{"argument_date":"2016-02-29T00:00:00Z","arguments":[{"argument_date":"2016-02-29T00:00:00Z","heading":"What happened at the argument","official_detail_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcript/2015","official_transcript_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2015/14-10154_g31h.pdf","paragraphs":["Ms. Villa argued that reckless misdemeanors should be excluded from the phrase use of physical force.","Ms. Villa stated that this exclusion aligns with the Court's prior definitions of use.","Ms. Villa claimed that this view matches the common law definition of battery.","Ms. Eisenstein argued that Congress intended to keep guns away from assault and battery convicts."],"reargument":false,"sequence":1,"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 25, lines 26-42","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2015/14-10154_g31h.pdf","page_label":"file page 25, lines 26-42"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 22-42","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2015/14-10154_g31h.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 22-42"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 44-12","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2015/14-10154_g31h.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 44-12"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 8-20","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2015/14-10154_g31h.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 8-20"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 26-48","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2015/14-10154_g31h.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 26-48"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 26-30","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2015/14-10154_g31h.pdf","page_label":"file page 5, lines 26-30"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 34-38","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2015/14-10154_g31h.pdf","page_label":"file page 5, lines 34-38"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 4-8","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2015/14-10154_g31h.pdf","page_label":"file page 5, lines 4-8"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 10-10","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2015/14-10154_g31h.pdf","page_label":"file page 6, lines 10-10"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 20-28","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2015/14-10154_g31h.pdf","page_label":"file page 6, lines 20-28"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 34-38","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2015/14-10154_g31h.pdf","page_label":"file page 6, lines 34-38"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 46-48","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2015/14-10154_g31h.pdf","page_label":"file page 6, lines 46-48"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 10-14","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2015/14-10154_g31h.pdf","page_label":"file page 7, lines 10-14"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 32-36","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2015/14-10154_g31h.pdf","page_label":"file page 7, lines 32-36"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 4-8","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2015/14-10154_g31h.pdf","page_label":"file page 8, lines 4-8"}]}],"caption":"Voisine v. United States","case_history":[{"changed_at":"2026-08-29T20:06:22.490391Z","explanation":"An official oral-argument transcript was verified.","status":"argued"}],"case_status":"argued","dek":"The dispute centers on whether a reckless misdemeanor touching qualifies as using physical force under federal gun laws.","dek_sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 25, lines 26-42","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2015/14-10154_g31h.pdf","page_label":"file page 25, lines 26-42"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 22-42","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2015/14-10154_g31h.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 22-42"}],"dispositions":[],"latest_court_document_date":"2016-02-29T00:00:00Z","maturity":"official_transcript","official_detail_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcript/2015","official_disposition_urls":[],"official_docket_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/docket/docketfiles/html/public/14-10154.html","primary_docket":"14-10154","revisions":[{"correction_note":"Rewritten to the concise citizen-facing editorial standard.","created_at":"2026-08-31T19:58:33.493373Z","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":["Federal law bans gun ownership for people convicted of assault or battery. The phrase use of physical force defines these crimes. The lower court ruled that reckless touching meets this definition. the side that brought the case argues that only intentional force counts. The government argues that any force, including reckless acts, fits the law."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 25, lines 26-42","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2015/14-10154_g31h.pdf","page_label":"file page 25, lines 26-42"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 22-42","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2015/14-10154_g31h.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 22-42"}]},{"heading":"How the case got here","paragraphs":["The Supreme Court heard oral argument in this case on February 29, 2016."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 8-20","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2015/14-10154_g31h.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 8-20"}]},{"heading":"What each side wants","paragraphs":["the side that brought the case wants the Court to exclude reckless touching from the definition of physical force.","The government wants the Court to include reckless touching in the definition of physical force."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 25, lines 26-42","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2015/14-10154_g31h.pdf","page_label":"file page 25, lines 26-42"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 22-42","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2015/14-10154_g31h.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 22-42"}]},{"heading":"What each side says","paragraphs":["the side that brought the case argues that common law battery requires an intentional act causing injury.","The government argues that Congress intended to ban guns for all assault and battery convictions."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 25, lines 26-42","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2015/14-10154_g31h.pdf","page_label":"file page 25, lines 26-42"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 22-42","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2015/14-10154_g31h.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 22-42"}]},{"heading":"What the justices asked","paragraphs":["Justice Sotomayor asked if intentionality is misperceived as the act of causing injury.","Justice Ginsburg asked if bodily injury or offensive touching satisfies the act requirement."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 44-12","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2015/14-10154_g31h.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 44-12"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 26-48","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2015/14-10154_g31h.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 26-48"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 26-30","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2015/14-10154_g31h.pdf","page_label":"file page 5, lines 26-30"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 34-38","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2015/14-10154_g31h.pdf","page_label":"file page 5, lines 34-38"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 4-8","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2015/14-10154_g31h.pdf","page_label":"file page 5, lines 4-8"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 10-10","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2015/14-10154_g31h.pdf","page_label":"file page 6, lines 10-10"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 20-28","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2015/14-10154_g31h.pdf","page_label":"file page 6, lines 20-28"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 34-38","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2015/14-10154_g31h.pdf","page_label":"file page 6, lines 34-38"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 46-48","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2015/14-10154_g31h.pdf","page_label":"file page 6, lines 46-48"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 10-14","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2015/14-10154_g31h.pdf","page_label":"file page 7, lines 10-14"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 32-36","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2015/14-10154_g31h.pdf","page_label":"file page 7, lines 32-36"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 4-8","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2015/14-10154_g31h.pdf","page_label":"file page 8, lines 4-8"}]},{"heading":"Why it matters","paragraphs":["This case defines the scope of federal gun bans. It determines which criminal convictions trigger lifetime firearm restrictions. It affects how states prosecute assault and battery. It clarifies the legal meaning of physical force in federal statutes. It impacts public safety and individual rights."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 25, lines 26-42","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2015/14-10154_g31h.pdf","page_label":"file page 25, lines 26-42"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 22-42","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2015/14-10154_g31h.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 22-42"}]},{"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 44-12","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2015/14-10154_g31h.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 44-12"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 8-20","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2015/14-10154_g31h.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 8-20"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 26-48","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2015/14-10154_g31h.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 26-48"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 26-30","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2015/14-10154_g31h.pdf","page_label":"file page 5, lines 26-30"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 34-38","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2015/14-10154_g31h.pdf","page_label":"file page 5, lines 34-38"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 4-8","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2015/14-10154_g31h.pdf","page_label":"file page 5, lines 4-8"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 10-10","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2015/14-10154_g31h.pdf","page_label":"file page 6, lines 10-10"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 20-28","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2015/14-10154_g31h.pdf","page_label":"file page 6, lines 20-28"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 34-38","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2015/14-10154_g31h.pdf","page_label":"file page 6, lines 34-38"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 46-48","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2015/14-10154_g31h.pdf","page_label":"file page 6, lines 46-48"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 10-14","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2015/14-10154_g31h.pdf","page_label":"file page 7, lines 10-14"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 32-36","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2015/14-10154_g31h.pdf","page_label":"file page 7, lines 32-36"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 4-8","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2015/14-10154_g31h.pdf","page_label":"file page 8, lines 4-8"}]}],"slug":"2015-14-10154-voisine-v-united-states","term":"2015","title":"Does reckless touching count as using physical force for gun bans?","title_sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 25, lines 26-42","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2015/14-10154_g31h.pdf","page_label":"file page 25, lines 26-42"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 22-42","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2015/14-10154_g31h.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 22-42"}],"topics":[],"undated_disposition_date_fallback":null,"updated_at":"2026-09-05T03:22:24Z"}