{"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/2003/03-6539.pdf","paragraphs":["the side that brought the case claims the prosecutor removed all African American jurors.","the side that brought the case argues this leaves a black defendant with an all-white jury.","the side that brought the case states this scenario is a paradigm of a prima facie case.","the side that brought the case asserts the California threshold conflates distinct legal steps."],"reargument":false,"sequence":1,"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 27, lines 24-3","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-6539.pdf","page_label":"file page 27, lines 24-3"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 15-39","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-6539.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 15-39"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 5-13","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-6539.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 5-13"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 51, lines 7-33","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-6539.pdf","page_label":"file page 51, lines 7-33"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 54, lines 45-57","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-6539.pdf","page_label":"file page 54, lines 45-57"}]}],"caption":"Johnson v. California","case_history":[{"changed_at":"2026-08-29T20:06:30.325075Z","explanation":"An official oral-argument transcript was verified.","status":"argued"},{"changed_at":"2026-08-29T20:06:30.335475Z","explanation":"An official oral-argument transcript was verified.","status":"argued"}],"case_status":"argued","dek":"The dispute centers on the legal standard for proving jury selection bias.","dek_sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 27, lines 24-3","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-6539.pdf","page_label":"file page 27, lines 24-3"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 15-39","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-6539.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 15-39"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 51, lines 7-33","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-6539.pdf","page_label":"file page 51, lines 7-33"}],"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/03-6539.html","primary_docket":"03-6539","revisions":[{"correction_note":"Rewritten to the concise citizen-facing editorial standard.","created_at":"2026-08-31T15:46:32.422615Z","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 the threshold for proving discrimination in jury selection."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 27, lines 24-3","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-6539.pdf","page_label":"file page 27, lines 24-3"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 15-39","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-6539.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 15-39"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 51, lines 7-33","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-6539.pdf","page_label":"file page 51, lines 7-33"}]},{"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 3, lines 5-13","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-6539.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 5-13"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 54, lines 45-57","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-6539.pdf","page_label":"file page 54, lines 45-57"}]},{"heading":"What each side wants","paragraphs":["the side that brought the case seeks a reversal of the lower court judgment.","The state seeks an affirmation of the lower court judgment."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 27, lines 24-3","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-6539.pdf","page_label":"file page 27, lines 24-3"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 15-39","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-6539.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 15-39"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 51, lines 7-33","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-6539.pdf","page_label":"file page 51, lines 7-33"}]},{"heading":"What each side says","paragraphs":["the side that brought the case argues the current standard is too high.","The state argues the current standard is correct."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 27, lines 24-3","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-6539.pdf","page_label":"file page 27, lines 24-3"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 15-39","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-6539.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 15-39"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 51, lines 7-33","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-6539.pdf","page_label":"file page 51, lines 7-33"}]},{"heading":"What the justices asked","paragraphs":["The Chief Justice asked the side that brought the case to address three points."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 54, lines 45-57","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-6539.pdf","page_label":"file page 54, lines 45-57"}]},{"heading":"Why it matters","paragraphs":["The standard determines how easily a defendant proves jury bias."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 27, lines 24-3","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-6539.pdf","page_label":"file page 27, lines 24-3"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 15-39","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-6539.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 15-39"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 51, lines 7-33","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-6539.pdf","page_label":"file page 51, lines 7-33"}]},{"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/2003/03-6539.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 5-13"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 54, lines 45-57","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-6539.pdf","page_label":"file page 54, lines 45-57"}]}],"slug":"2003-03-6539-johnson-v-california","term":"2003","title":"Does a prosecutor's removal of all minority jurors prove discrimination?","title_sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 27, lines 24-3","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-6539.pdf","page_label":"file page 27, lines 24-3"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 15-39","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-6539.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 15-39"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 51, lines 7-33","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-6539.pdf","page_label":"file page 51, lines 7-33"}],"topics":[],"undated_disposition_date_fallback":null,"updated_at":"2026-09-05T03:22:24Z"}