{"argument_date":"2006-10-03T00:00:00Z","arguments":[{"argument_date":"2006-10-03T00:00:00Z","heading":"What happened at the argument","official_detail_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcript/2006","official_transcript_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2006/05-547.pdf","paragraphs":["Mr. Kneedler stated two requirements for a state drug offense to be an aggravated felony.","He said the conduct must be punishable under federal law and be a felony.","Mr. Long defined a drug-trafficking crime as a felony punishable under federal statutes.","He emphasized that the term punishable is a key term in the definition."],"reargument":false,"sequence":1,"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 10, lines 39-45","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2006/05-547.pdf","page_label":"file page 10, lines 39-45"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 11, lines 19-21","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2006/05-547.pdf","page_label":"file page 11, lines 19-21"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 11, lines 5-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2006/05-547.pdf","page_label":"file page 11, lines 5-15"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 17, lines 39-9","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2006/05-547.pdf","page_label":"file page 17, lines 39-9"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 27, lines 31-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2006/05-547.pdf","page_label":"file page 27, lines 31-15"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 19-5","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2006/05-547.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 19-5"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 7-17","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2006/05-547.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 7-17"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 7-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2006/05-547.pdf","page_label":"file page 5, lines 7-15"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 25-25","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2006/05-547.pdf","page_label":"file page 6, lines 25-25"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 33-41","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2006/05-547.pdf","page_label":"file page 6, lines 33-41"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 9-9","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2006/05-547.pdf","page_label":"file page 6, lines 9-9"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 15-21","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2006/05-547.pdf","page_label":"file page 8, lines 15-21"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 25-25","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2006/05-547.pdf","page_label":"file page 8, lines 25-25"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 35-39","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2006/05-547.pdf","page_label":"file page 8, lines 35-39"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 41-7","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2006/05-547.pdf","page_label":"file page 9, lines 41-7"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 5-21","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2006/05-547.pdf","page_label":"file page 9, lines 5-21"}]}],"caption":"Lopez v. Gonzales","case_history":[{"changed_at":"2026-08-29T20:06:36.048903Z","explanation":"An official oral-argument transcript was verified.","status":"argued"}],"case_status":"argued","dek":"the sides that brought the case argue state drug crimes are not federal aggravated felonies. The government disagrees.","dek_sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 17, lines 39-9","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2006/05-547.pdf","page_label":"file page 17, lines 39-9"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 27, lines 31-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2006/05-547.pdf","page_label":"file page 27, lines 31-15"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 19-5","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2006/05-547.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 19-5"}],"dispositions":[],"latest_court_document_date":"2006-10-03T00:00:00Z","maturity":"official_transcript","official_detail_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcript/2006","official_disposition_urls":[],"official_docket_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/docket/docketfiles/html/public/05-547.html","primary_docket":"05-547","revisions":[{"correction_note":"Rewritten to the concise citizen-facing editorial standard.","created_at":"2026-08-31T13:21:43.229544Z","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 asks if state drug crimes are federal aggravated felonies. This status affects immigration removal."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 17, lines 39-9","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2006/05-547.pdf","page_label":"file page 17, lines 39-9"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 27, lines 31-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2006/05-547.pdf","page_label":"file page 27, lines 31-15"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 19-5","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2006/05-547.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 19-5"}]},{"heading":"How the case got here","paragraphs":["The Supreme Court heard oral argument in this case on October 3, 2006."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 7-17","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2006/05-547.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 7-17"}]},{"heading":"What each side wants","paragraphs":["the sides that brought the case want the state drug crime excluded from federal aggravated felony status.","The government wants the state drug crime included as a federal aggravated felony."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 17, lines 39-9","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2006/05-547.pdf","page_label":"file page 17, lines 39-9"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 27, lines 31-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2006/05-547.pdf","page_label":"file page 27, lines 31-15"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 19-5","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2006/05-547.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 19-5"}]},{"heading":"What each side says","paragraphs":["the sides that brought the case argue the state crime lacks the specific federal statutory elements.","The government argues the state crime matches the federal definition of a drug trafficking crime."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 17, lines 39-9","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2006/05-547.pdf","page_label":"file page 17, lines 39-9"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 27, lines 31-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2006/05-547.pdf","page_label":"file page 27, lines 31-15"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 19-5","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2006/05-547.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 19-5"}]},{"heading":"What the justices asked","paragraphs":["Justice Alito asked how the phrase illicit trafficking adds meaning to the statute.","Justice Alito asked if any state trafficking offenses fall outside the federal definition."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 10, lines 39-45","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2006/05-547.pdf","page_label":"file page 10, lines 39-45"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 11, lines 19-21","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2006/05-547.pdf","page_label":"file page 11, lines 19-21"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 11, lines 5-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2006/05-547.pdf","page_label":"file page 11, lines 5-15"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 7-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2006/05-547.pdf","page_label":"file page 5, lines 7-15"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 25-25","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2006/05-547.pdf","page_label":"file page 6, lines 25-25"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 33-41","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2006/05-547.pdf","page_label":"file page 6, lines 33-41"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 9-9","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2006/05-547.pdf","page_label":"file page 6, lines 9-9"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 15-21","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2006/05-547.pdf","page_label":"file page 8, lines 15-21"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 25-25","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2006/05-547.pdf","page_label":"file page 8, lines 25-25"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 35-39","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2006/05-547.pdf","page_label":"file page 8, lines 35-39"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 41-7","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2006/05-547.pdf","page_label":"file page 9, lines 41-7"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 5-21","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2006/05-547.pdf","page_label":"file page 9, lines 5-21"}]},{"heading":"Why it matters","paragraphs":["This dispute determines if state drug convictions trigger federal immigration penalties. It defines the scope of federal aggravated felony status."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 17, lines 39-9","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2006/05-547.pdf","page_label":"file page 17, lines 39-9"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 27, lines 31-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2006/05-547.pdf","page_label":"file page 27, lines 31-15"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 19-5","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2006/05-547.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 19-5"}]},{"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 10, lines 39-45","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2006/05-547.pdf","page_label":"file page 10, lines 39-45"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 11, lines 19-21","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2006/05-547.pdf","page_label":"file page 11, lines 19-21"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 11, lines 5-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2006/05-547.pdf","page_label":"file page 11, lines 5-15"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 7-17","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2006/05-547.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 7-17"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 7-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2006/05-547.pdf","page_label":"file page 5, lines 7-15"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 25-25","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2006/05-547.pdf","page_label":"file page 6, lines 25-25"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 33-41","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2006/05-547.pdf","page_label":"file page 6, lines 33-41"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 9-9","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2006/05-547.pdf","page_label":"file page 6, lines 9-9"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 15-21","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2006/05-547.pdf","page_label":"file page 8, lines 15-21"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 25-25","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2006/05-547.pdf","page_label":"file page 8, lines 25-25"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 35-39","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2006/05-547.pdf","page_label":"file page 8, lines 35-39"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 41-7","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2006/05-547.pdf","page_label":"file page 9, lines 41-7"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 5-21","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2006/05-547.pdf","page_label":"file page 9, lines 5-21"}]}],"slug":"2006-05-547-lopez-v-gonzales","term":"2006","title":"Does a state drug crime count as a federal aggravated felony?","title_sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 17, lines 39-9","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2006/05-547.pdf","page_label":"file page 17, lines 39-9"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 27, lines 31-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2006/05-547.pdf","page_label":"file page 27, lines 31-15"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 19-5","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2006/05-547.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 19-5"}],"topics":[],"undated_disposition_date_fallback":null,"updated_at":"2026-09-05T03:22:24Z"}