{"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/2003/02-954.pdf","paragraphs":["the side that brought the case cited prior Supreme Court precedent to define personal privacy.","the opposing side emphasized the legitimate privacy interests of the affected family.","the side that brought the case noted that law enforcement routinely collects highly sensitive personal information.","the side that brought the case highlighted that this information often includes graphic death scene photographs."],"reargument":false,"sequence":1,"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 17, lines 17-41","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-954.pdf","page_label":"file page 17, lines 17-41"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 24, lines 41-41","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-954.pdf","page_label":"file page 24, lines 41-41"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 24, lines 43-17","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-954.pdf","page_label":"file page 24, lines 43-17"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-25","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-954.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 17-25"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 5-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-954.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 5-15"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 49, lines 33-40","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-954.pdf","page_label":"file page 49, lines 33-40"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 52, lines 42-44","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-954.pdf","page_label":"file page 52, lines 42-44"}]}],"caption":"Office of Independent Counsel v. Favish","case_history":[{"changed_at":"2026-08-29T20:06:30.714473Z","explanation":"An official oral-argument transcript was verified.","status":"argued"},{"changed_at":"2026-08-29T20:06:30.743921Z","explanation":"An official oral-argument transcript was verified.","status":"argued"}],"case_status":"argued","dek":"The dispute centers on whether federal law enforcement must release sensitive autopsy images under the Freedom of Information Act.","dek_sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 17, lines 17-41","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-954.pdf","page_label":"file page 17, lines 17-41"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 24, lines 41-41","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-954.pdf","page_label":"file page 24, lines 41-41"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 24, lines 43-17","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-954.pdf","page_label":"file page 24, lines 43-17"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-25","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-954.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 17-25"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 49, lines 33-40","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-954.pdf","page_label":"file page 49, lines 33-40"}],"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/02-954.html","primary_docket":"02-954","revisions":[{"correction_note":"Rewritten to the concise citizen-facing editorial standard.","created_at":"2026-08-31T16:04:27.809058Z","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 the scope of privacy protections for sensitive law enforcement records."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 17, lines 17-41","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-954.pdf","page_label":"file page 17, lines 17-41"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 24, lines 41-41","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-954.pdf","page_label":"file page 24, lines 41-41"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 24, lines 43-17","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-954.pdf","page_label":"file page 24, lines 43-17"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-25","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-954.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 17-25"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 49, lines 33-40","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-954.pdf","page_label":"file page 49, lines 33-40"}]},{"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 5-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-954.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 5-15"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 52, lines 42-44","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-954.pdf","page_label":"file page 52, lines 42-44"}]},{"heading":"What each side wants","paragraphs":["the side that brought the case seeks to release the sensitive records to the public.","the opposing side seeks to withhold the records to protect family privacy."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 17, lines 17-41","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-954.pdf","page_label":"file page 17, lines 17-41"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 24, lines 41-41","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-954.pdf","page_label":"file page 24, lines 41-41"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 24, lines 43-17","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-954.pdf","page_label":"file page 24, lines 43-17"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-25","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-954.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 17-25"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 49, lines 33-40","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-954.pdf","page_label":"file page 49, lines 33-40"}]},{"heading":"What each side says","paragraphs":["the side that brought the case argues the privacy definition in prior case law supports disclosure.","the opposing side argues the Foster family has a legitimate interest in privacy."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 17, lines 17-41","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-954.pdf","page_label":"file page 17, lines 17-41"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 24, lines 41-41","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-954.pdf","page_label":"file page 24, lines 41-41"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 24, lines 43-17","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-954.pdf","page_label":"file page 24, lines 43-17"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-25","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-954.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 17-25"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 49, lines 33-40","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-954.pdf","page_label":"file page 49, lines 33-40"}]},{"heading":"What the justices asked","paragraphs":["The Chief Justice asked the side that brought the case to clarify the scope of the privacy claim."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 52, lines 42-44","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-954.pdf","page_label":"file page 52, lines 42-44"}]},{"heading":"Why it matters","paragraphs":["This case defines the balance between public access and personal privacy for sensitive records."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 17, lines 17-41","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-954.pdf","page_label":"file page 17, lines 17-41"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 24, lines 41-41","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-954.pdf","page_label":"file page 24, lines 41-41"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 24, lines 43-17","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-954.pdf","page_label":"file page 24, lines 43-17"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-25","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-954.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 17-25"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 49, lines 33-40","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-954.pdf","page_label":"file page 49, lines 33-40"}]},{"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/2003/02-954.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 5-15"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 52, lines 42-44","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-954.pdf","page_label":"file page 52, lines 42-44"}]}],"slug":"2003-02-954-office-of-independent-counsel-v-favish","term":"2003","title":"Does FOIA Exemption 7(C) shield graphic death scene photos from public release?","title_sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 17, lines 17-41","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-954.pdf","page_label":"file page 17, lines 17-41"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 24, lines 41-41","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-954.pdf","page_label":"file page 24, lines 41-41"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 24, lines 43-17","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-954.pdf","page_label":"file page 24, lines 43-17"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-25","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-954.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 17-25"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 49, lines 33-40","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/02-954.pdf","page_label":"file page 49, lines 33-40"}],"topics":[],"undated_disposition_date_fallback":null,"updated_at":"2026-09-05T03:22:24Z"}