7-33","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-1657.pdf","page_label":"file page 26, lines 7-33"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-43","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-1657.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 17-43"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 51, lines 21-47","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-1657.pdf","page_label":"file page 51, lines 21-47"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 53, lines 23-21","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-1657.pdf","page_label":"file page 53, lines 23-21"}]},{"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/2003/02-1657.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 5-15"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 55, lines 23-27","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-1657.pdf","page_label":"file page 55, lines 23-27"}]}],"slug":"2003-02-1657-scarborough-v-principi","term":"2003","title":"Does a missed 30-day deadline bar attorney fee claims?","title_sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 26, lines 7-33","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-1657.pdf","page_label":"file page 26, lines 7-33"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-43","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-1657.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 17-43"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 51, lines 21-47","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-1657.pdf","page_label":"file page 51, lines 21-47"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 53, lines 23-21","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-1657.pdf","page_label":"file page 53, lines 23-21"}],"topics":[],"undated_disposition_date_fallback":null,"updated_at":"2026-09-05T03:22:24Z"}