{"argument_date":"2015-02-24T00:00:00Z","arguments":[{"argument_date":"2015-02-24T00:00:00Z","heading":"What happened at the argument","official_detail_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcript/2014","official_transcript_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2014/13-1487_82i7.pdf","paragraphs":["Mr. Ortiz argued the case asks whether the felon-in-possession statute prevents courts from ordering the transfer of seized firearms to a third party.","Justice Kennedy asked if a black-letter case supports the proposition that courts have general equitable authority to order such transfers.","Justice Kennedy asked under what statutory rule or authority the court holds the hearing on the transfer.","Justice Sotomayor asked if the side that brought the case was on a futile mission in this circuit regarding the transfer request."],"reargument":false,"sequence":1,"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 16, lines 45-9","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2014/13-1487_82i7.pdf","page_label":"file page 16, lines 45-9"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 19-39","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2014/13-1487_82i7.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 19-39"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 41-47","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2014/13-1487_82i7.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 41-47"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 7-17","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2014/13-1487_82i7.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 7-17"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 51-7","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2014/13-1487_82i7.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 51-7"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 7-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2014/13-1487_82i7.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 7-15"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 27-29","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2014/13-1487_82i7.pdf","page_label":"file page 5, lines 27-29"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 27-37","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2014/13-1487_82i7.pdf","page_label":"file page 6, lines 27-37"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 5-11","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2014/13-1487_82i7.pdf","page_label":"file page 6, lines 5-11"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 47-49","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2014/13-1487_82i7.pdf","page_label":"file page 7, lines 47-49"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 5-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2014/13-1487_82i7.pdf","page_label":"file page 7, lines 5-15"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 13-17","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2014/13-1487_82i7.pdf","page_label":"file page 8, lines 13-17"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 41-43","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2014/13-1487_82i7.pdf","page_label":"file page 8, lines 41-43"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 5-9","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2014/13-1487_82i7.pdf","page_label":"file page 8, lines 5-9"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 17-19","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2014/13-1487_82i7.pdf","page_label":"file page 9, lines 17-19"}]}],"caption":"Henderson v. United States","case_history":[{"changed_at":"2026-08-29T20:06:23.248043Z","explanation":"An official oral-argument transcript was verified.","status":"argued"}],"case_status":"argued","dek":"The dispute centers on whether federal courts can order the government to transfer a felon's seized firearms to a third party.","dek_sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 16, lines 45-9","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2014/13-1487_82i7.pdf","page_label":"file page 16, lines 45-9"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 19-39","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2014/13-1487_82i7.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 19-39"}],"dispositions":[],"latest_court_document_date":"2015-02-24T00:00:00Z","maturity":"official_transcript","official_detail_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcript/2014","official_disposition_urls":[],"official_docket_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/docket/docketfiles/html/public/13-1487.html","primary_docket":"13-1487","revisions":[{"correction_note":"Rewritten to the concise citizen-facing editorial standard.","created_at":"2026-08-30T19:55:44.837814Z","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 tests the scope of federal court authority over seized property. the side that brought the case seeks a court order to transfer his guns to a third party. The government argues the statute bars such orders. The core legal question is whether the felon-in-possession statute prevents courts from directing the transfer of seized firearms."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 16, lines 45-9","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2014/13-1487_82i7.pdf","page_label":"file page 16, lines 45-9"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 19-39","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2014/13-1487_82i7.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 19-39"}]},{"heading":"How the case got here","paragraphs":["The Supreme Court heard oral argument in this case on February 24, 2015."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 7-17","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2014/13-1487_82i7.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 7-17"}]},{"heading":"What each side wants","paragraphs":["the side that brought the case wants the Court to allow the transfer of his seized guns to a third party.","The government wants the Court to uphold the ban on transferring the guns to a third party."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 16, lines 45-9","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2014/13-1487_82i7.pdf","page_label":"file page 16, lines 45-9"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 19-39","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2014/13-1487_82i7.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 19-39"}]},{"heading":"What each side says","paragraphs":["the side that brought the case argues the felon-in-possession statute does not prevent courts from ordering the transfer of seized firearms to a suitable third party.","The government argues the statute prohibits courts from ordering the transfer of a felon's seized firearms to a third party."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 16, lines 45-9","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2014/13-1487_82i7.pdf","page_label":"file page 16, lines 45-9"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 19-39","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2014/13-1487_82i7.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 19-39"}]},{"heading":"What the justices asked","paragraphs":["Justice Ginsburg asked how the Court can verify that a transfer to a third party prevents the felon from possessing the guns.","Justice Ginsburg asked where the side that brought the case requested the court to allow the guns to be sold by a licensed dealer."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 41-47","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2014/13-1487_82i7.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 41-47"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 51-7","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2014/13-1487_82i7.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 51-7"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 7-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2014/13-1487_82i7.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 7-15"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 27-29","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2014/13-1487_82i7.pdf","page_label":"file page 5, lines 27-29"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 27-37","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2014/13-1487_82i7.pdf","page_label":"file page 6, lines 27-37"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 5-11","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2014/13-1487_82i7.pdf","page_label":"file page 6, lines 5-11"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 47-49","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2014/13-1487_82i7.pdf","page_label":"file page 7, lines 47-49"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 5-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2014/13-1487_82i7.pdf","page_label":"file page 7, lines 5-15"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 13-17","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2014/13-1487_82i7.pdf","page_label":"file page 8, lines 13-17"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 41-43","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2014/13-1487_82i7.pdf","page_label":"file page 8, lines 41-43"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 5-9","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2014/13-1487_82i7.pdf","page_label":"file page 8, lines 5-9"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 17-19","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2014/13-1487_82i7.pdf","page_label":"file page 9, lines 17-19"}]},{"heading":"Why it matters","paragraphs":["This case defines the limits of federal court power over seized property. It determines whether courts can direct the transfer of a felon's guns to third parties. The outcome shapes how courts handle seized firearms in criminal cases. It affects the balance between property rights and public safety."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 16, lines 45-9","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2014/13-1487_82i7.pdf","page_label":"file page 16, lines 45-9"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 19-39","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2014/13-1487_82i7.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 19-39"}]},{"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 41-47","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2014/13-1487_82i7.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 41-47"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 7-17","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2014/13-1487_82i7.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 7-17"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 51-7","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2014/13-1487_82i7.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 51-7"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 7-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2014/13-1487_82i7.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 7-15"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 27-29","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2014/13-1487_82i7.pdf","page_label":"file page 5, lines 27-29"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 27-37","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2014/13-1487_82i7.pdf","page_label":"file page 6, lines 27-37"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 5-11","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2014/13-1487_82i7.pdf","page_label":"file page 6, lines 5-11"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 47-49","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2014/13-1487_82i7.pdf","page_label":"file page 7, lines 47-49"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 5-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2014/13-1487_82i7.pdf","page_label":"file page 7, lines 5-15"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 13-17","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2014/13-1487_82i7.pdf","page_label":"file page 8, lines 13-17"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 41-43","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2014/13-1487_82i7.pdf","page_label":"file page 8, lines 41-43"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 5-9","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2014/13-1487_82i7.pdf","page_label":"file page 8, lines 5-9"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 17-19","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2014/13-1487_82i7.pdf","page_label":"file page 9, lines 17-19"}]}],"slug":"2014-13-1487-henderson-v-united-states","term":"2014","title":"Can courts order the transfer of a felon's seized guns to a third party?","title_sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 16, lines 45-9","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2014/13-1487_82i7.pdf","page_label":"file page 16, lines 45-9"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 19-39","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2014/13-1487_82i7.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 19-39"}],"topics":[],"undated_disposition_date_fallback":null,"updated_at":"2026-09-05T03:22:24Z"}