{"argument_date":"2003-10-07T00:00:00Z","arguments":[{"argument_date":"2003-10-07T00:00:00Z","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/2003/129orig.pdf","paragraphs":["Virginia argues the compact language is plain and unambiguous.","Maryland cites the 1877 Black-Jenkins Award for its authority.","Virginia claims Maryland never disputed its regulatory role for 180 years.","Maryland asserts it can regulate Virginia citizens placing structures."],"reargument":false,"sequence":1,"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 28, lines 37-3","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/129orig.pdf","page_label":"file page 28, lines 37-3"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 15-45","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/129orig.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 15-45"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 5-13","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/129orig.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 5-13"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 53, lines 41-57","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/129orig.pdf","page_label":"file page 53, lines 41-57"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 58, lines 47-29","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/129orig.pdf","page_label":"file page 58, lines 47-29"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 60, lines 31-33","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/129orig.pdf","page_label":"file page 60, lines 31-33"}]}],"caption":"Virginia v. Maryland","case_history":[{"changed_at":"2026-08-29T20:06:30.955267Z","explanation":"An official oral-argument transcript was verified.","status":"argued"},{"changed_at":"2026-08-29T20:06:30.987427Z","explanation":"An official oral-argument transcript was verified.","status":"argued"}],"case_status":"argued","dek":"Virginia and Maryland dispute who controls riverfront construction.","dek_sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 28, lines 37-3","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/129orig.pdf","page_label":"file page 28, lines 37-3"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 15-45","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/129orig.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 15-45"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 53, lines 41-57","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/129orig.pdf","page_label":"file page 53, lines 41-57"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 58, lines 47-29","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/129orig.pdf","page_label":"file page 58, lines 47-29"}],"dispositions":[],"latest_court_document_date":"2003-10-07T00:00:00Z","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/129%20ORIG..html","primary_docket":"129 ORIG.","revisions":[{"correction_note":"Rewritten to the concise citizen-facing editorial standard.","created_at":"2026-08-31T16:13:04.925875Z","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":["Virginia and Maryland fight over river regulation authority."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 28, lines 37-3","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/129orig.pdf","page_label":"file page 28, lines 37-3"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 15-45","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/129orig.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 15-45"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 53, lines 41-57","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/129orig.pdf","page_label":"file page 53, lines 41-57"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 58, lines 47-29","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/129orig.pdf","page_label":"file page 58, lines 47-29"}]},{"heading":"How the case got here","paragraphs":["The Supreme Court heard oral argument in this case on October 7, 2003."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 5-13","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/129orig.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 5-13"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 60, lines 31-33","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/129orig.pdf","page_label":"file page 60, lines 31-33"}]},{"heading":"What each side wants","paragraphs":["Virginia wants to build structures without Maryland rules.","Maryland wants to regulate Virginia riverfront construction."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 28, lines 37-3","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/129orig.pdf","page_label":"file page 28, lines 37-3"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 15-45","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/129orig.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 15-45"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 53, lines 41-57","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/129orig.pdf","page_label":"file page 53, lines 41-57"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 58, lines 47-29","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/129orig.pdf","page_label":"file page 58, lines 47-29"}]},{"heading":"What each side says","paragraphs":["Virginia argues compact language grants it exclusive control.","Maryland argues historical awards confirm its regulatory authority."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 28, lines 37-3","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/129orig.pdf","page_label":"file page 28, lines 37-3"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 15-45","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/129orig.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 15-45"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 53, lines 41-57","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/129orig.pdf","page_label":"file page 53, lines 41-57"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 58, lines 47-29","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/129orig.pdf","page_label":"file page 58, lines 47-29"}]},{"heading":"What the justices asked","paragraphs":["How do you identify the historic low-water mark?","Has Virginia ever claimed regulatory authority over piers?"],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 60, lines 31-33","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/129orig.pdf","page_label":"file page 60, lines 31-33"}]},{"heading":"Why it matters","paragraphs":["The outcome defines state power over shared waterways."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 28, lines 37-3","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/129orig.pdf","page_label":"file page 28, lines 37-3"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 15-45","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/129orig.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 15-45"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 53, lines 41-57","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/129orig.pdf","page_label":"file page 53, lines 41-57"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 58, lines 47-29","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/129orig.pdf","page_label":"file page 58, lines 47-29"}]},{"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 3, lines 5-13","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/129orig.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 5-13"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 60, lines 31-33","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/129orig.pdf","page_label":"file page 60, lines 31-33"}]}],"slug":"2003-129-orig-virginia-v-maryland","term":"2003","title":"Who regulates structures on the Potomac River?","title_sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 28, lines 37-3","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/129orig.pdf","page_label":"file page 28, lines 37-3"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 15-45","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/129orig.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 15-45"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 53, lines 41-57","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/129orig.pdf","page_label":"file page 53, lines 41-57"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 58, lines 47-29","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2003/129orig.pdf","page_label":"file page 58, lines 47-29"}],"topics":[],"undated_disposition_date_fallback":null,"updated_at":"2026-09-05T03:22:24Z"}