{"argument_date":"2004-03-31T00:00:00Z","arguments":[{"argument_date":"2004-03-31T00:00:00Z","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/2003/03-5165.pdf","paragraphs":["Mr. Dunham argued the government failed to prove officers initiated contact while Thornton was inside the car.","Mr. Dunham cited a state court opinion to distinguish the facts of this case from prior rulings.","Mr. Garre stated the sole contention was that the search was unlawful under Belton."],"reargument":false,"sequence":1,"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 25, lines 3-5","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-5165.pdf","page_label":"file page 25, lines 3-5"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 15-41","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-5165.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 15-41"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 5-13","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-5165.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 5-13"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 49, lines 27-33","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-5165.pdf","page_label":"file page 49, lines 27-33"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 52, lines 1-3","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-5165.pdf","page_label":"file page 52, lines 1-3"}]}],"caption":"Thornton v. United States","case_history":[{"changed_at":"2026-08-29T20:06:30.365315Z","explanation":"An official oral-argument transcript was verified.","status":"argued"},{"changed_at":"2026-08-29T20:06:30.393376Z","explanation":"An official oral-argument transcript was verified.","status":"argued"}],"case_status":"argued","dek":"the side that brought the case argues the search violated Belton because officers did not contact him inside the vehicle.","dek_sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 25, lines 3-5","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-5165.pdf","page_label":"file page 25, lines 3-5"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 15-41","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-5165.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 15-41"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 49, lines 27-33","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-5165.pdf","page_label":"file page 49, lines 27-33"}],"dispositions":[],"latest_court_document_date":"2004-03-31T00:00:00Z","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/03-5165.html","primary_docket":"03-5165","revisions":[{"correction_note":"Rewritten to the concise citizen-facing editorial standard.","created_at":"2026-08-31T15:40:28.524855Z","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 New York v. Belton. It asks if police must initiate contact with a driver while they are inside the car to justify a search."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 25, lines 3-5","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-5165.pdf","page_label":"file page 25, lines 3-5"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 15-41","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-5165.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 15-41"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 49, lines 27-33","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-5165.pdf","page_label":"file page 49, lines 27-33"}]},{"heading":"How the case got here","paragraphs":["The Supreme Court heard oral argument in this case on March 31, 2004."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 5-13","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-5165.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 5-13"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 52, lines 1-3","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-5165.pdf","page_label":"file page 52, lines 1-3"}]},{"heading":"What each side wants","paragraphs":["the side that brought the case wants the search ruled unlawful.","The government wants the search upheld as lawful."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 25, lines 3-5","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-5165.pdf","page_label":"file page 25, lines 3-5"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 15-41","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-5165.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 15-41"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 49, lines 27-33","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-5165.pdf","page_label":"file page 49, lines 27-33"}]},{"heading":"What each side says","paragraphs":["the side that brought the case argues officers failed to prove they initiated contact while he was inside the car.","The government argues the search complied with existing legal standards."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 25, lines 3-5","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-5165.pdf","page_label":"file page 25, lines 3-5"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 15-41","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-5165.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 15-41"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 49, lines 27-33","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-5165.pdf","page_label":"file page 49, lines 27-33"}]},{"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 52, lines 1-3","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-5165.pdf","page_label":"file page 52, lines 1-3"}]},{"heading":"Why it matters","paragraphs":["This dispute defines the limits of vehicle searches. It determines when police can search a car after a driver exits. The outcome shapes daily police interactions with motorists."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 25, lines 3-5","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-5165.pdf","page_label":"file page 25, lines 3-5"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 15-41","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-5165.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 15-41"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 49, lines 27-33","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-5165.pdf","page_label":"file page 49, lines 27-33"}]},{"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/2003/03-5165.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 5-13"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 52, lines 1-3","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-5165.pdf","page_label":"file page 52, lines 1-3"}]}],"slug":"2003-03-5165-thornton-v-united-states","term":"2003","title":"Can police search a car after the driver exits?","title_sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 25, lines 3-5","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-5165.pdf","page_label":"file page 25, lines 3-5"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 15-41","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-5165.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 15-41"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 49, lines 27-33","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-5165.pdf","page_label":"file page 49, lines 27-33"}],"topics":[],"undated_disposition_date_fallback":null,"updated_at":"2026-09-05T03:22:24Z"}