{"argument_date":"2017-04-26T00:00:00Z","arguments":[{"argument_date":"2017-04-26T00:00:00Z","heading":"What happened at the argument","official_detail_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcript/2016","official_transcript_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2016/16-309_b97c.pdf","paragraphs":["Mr. Landau argued Section 1425(a) authorizes stripping citizenship if procured contrary to law.","Mr. Parker stated naturalization fundamentally changes the relationship between government and individual.","Justice Alito questioned whether being a Serb in Bosnia guarantees asylum rights.","Justice Ginsburg asked how good moral character interacts with immaterial lies in applications."],"reargument":false,"sequence":1,"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 26, lines 52-18","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2016/16-309_b97c.pdf","page_label":"file page 26, lines 52-18"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 20-1","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2016/16-309_b97c.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 20-1"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 8-18","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2016/16-309_b97c.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 8-18"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 12-16","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2016/16-309_b97c.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 12-16"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 4-8","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2016/16-309_b97c.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 4-8"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 40-50","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2016/16-309_b97c.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 40-50"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 16-22","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2016/16-309_b97c.pdf","page_label":"file page 5, lines 16-22"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 38-6","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2016/16-309_b97c.pdf","page_label":"file page 5, lines 38-6"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 57, lines 20-28","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2016/16-309_b97c.pdf","page_label":"file page 57, lines 20-28"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 59, lines 30-30","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2016/16-309_b97c.pdf","page_label":"file page 59, lines 30-30"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 59, lines 34-38","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2016/16-309_b97c.pdf","page_label":"file page 59, lines 34-38"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 59, lines 44-48","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2016/16-309_b97c.pdf","page_label":"file page 59, lines 44-48"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 22-28","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2016/16-309_b97c.pdf","page_label":"file page 6, lines 22-28"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 38-38","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2016/16-309_b97c.pdf","page_label":"file page 6, lines 38-38"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 42-42","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2016/16-309_b97c.pdf","page_label":"file page 6, lines 42-42"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 60, lines 40-42","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2016/16-309_b97c.pdf","page_label":"file page 60, lines 40-42"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 22-24","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2016/16-309_b97c.pdf","page_label":"file page 7, lines 22-24"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 34-44","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2016/16-309_b97c.pdf","page_label":"file page 7, lines 34-44"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 48-1","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2016/16-309_b97c.pdf","page_label":"file page 7, lines 48-1"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 44-50","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2016/16-309_b97c.pdf","page_label":"file page 8, lines 44-50"}]}],"caption":"Maslenjak v. United States","case_history":[{"changed_at":"2026-08-29T20:06:21.604008Z","explanation":"An official oral-argument transcript was verified.","status":"argued"},{"changed_at":"2026-08-29T20:06:21.623179Z","explanation":"An official oral-argument transcript was verified.","status":"argued"}],"case_status":"argued","dek":"The dispute centers on whether the government must prove a false statement materially affected the naturalization decision to strip citizenship.","dek_sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 26, lines 52-18","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2016/16-309_b97c.pdf","page_label":"file page 26, lines 52-18"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 20-1","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2016/16-309_b97c.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 20-1"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 57, lines 20-28","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2016/16-309_b97c.pdf","page_label":"file page 57, lines 20-28"}],"dispositions":[],"latest_court_document_date":"2017-04-26T00:00:00Z","maturity":"official_transcript","official_detail_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcript/2016","official_disposition_urls":[],"official_docket_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/docket/docketfiles/html/public/16-309.html","primary_docket":"16-309","revisions":[{"correction_note":"Rewritten to the concise citizen-facing editorial standard.","created_at":"2026-08-30T18:36:29.802711Z","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":["Elma Maslenjak faces denaturalization for false statements in her application. The government argues any lie justifies revocation. Maslenjak argues only material lies matter."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 26, lines 52-18","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2016/16-309_b97c.pdf","page_label":"file page 26, lines 52-18"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 20-1","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2016/16-309_b97c.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 20-1"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 57, lines 20-28","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2016/16-309_b97c.pdf","page_label":"file page 57, lines 20-28"}]},{"heading":"How the case got here","paragraphs":["The Supreme Court heard oral argument in this case on April 26, 2017."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 8-18","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2016/16-309_b97c.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 8-18"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 60, lines 40-42","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2016/16-309_b97c.pdf","page_label":"file page 60, lines 40-42"}]},{"heading":"What each side wants","paragraphs":["The government wants to revoke Maslenjak's citizenship based on any false statement.","Maslenjak wants to keep her citizenship because the lies were immaterial."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 26, lines 52-18","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2016/16-309_b97c.pdf","page_label":"file page 26, lines 52-18"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 20-1","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2016/16-309_b97c.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 20-1"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 57, lines 20-28","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2016/16-309_b97c.pdf","page_label":"file page 57, lines 20-28"}]},{"heading":"What each side says","paragraphs":["The government argues Section 1425(a) allows revocation for any lie, regardless of impact.","Maslenjak argues the law requires proof that the lie materially influenced the decision."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 26, lines 52-18","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2016/16-309_b97c.pdf","page_label":"file page 26, lines 52-18"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 20-1","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2016/16-309_b97c.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 20-1"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 57, lines 20-28","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2016/16-309_b97c.pdf","page_label":"file page 57, lines 20-28"}]},{"heading":"What the justices asked","paragraphs":["Justice Alito asked if every Serb in Bosnia is entitled to asylum.","Justice Sotomayor noted that outcomes are unpredictable and only possibilities exist now."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 12-16","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2016/16-309_b97c.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 12-16"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 4-8","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2016/16-309_b97c.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 4-8"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 40-50","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2016/16-309_b97c.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 40-50"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 16-22","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2016/16-309_b97c.pdf","page_label":"file page 5, lines 16-22"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 38-6","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2016/16-309_b97c.pdf","page_label":"file page 5, lines 38-6"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 59, lines 30-30","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2016/16-309_b97c.pdf","page_label":"file page 59, lines 30-30"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 59, lines 34-38","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2016/16-309_b97c.pdf","page_label":"file page 59, lines 34-38"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 59, lines 44-48","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2016/16-309_b97c.pdf","page_label":"file page 59, lines 44-48"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 22-28","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2016/16-309_b97c.pdf","page_label":"file page 6, lines 22-28"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 38-38","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2016/16-309_b97c.pdf","page_label":"file page 6, lines 38-38"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 42-42","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2016/16-309_b97c.pdf","page_label":"file page 6, lines 42-42"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 60, lines 40-42","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2016/16-309_b97c.pdf","page_label":"file page 60, lines 40-42"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 22-24","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2016/16-309_b97c.pdf","page_label":"file page 7, lines 22-24"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 34-44","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2016/16-309_b97c.pdf","page_label":"file page 7, lines 34-44"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 48-1","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2016/16-309_b97c.pdf","page_label":"file page 7, lines 48-1"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 44-50","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2016/16-309_b97c.pdf","page_label":"file page 8, lines 44-50"}]},{"heading":"Why it matters","paragraphs":["This case defines the standard for revoking citizenship. It determines how strictly courts scrutinize naturalization applications. It affects the stability of citizenship for millions of immigrants."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 26, lines 52-18","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2016/16-309_b97c.pdf","page_label":"file page 26, lines 52-18"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 20-1","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2016/16-309_b97c.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 20-1"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 57, lines 20-28","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2016/16-309_b97c.pdf","page_label":"file page 57, lines 20-28"}]},{"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 8-18","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2016/16-309_b97c.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 8-18"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 12-16","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2016/16-309_b97c.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 12-16"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 4-8","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2016/16-309_b97c.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 4-8"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 40-50","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2016/16-309_b97c.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 40-50"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 16-22","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2016/16-309_b97c.pdf","page_label":"file page 5, lines 16-22"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 38-6","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2016/16-309_b97c.pdf","page_label":"file page 5, lines 38-6"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 59, lines 30-30","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2016/16-309_b97c.pdf","page_label":"file page 59, lines 30-30"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 59, lines 34-38","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2016/16-309_b97c.pdf","page_label":"file page 59, lines 34-38"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 59, lines 44-48","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2016/16-309_b97c.pdf","page_label":"file page 59, lines 44-48"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 22-28","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2016/16-309_b97c.pdf","page_label":"file page 6, lines 22-28"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 38-38","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2016/16-309_b97c.pdf","page_label":"file page 6, lines 38-38"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 42-42","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2016/16-309_b97c.pdf","page_label":"file page 6, lines 42-42"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 60, lines 40-42","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2016/16-309_b97c.pdf","page_label":"file page 60, lines 40-42"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 22-24","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2016/16-309_b97c.pdf","page_label":"file page 7, lines 22-24"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 34-44","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2016/16-309_b97c.pdf","page_label":"file page 7, lines 34-44"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 48-1","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2016/16-309_b97c.pdf","page_label":"file page 7, lines 48-1"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 44-50","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2016/16-309_b97c.pdf","page_label":"file page 8, lines 44-50"}]}],"slug":"2016-16-309-maslenjak-v-united-states","term":"2016","title":"Does a false statement in a naturalization application require proof of materiality for denaturalization?","title_sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 26, lines 52-18","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2016/16-309_b97c.pdf","page_label":"file page 26, lines 52-18"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 20-1","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2016/16-309_b97c.pdf","page_label":"file page 3, lines 20-1"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 57, lines 20-28","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2016/16-309_b97c.pdf","page_label":"file page 57, lines 20-28"}],"topics":[],"undated_disposition_date_fallback":null,"updated_at":"2026-09-05T03:22:24Z"}