{"argument_date":"2010-03-30T00:00:00Z","arguments":[{"argument_date":"2010-03-30T00:00:00Z","heading":"What happened at the argument","official_detail_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcript/2009","official_transcript_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2009/09-5201.pdf","paragraphs":["Mr. Sady argued the phrase term of imprisonment appears three times in the statute.","He stated the first two uses mean the sentence imposed.","Mr. Wall argued the statute language tracks the Bureau's practice.","He noted Justice Breyer described the Bureau's method correctly."],"reargument":false,"sequence":1,"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 10, lines 17-29","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2009/09-5201.pdf","page_label":"file page 10, lines 17-29"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 26, lines 13-35","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2009/09-5201.pdf","page_label":"file page 26, lines 13-35"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 19-37","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2009/09-5201.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 19-37"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 39-11","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2009/09-5201.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 39-11"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 7-17","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2009/09-5201.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 7-17"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 15-19","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2009/09-5201.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 15-19"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 43-5","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2009/09-5201.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 43-5"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 19-33","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2009/09-5201.pdf","page_label":"file page 5, lines 19-33"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 45-49","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2009/09-5201.pdf","page_label":"file page 6, lines 45-49"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 9-31","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2009/09-5201.pdf","page_label":"file page 6, lines 9-31"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 13-41","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2009/09-5201.pdf","page_label":"file page 7, lines 13-41"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 5-39","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2009/09-5201.pdf","page_label":"file page 8, lines 5-39"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 23-29","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2009/09-5201.pdf","page_label":"file page 9, lines 23-29"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 33-39","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2009/09-5201.pdf","page_label":"file page 9, lines 33-39"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 47-5","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2009/09-5201.pdf","page_label":"file page 9, lines 47-5"}]}],"caption":"Barber v. Thomas","case_history":[{"changed_at":"2026-08-29T20:06:25.619466Z","explanation":"An official oral-argument transcript was verified.","status":"argued"}],"case_status":"argued","dek":"The dispute centers on how to calculate the end date of a federal sentence under the good time statute.","dek_sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 26, lines 13-35","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2009/09-5201.pdf","page_label":"file page 26, lines 13-35"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 19-37","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2009/09-5201.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 19-37"}],"dispositions":[],"latest_court_document_date":"2010-03-30T00:00:00Z","maturity":"official_transcript","official_detail_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcript/2009","official_disposition_urls":[],"official_docket_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/docket/docketfiles/html/public/09-5201.html","primary_docket":"09-5201","revisions":[{"correction_note":"Rewritten to the concise citizen-facing editorial standard.","created_at":"2026-08-31T01:15:38.233495Z","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 how to interpret the phrase term of imprisonment in the federal good time statute. the sides that brought the case argue it means the sentence imposed by the court. the opposing sides argue it means the actual time served. The lower court ruled against the sides that brought the case. The Supreme Court will decide which interpretation applies."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 26, lines 13-35","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2009/09-5201.pdf","page_label":"file page 26, lines 13-35"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 19-37","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2009/09-5201.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 19-37"}]},{"heading":"How the case got here","paragraphs":["The Supreme Court heard oral argument in this case on March 30, 2010."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 7-17","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2009/09-5201.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 7-17"}]},{"heading":"What each side wants","paragraphs":["the sides that brought the case want the Court to hold that the sentence ends on the date of the imposed term.","the opposing sides want the Court to hold that the sentence ends after the full time served."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 26, lines 13-35","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2009/09-5201.pdf","page_label":"file page 26, lines 13-35"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 19-37","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2009/09-5201.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 19-37"}]},{"heading":"What each side says","paragraphs":["the sides that brought the case argue the statute uses term of imprisonment to mean the sentence imposed.","the opposing sides argue the statute uses term of imprisonment to mean the actual time served."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 26, lines 13-35","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2009/09-5201.pdf","page_label":"file page 26, lines 13-35"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 19-37","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2009/09-5201.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 19-37"}]},{"heading":"What the justices asked","paragraphs":["Justice Sotomayor asked if the Bureau releases a prisoner on the expiration date.","Justice Scalia asked if the Bureau gives clothes months after release."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 10, lines 17-29","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2009/09-5201.pdf","page_label":"file page 10, lines 17-29"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 39-11","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2009/09-5201.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 39-11"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 15-19","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2009/09-5201.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 15-19"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 43-5","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2009/09-5201.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 43-5"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 19-33","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2009/09-5201.pdf","page_label":"file page 5, lines 19-33"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 45-49","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2009/09-5201.pdf","page_label":"file page 6, lines 45-49"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 9-31","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2009/09-5201.pdf","page_label":"file page 6, lines 9-31"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 13-41","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2009/09-5201.pdf","page_label":"file page 7, lines 13-41"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 5-39","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2009/09-5201.pdf","page_label":"file page 8, lines 5-39"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 23-29","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2009/09-5201.pdf","page_label":"file page 9, lines 23-29"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 33-39","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2009/09-5201.pdf","page_label":"file page 9, lines 33-39"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 47-5","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2009/09-5201.pdf","page_label":"file page 9, lines 47-5"}]},{"heading":"Why it matters","paragraphs":["This case determines how federal courts calculate release dates for all prisoners. It affects the length of time inmates spend in custody. It shapes the administration of federal sentences nationwide."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 26, lines 13-35","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2009/09-5201.pdf","page_label":"file page 26, lines 13-35"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 19-37","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2009/09-5201.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 19-37"}]},{"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 17-29","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2009/09-5201.pdf","page_label":"file page 10, lines 17-29"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 39-11","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2009/09-5201.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 39-11"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 7-17","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2009/09-5201.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 7-17"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 15-19","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2009/09-5201.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 15-19"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 43-5","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2009/09-5201.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 43-5"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 19-33","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2009/09-5201.pdf","page_label":"file page 5, lines 19-33"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 45-49","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2009/09-5201.pdf","page_label":"file page 6, lines 45-49"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 9-31","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2009/09-5201.pdf","page_label":"file page 6, lines 9-31"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 13-41","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2009/09-5201.pdf","page_label":"file page 7, lines 13-41"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 5-39","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2009/09-5201.pdf","page_label":"file page 8, lines 5-39"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 23-29","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2009/09-5201.pdf","page_label":"file page 9, lines 23-29"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 33-39","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2009/09-5201.pdf","page_label":"file page 9, lines 33-39"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 47-5","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2009/09-5201.pdf","page_label":"file page 9, lines 47-5"}]}],"slug":"2009-09-5201-barber-v-thomas","term":"2009","title":"When does a federal prisoner's sentence end?","title_sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 26, lines 13-35","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2009/09-5201.pdf","page_label":"file page 26, lines 13-35"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 19-37","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/pdfs/transcripts/2009/09-5201.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 19-37"}],"topics":[],"undated_disposition_date_fallback":null,"updated_at":"2026-09-05T03:22:24Z"}