{"argument_date":"2004-01-13T00:00:00Z","arguments":[{"argument_date":"2004-01-13T00:00:00Z","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/2003/02-458.pdf","paragraphs":["Mr. Holifield argued sole owners can be participants.","Mr. Roberts noted many owners work in their own businesses.","Mr. Troutman provided an address for the record."],"reargument":false,"sequence":1,"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 14, lines 13-1","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-458.pdf","page_label":"file page 14, lines 13-1"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 20, lines 47-17","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-458.pdf","page_label":"file page 20, lines 47-17"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 15-21","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-458.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 15-21"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 5-13","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-458.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 5-13"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 35, lines 37-41","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-458.pdf","page_label":"file page 35, lines 37-41"}]}],"caption":"Raymond","case_history":[{"changed_at":"2026-08-29T20:06:30.552299Z","explanation":"An official oral-argument transcript was verified.","status":"argued"}],"case_status":"argued","dek":"the sides that brought the case seek to include sole owners in employee benefit plans. the opposing sides oppose this inclusion.","dek_sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 14, lines 13-1","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-458.pdf","page_label":"file page 14, lines 13-1"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 20, lines 47-17","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-458.pdf","page_label":"file page 20, lines 47-17"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 15-21","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-458.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 15-21"}],"dispositions":[],"latest_court_document_date":"2004-01-13T00:00:00Z","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/02-458.html","primary_docket":"02-458","revisions":[{"correction_note":"Rewritten to the concise citizen-facing editorial standard.","created_at":"2026-08-31T16:01:13.265490Z","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 whether a sole owner qualifies as a participant in an employee benefit plan. the sides that brought the case argue for inclusion. the opposing sides argue against it."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 14, lines 13-1","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-458.pdf","page_label":"file page 14, lines 13-1"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 20, lines 47-17","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-458.pdf","page_label":"file page 20, lines 47-17"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 15-21","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-458.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 15-21"}]},{"heading":"How the case got here","paragraphs":["The Supreme Court heard oral argument in this case on January 13, 2004."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 5-13","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-458.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 5-13"}]},{"heading":"What each side wants","paragraphs":["the sides that brought the case want sole owners to join benefit plans.","the opposing sides want to exclude sole owners from these plans."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 14, lines 13-1","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-458.pdf","page_label":"file page 14, lines 13-1"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 20, lines 47-17","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-458.pdf","page_label":"file page 20, lines 47-17"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 15-21","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-458.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 15-21"}]},{"heading":"What each side says","paragraphs":["the sides that brought the case argue sole owners are participants if other employees join.","the opposing sides argue sole owners do not fit the participant definition."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 14, lines 13-1","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-458.pdf","page_label":"file page 14, lines 13-1"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 20, lines 47-17","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-458.pdf","page_label":"file page 20, lines 47-17"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 15-21","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-458.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 15-21"}]},{"heading":"What the justices asked","paragraphs":["Chief Justice Rehnquist asked if the case was submitted."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 35, lines 37-41","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-458.pdf","page_label":"file page 35, lines 37-41"}]},{"heading":"Why it matters","paragraphs":["This case defines who can access business benefit plans. It affects owners of small businesses. It clarifies the scope of employee benefits law."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 14, lines 13-1","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-458.pdf","page_label":"file page 14, lines 13-1"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 20, lines 47-17","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-458.pdf","page_label":"file page 20, lines 47-17"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 15-21","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-458.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 15-21"}]},{"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 5-13","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-458.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 5-13"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 35, lines 37-41","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-458.pdf","page_label":"file page 35, lines 37-41"}]}],"slug":"2003-02-458-raymond","term":"2003","title":"Can a sole owner join a business benefit plan?","title_sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 14, lines 13-1","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-458.pdf","page_label":"file page 14, lines 13-1"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 20, lines 47-17","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-458.pdf","page_label":"file page 20, lines 47-17"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 15-21","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-458.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 15-21"}],"topics":[],"undated_disposition_date_fallback":null,"updated_at":"2026-09-05T03:22:24Z"}