{"argument_date":"2004-04-28T00:00:00Z","arguments":[{"argument_date":"2004-04-28T00:00:00Z","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/2003/03-6696.pdf","paragraphs":["Frank Dunham represents Hamdi. He argues the government lacks authority. He says Hamdi has no hearing. He calls the government's stance unreasonable. He demands a factual review.","Paul Clement represents the government. He argues the executive has power. He claims the government can hold Hamdi. He asserts the detention is lawful. He rejects the need for a hearing.","Chief Justice Rehnquist introduces the case. He notes the parties. He invites the first advocate. He manages the oral argument."],"reargument":false,"sequence":1,"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 26, lines 39-43","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-6696.pdf","page_label":"file page 26, lines 39-43"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 13-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-6696.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 13-15"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 3-11","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-6696.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 3-11"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 54, lines 41-43","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-6696.pdf","page_label":"file page 54, lines 41-43"}]}],"caption":"Hamdi v. Rumsfeld","case_history":[{"changed_at":"2026-08-29T20:06:30.188459Z","explanation":"An official oral-argument transcript was verified.","status":"argued"},{"changed_at":"2026-08-29T20:06:30.217714Z","explanation":"An official oral-argument transcript was verified.","status":"argued"}],"case_status":"argued","dek":"Yaser Hamdi challenges his indefinite detention. The government claims it has the power to hold him.","dek_sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 26, lines 39-43","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-6696.pdf","page_label":"file page 26, lines 39-43"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 13-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-6696.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 13-15"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 54, lines 41-43","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-6696.pdf","page_label":"file page 54, lines 41-43"}],"dispositions":[],"latest_court_document_date":"2004-04-28T00:00:00Z","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/03-6696.html","primary_docket":"03-6696","revisions":[{"correction_note":"Rewritten to the concise citizen-facing editorial standard.","created_at":"2026-08-31T15:32:16.862206Z","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":["Yaser Hamdi is a U.S. citizen. The government holds him as an enemy combatant. He has been detained for over two years. He has not received a hearing. He disputes the facts behind his detention."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 26, lines 39-43","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-6696.pdf","page_label":"file page 26, lines 39-43"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 13-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-6696.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 13-15"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 54, lines 41-43","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-6696.pdf","page_label":"file page 54, lines 41-43"}]},{"heading":"How the case got here","paragraphs":["The Supreme Court heard oral argument in this case on April 28, 2004."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 3-11","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-6696.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 3-11"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 54, lines 41-43","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-6696.pdf","page_label":"file page 54, lines 41-43"}]},{"heading":"What each side wants","paragraphs":["Hamdi wants a hearing to challenge his detention.","The government wants to keep holding Hamdi without a hearing."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 26, lines 39-43","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-6696.pdf","page_label":"file page 26, lines 39-43"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 13-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-6696.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 13-15"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 54, lines 41-43","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-6696.pdf","page_label":"file page 54, lines 41-43"}]},{"heading":"What each side says","paragraphs":["Hamdi argues the government lacks authority to hold him.","The government argues it has the power to detain him."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 26, lines 39-43","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-6696.pdf","page_label":"file page 26, lines 39-43"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 13-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-6696.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 13-15"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 54, lines 41-43","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-6696.pdf","page_label":"file page 54, lines 41-43"}]},{"heading":"What the justices asked","paragraphs":["Does the executive branch have the power to detain a citizen?","Must the government provide a hearing before holding a citizen?"],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 26, lines 39-43","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-6696.pdf","page_label":"file page 26, lines 39-43"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 13-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-6696.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 13-15"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 3-11","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-6696.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 3-11"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 54, lines 41-43","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-6696.pdf","page_label":"file page 54, lines 41-43"}]},{"heading":"Why it matters","paragraphs":["This case defines executive power over citizens. It sets limits on detention without trial. It protects due process rights. It balances national security and individual liberty."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 26, lines 39-43","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-6696.pdf","page_label":"file page 26, lines 39-43"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 13-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-6696.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 13-15"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 54, lines 41-43","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-6696.pdf","page_label":"file page 54, lines 41-43"}]},{"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 26, lines 39-43","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-6696.pdf","page_label":"file page 26, lines 39-43"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 13-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-6696.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 13-15"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 3-11","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-6696.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 3-11"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 54, lines 41-43","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-6696.pdf","page_label":"file page 54, lines 41-43"}]}],"slug":"2003-03-6696-hamdi-v-rumsfeld","term":"2003","title":"Can the government hold a U.S. citizen as an enemy combatant without a hearing?","title_sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 26, lines 39-43","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-6696.pdf","page_label":"file page 26, lines 39-43"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 13-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-6696.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 13-15"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 54, lines 41-43","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/03-6696.pdf","page_label":"file page 54, lines 41-43"}],"topics":[],"undated_disposition_date_fallback":null,"updated_at":"2026-09-05T03:22:24Z"}