{"argument_date":"2004-03-30T00:00:00Z","arguments":[{"argument_date":"2004-03-30T00:00:00Z","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/2003/03-339.pdf","paragraphs":["Paul Clement argued the Ninth Circuit found the arrest unauthorized.","He stated the arrest occurred in Mexico.","He noted the court found the FTCA exception inapplicable.","Hoffman argued the government theory does not fit the statute."],"reargument":false,"sequence":1,"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 22, lines 19-33","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-339.pdf","page_label":"file page 22, lines 19-33"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 39, lines 6-25","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-339.pdf","page_label":"file page 39, lines 6-25"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 17-27","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-339.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 17-27"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 5-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-339.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 5-15"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 50, lines 30-34","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-339.pdf","page_label":"file page 50, lines 30-34"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 76, lines 23-29","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-339.pdf","page_label":"file page 76, lines 23-29"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 79, lines 31-35","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-339.pdf","page_label":"file page 79, lines 31-35"}]}],"caption":"Francisco Soso v. Alvarez-Machain","case_history":[{"changed_at":"2026-08-29T20:06:30.362432Z","explanation":"An official oral-argument transcript was verified.","status":"argued"},{"changed_at":"2026-08-29T20:06:40.677357Z","explanation":"An official oral-argument transcript was verified.","status":"argued"}],"case_status":"argued","dek":"The dispute centers on whether federal courts can hear claims for torts committed in a foreign country.","dek_sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 22, lines 19-33","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-339.pdf","page_label":"file page 22, lines 19-33"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 39, lines 6-25","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-339.pdf","page_label":"file page 39, lines 6-25"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 17-27","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-339.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 17-27"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 50, lines 30-34","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-339.pdf","page_label":"file page 50, lines 30-34"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 76, lines 23-29","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-339.pdf","page_label":"file page 76, lines 23-29"}],"dispositions":[],"latest_court_document_date":"2004-03-30T00:00:00Z","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/03-339.html","primary_docket":"03-339","revisions":[{"correction_note":"Rewritten to the concise citizen-facing editorial standard.","created_at":"2026-08-31T15:42:06.576958Z","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 reach of the Alien Tort Statute. It asks if U.S. courts can adjudicate claims arising from events in Mexico."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 22, lines 19-33","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-339.pdf","page_label":"file page 22, lines 19-33"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 39, lines 6-25","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-339.pdf","page_label":"file page 39, lines 6-25"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 17-27","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-339.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 17-27"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 50, lines 30-34","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-339.pdf","page_label":"file page 50, lines 30-34"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 76, lines 23-29","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-339.pdf","page_label":"file page 76, lines 23-29"}]},{"heading":"How the case got here","paragraphs":["The Supreme Court heard oral argument in this case on March 30, 2004."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 5-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-339.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 5-15"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 79, lines 31-35","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-339.pdf","page_label":"file page 79, lines 31-35"}]},{"heading":"What each side wants","paragraphs":["The United States wants the court to dismiss the claim.","the side that brought the case wants the court to allow the claim to proceed."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 22, lines 19-33","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-339.pdf","page_label":"file page 22, lines 19-33"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 39, lines 6-25","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-339.pdf","page_label":"file page 39, lines 6-25"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 17-27","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-339.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 17-27"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 50, lines 30-34","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-339.pdf","page_label":"file page 50, lines 30-34"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 76, lines 23-29","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-339.pdf","page_label":"file page 76, lines 23-29"}]},{"heading":"What each side says","paragraphs":["The government argues the statute does not cover foreign acts.","the side that brought the case argues the statute covers violations of international law."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 22, lines 19-33","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-339.pdf","page_label":"file page 22, lines 19-33"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 39, lines 6-25","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-339.pdf","page_label":"file page 39, lines 6-25"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 17-27","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-339.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 17-27"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 50, lines 30-34","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-339.pdf","page_label":"file page 50, lines 30-34"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 76, lines 23-29","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-339.pdf","page_label":"file page 76, lines 23-29"}]},{"heading":"What the justices asked","paragraphs":["Chief Justice Rehnquist asked how the claim fits the statute."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 79, lines 31-35","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-339.pdf","page_label":"file page 79, lines 31-35"}]},{"heading":"Why it matters","paragraphs":["This case defines the geographic limits of federal jurisdiction. It determines whether U.S. courts can hear foreign tort claims."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 22, lines 19-33","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-339.pdf","page_label":"file page 22, lines 19-33"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 39, lines 6-25","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-339.pdf","page_label":"file page 39, lines 6-25"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 17-27","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-339.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 17-27"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 50, lines 30-34","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-339.pdf","page_label":"file page 50, lines 30-34"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 76, lines 23-29","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-339.pdf","page_label":"file page 76, lines 23-29"}]},{"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 4, lines 5-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-339.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 5-15"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 79, lines 31-35","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-339.pdf","page_label":"file page 79, lines 31-35"}]}],"slug":"2003-03-339-francisco-soso-v-alvarez-machain","term":"2003","title":"Does the Alien Tort Statute cover acts committed abroad?","title_sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 22, lines 19-33","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-339.pdf","page_label":"file page 22, lines 19-33"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 39, lines 6-25","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-339.pdf","page_label":"file page 39, lines 6-25"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 17-27","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-339.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 17-27"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 50, lines 30-34","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-339.pdf","page_label":"file page 50, lines 30-34"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 76, lines 23-29","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-339.pdf","page_label":"file page 76, lines 23-29"}],"topics":[],"undated_disposition_date_fallback":null,"updated_at":"2026-09-05T03:22:24Z"}