{"argument_date":"2011-10-03T00:00:00Z","arguments":[{"argument_date":"2011-10-03T00:00:00Z","heading":"What happened at the argument","official_detail_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcript/2011","official_transcript_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2011/10-6549.pdf","paragraphs":["Ms. Cain argued that Congress included a provision delegating authority to the Attorney General for pre-enactment offenders.","Ms. Sherry stated that the Wetterling Act was not retroactive and did not apply to pre-enactment conduct.","The government advocate stated that the statute applies facially to all sex offenders regardless of conviction date.","Justice Scalia expressed concern about leaving the determination of criminal status to the Attorney General."],"reargument":false,"sequence":1,"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 24, lines 25-49","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2011/10-6549.pdf","page_label":"file page 24, lines 25-49"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 25, lines 45-5","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2011/10-6549.pdf","page_label":"file page 25, lines 45-5"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-17","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2011/10-6549.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 17-17"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 7-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2011/10-6549.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 7-15"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 19-21","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2011/10-6549.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 19-21"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 29-35","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2011/10-6549.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 29-35"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 43-45","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2011/10-6549.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 43-45"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 51-5","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2011/10-6549.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 51-5"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 46, lines 15-31","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2011/10-6549.pdf","page_label":"file page 46, lines 15-31"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 19-27","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2011/10-6549.pdf","page_label":"file page 5, lines 19-27"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 41-45","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2011/10-6549.pdf","page_label":"file page 5, lines 41-45"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 21-45","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2011/10-6549.pdf","page_label":"file page 6, lines 21-45"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 15-27","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2011/10-6549.pdf","page_label":"file page 7, lines 15-27"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 35-47","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2011/10-6549.pdf","page_label":"file page 7, lines 35-47"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 43-1","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2011/10-6549.pdf","page_label":"file page 8, lines 43-1"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 7-41","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2011/10-6549.pdf","page_label":"file page 8, lines 7-41"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 7-27","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2011/10-6549.pdf","page_label":"file page 9, lines 7-27"}]}],"caption":"Reynolds v. United States","case_history":[{"changed_at":"2026-08-29T20:06:24.888930Z","explanation":"An official oral-argument transcript was verified.","status":"argued"}],"case_status":"argued","dek":"The dispute centers on whether a federal law requiring sex offender registration applies to individuals convicted before the law took effect.","dek_sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 24, lines 25-49","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2011/10-6549.pdf","page_label":"file page 24, lines 25-49"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 25, lines 45-5","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2011/10-6549.pdf","page_label":"file page 25, lines 45-5"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-17","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2011/10-6549.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 17-17"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 46, lines 15-31","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2011/10-6549.pdf","page_label":"file page 46, lines 15-31"}],"dispositions":[],"latest_court_document_date":"2011-10-03T00:00:00Z","maturity":"official_transcript","official_detail_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcript/2011","official_disposition_urls":[],"official_docket_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/docket/docketfiles/html/public/10-6549.html","primary_docket":"10-6549","revisions":[{"correction_note":"Rewritten to the concise citizen-facing editorial standard.","created_at":"2026-08-31T20:34:52.016731Z","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":["This case examines the scope of a federal registration mandate. The core issue is whether the law reaches past convictions or only future ones."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 24, lines 25-49","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2011/10-6549.pdf","page_label":"file page 24, lines 25-49"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 25, lines 45-5","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2011/10-6549.pdf","page_label":"file page 25, lines 45-5"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-17","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2011/10-6549.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 17-17"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 46, lines 15-31","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2011/10-6549.pdf","page_label":"file page 46, lines 15-31"}]},{"heading":"How the case got here","paragraphs":["The Supreme Court heard oral argument in this case on October 3, 2011."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 7-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2011/10-6549.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 7-15"}]},{"heading":"What each side wants","paragraphs":["the side that brought the case wants the Court to rule that the registration law does not apply to pre-enactment convictions.","The government wants the Court to rule that the registration law applies to all sex offenders regardless of conviction date."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 24, lines 25-49","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2011/10-6549.pdf","page_label":"file page 24, lines 25-49"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 25, lines 45-5","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2011/10-6549.pdf","page_label":"file page 25, lines 45-5"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-17","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2011/10-6549.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 17-17"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 46, lines 15-31","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2011/10-6549.pdf","page_label":"file page 46, lines 15-31"}]},{"heading":"What each side says","paragraphs":["the side that brought the case argues that Congress delegated authority to the Attorney General to decide how to apply the law to past offenders.","The government argues that the statute textually applies to all sex offenders without distinguishing the date of their conviction."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 24, lines 25-49","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2011/10-6549.pdf","page_label":"file page 24, lines 25-49"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 25, lines 45-5","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2011/10-6549.pdf","page_label":"file page 25, lines 45-5"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-17","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2011/10-6549.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 17-17"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 46, lines 15-31","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2011/10-6549.pdf","page_label":"file page 46, lines 15-31"}]},{"heading":"What the justices asked","paragraphs":["Chief Justice Roberts asked whether the Wetterling Act requirement applied as of the enactment date or reached back.","Justice Kennedy asked if the criminal conviction resulted from the client being in a covered class of persons."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 19-21","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2011/10-6549.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 19-21"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 29-35","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2011/10-6549.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 29-35"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 43-45","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2011/10-6549.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 43-45"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 51-5","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2011/10-6549.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 51-5"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 19-27","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2011/10-6549.pdf","page_label":"file page 5, lines 19-27"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 41-45","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2011/10-6549.pdf","page_label":"file page 5, lines 41-45"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 21-45","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2011/10-6549.pdf","page_label":"file page 6, lines 21-45"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 15-27","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2011/10-6549.pdf","page_label":"file page 7, lines 15-27"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 35-47","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2011/10-6549.pdf","page_label":"file page 7, lines 35-47"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 43-1","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2011/10-6549.pdf","page_label":"file page 8, lines 43-1"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 7-41","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2011/10-6549.pdf","page_label":"file page 8, lines 7-41"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 7-27","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2011/10-6549.pdf","page_label":"file page 9, lines 7-27"}]},{"heading":"Why it matters","paragraphs":["This case determines whether federal registration mandates can reach individuals convicted before the law existed. It defines the temporal scope of criminal compliance requirements. It impacts how legislatures draft laws affecting past conduct. It clarifies the role of executive discretion in applying statutory mandates."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 24, lines 25-49","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2011/10-6549.pdf","page_label":"file page 24, lines 25-49"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 25, lines 45-5","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2011/10-6549.pdf","page_label":"file page 25, lines 45-5"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-17","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2011/10-6549.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 17-17"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 46, lines 15-31","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2011/10-6549.pdf","page_label":"file page 46, lines 15-31"}]},{"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 7-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2011/10-6549.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 7-15"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 19-21","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2011/10-6549.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 19-21"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 29-35","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2011/10-6549.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 29-35"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 43-45","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2011/10-6549.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 43-45"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 51-5","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2011/10-6549.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 51-5"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 19-27","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2011/10-6549.pdf","page_label":"file page 5, lines 19-27"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 41-45","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2011/10-6549.pdf","page_label":"file page 5, lines 41-45"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 21-45","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2011/10-6549.pdf","page_label":"file page 6, lines 21-45"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 15-27","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2011/10-6549.pdf","page_label":"file page 7, lines 15-27"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 35-47","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2011/10-6549.pdf","page_label":"file page 7, lines 35-47"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 43-1","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2011/10-6549.pdf","page_label":"file page 8, lines 43-1"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 7-41","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2011/10-6549.pdf","page_label":"file page 8, lines 7-41"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 7-27","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2011/10-6549.pdf","page_label":"file page 9, lines 7-27"}]}],"slug":"2011-10-6549-reynolds-v-united-states","term":"2011","title":"Does the federal sex offender registration law apply to crimes committed before the law passed?","title_sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 24, lines 25-49","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2011/10-6549.pdf","page_label":"file page 24, lines 25-49"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 25, lines 45-5","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2011/10-6549.pdf","page_label":"file page 25, lines 45-5"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-17","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2011/10-6549.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 17-17"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 46, lines 15-31","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2011/10-6549.pdf","page_label":"file page 46, lines 15-31"}],"topics":[],"undated_disposition_date_fallback":null,"updated_at":"2026-09-05T03:22:24Z"}