{"argument_date":"2017-10-04T00:00:00Z","arguments":[{"argument_date":"2017-10-04T00:00:00Z","heading":"What happened at the argument","official_detail_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcript/2017","official_transcript_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2017/15-1485_gfbi.pdf","paragraphs":["Todd Kim argued the lower courts made two fundamental errors in analyzing probable cause.","Todd Kim stated the lower courts took important facts out of context.","Todd Kim claimed the lower courts used an inappropriate divide-and-conquer analysis.","Todd Kim emphasized that probable cause is a practical standard for officers."],"reargument":false,"sequence":1,"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 23, lines 24-36","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2017/15-1485_gfbi.pdf","page_label":"file page 23, lines 24-36"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 33, lines 42-22","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2017/15-1485_gfbi.pdf","page_label":"file page 33, lines 42-22"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 12-22","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2017/15-1485_gfbi.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 12-22"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 24-1","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2017/15-1485_gfbi.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 24-1"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 38-46","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2017/15-1485_gfbi.pdf","page_label":"file page 5, lines 38-46"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 52-1","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2017/15-1485_gfbi.pdf","page_label":"file page 5, lines 52-1"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 8-18","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2017/15-1485_gfbi.pdf","page_label":"file page 5, lines 8-18"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 38-44","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2017/15-1485_gfbi.pdf","page_label":"file page 6, lines 38-44"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 14-22","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2017/15-1485_gfbi.pdf","page_label":"file page 7, lines 14-22"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 32-48","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2017/15-1485_gfbi.pdf","page_label":"file page 8, lines 32-48"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 54-54","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2017/15-1485_gfbi.pdf","page_label":"file page 8, lines 54-54"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 12-16","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2017/15-1485_gfbi.pdf","page_label":"file page 9, lines 12-16"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 20-22","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2017/15-1485_gfbi.pdf","page_label":"file page 9, lines 20-22"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 26-26","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2017/15-1485_gfbi.pdf","page_label":"file page 9, lines 26-26"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 32-34","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2017/15-1485_gfbi.pdf","page_label":"file page 9, lines 32-34"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 52-54","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2017/15-1485_gfbi.pdf","page_label":"file page 9, lines 52-54"}]}],"caption":"District of Columbia v. Wesby","case_history":[{"changed_at":"2026-08-29T20:06:21.407304Z","explanation":"An official oral-argument transcript was verified.","status":"argued"}],"case_status":"argued","dek":"Police arrested guests at a party in a vacant home. The guests claim the officers lacked probable cause.","dek_sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 23, lines 24-36","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2017/15-1485_gfbi.pdf","page_label":"file page 23, lines 24-36"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 33, lines 42-22","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2017/15-1485_gfbi.pdf","page_label":"file page 33, lines 42-22"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 24-1","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2017/15-1485_gfbi.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 24-1"}],"dispositions":[],"latest_court_document_date":"2017-10-04T00:00:00Z","maturity":"official_transcript","official_detail_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcript/2017","official_disposition_urls":[],"official_docket_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/docket/docketfiles/html/public/15-1485.html","primary_docket":"15-1485","revisions":[{"correction_note":"Rewritten to the concise citizen-facing editorial standard.","created_at":"2026-08-31T19:48:58.141317Z","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 standard for probable cause. It asks if officers can arrest guests based on a tip about a party in a vacant home."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 23, lines 24-36","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2017/15-1485_gfbi.pdf","page_label":"file page 23, lines 24-36"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 33, lines 42-22","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2017/15-1485_gfbi.pdf","page_label":"file page 33, lines 42-22"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 24-1","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2017/15-1485_gfbi.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 24-1"}]},{"heading":"How the case got here","paragraphs":["The Supreme Court heard oral argument in this case on October 4, 2017."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 12-22","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2017/15-1485_gfbi.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 12-22"}]},{"heading":"What each side wants","paragraphs":["The District of Columbia wants the arrests upheld as lawful.","The guests want the arrests declared unlawful and their claims preserved."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 23, lines 24-36","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2017/15-1485_gfbi.pdf","page_label":"file page 23, lines 24-36"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 33, lines 42-22","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2017/15-1485_gfbi.pdf","page_label":"file page 33, lines 42-22"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 24-1","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2017/15-1485_gfbi.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 24-1"}]},{"heading":"What each side says","paragraphs":["The District argues the lower courts improperly isolated facts to deny probable cause.","The guests argue the officers lacked probable cause because the host confirmed their presence."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 23, lines 24-36","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2017/15-1485_gfbi.pdf","page_label":"file page 23, lines 24-36"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 33, lines 42-22","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2017/15-1485_gfbi.pdf","page_label":"file page 33, lines 42-22"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 24-1","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2017/15-1485_gfbi.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 24-1"}]},{"heading":"What the justices asked","paragraphs":["Chief Justice Roberts asked how many people were in the home.","Justice Sotomayor asked if the guests needed to prove their right to be there."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 38-46","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2017/15-1485_gfbi.pdf","page_label":"file page 5, lines 38-46"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 52-1","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2017/15-1485_gfbi.pdf","page_label":"file page 5, lines 52-1"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 8-18","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2017/15-1485_gfbi.pdf","page_label":"file page 5, lines 8-18"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 38-44","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2017/15-1485_gfbi.pdf","page_label":"file page 6, lines 38-44"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 14-22","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2017/15-1485_gfbi.pdf","page_label":"file page 7, lines 14-22"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 32-48","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2017/15-1485_gfbi.pdf","page_label":"file page 8, lines 32-48"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 54-54","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2017/15-1485_gfbi.pdf","page_label":"file page 8, lines 54-54"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 12-16","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2017/15-1485_gfbi.pdf","page_label":"file page 9, lines 12-16"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 20-22","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2017/15-1485_gfbi.pdf","page_label":"file page 9, lines 20-22"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 26-26","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2017/15-1485_gfbi.pdf","page_label":"file page 9, lines 26-26"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 32-34","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2017/15-1485_gfbi.pdf","page_label":"file page 9, lines 32-34"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 52-54","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2017/15-1485_gfbi.pdf","page_label":"file page 9, lines 52-54"}]},{"heading":"Why it matters","paragraphs":["This case defines the practical limits of police authority during arrests. It clarifies how courts evaluate probable cause in ambiguous situations."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 23, lines 24-36","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2017/15-1485_gfbi.pdf","page_label":"file page 23, lines 24-36"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 33, lines 42-22","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2017/15-1485_gfbi.pdf","page_label":"file page 33, lines 42-22"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 24-1","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2017/15-1485_gfbi.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 24-1"}]},{"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 4, lines 12-22","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2017/15-1485_gfbi.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 12-22"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 38-46","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2017/15-1485_gfbi.pdf","page_label":"file page 5, lines 38-46"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 52-1","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2017/15-1485_gfbi.pdf","page_label":"file page 5, lines 52-1"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 8-18","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2017/15-1485_gfbi.pdf","page_label":"file page 5, lines 8-18"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 38-44","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2017/15-1485_gfbi.pdf","page_label":"file page 6, lines 38-44"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 14-22","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2017/15-1485_gfbi.pdf","page_label":"file page 7, lines 14-22"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 32-48","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2017/15-1485_gfbi.pdf","page_label":"file page 8, lines 32-48"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 54-54","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2017/15-1485_gfbi.pdf","page_label":"file page 8, lines 54-54"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 12-16","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2017/15-1485_gfbi.pdf","page_label":"file page 9, lines 12-16"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 20-22","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2017/15-1485_gfbi.pdf","page_label":"file page 9, lines 20-22"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 26-26","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2017/15-1485_gfbi.pdf","page_label":"file page 9, lines 26-26"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 32-34","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2017/15-1485_gfbi.pdf","page_label":"file page 9, lines 32-34"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 52-54","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2017/15-1485_gfbi.pdf","page_label":"file page 9, lines 52-54"}]}],"slug":"2017-15-1485-district-of-columbia-v-wesby","term":"2017","title":"Did police have probable cause to arrest party guests?","title_sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 23, lines 24-36","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2017/15-1485_gfbi.pdf","page_label":"file page 23, lines 24-36"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 33, lines 42-22","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2017/15-1485_gfbi.pdf","page_label":"file page 33, lines 42-22"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 24-1","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2017/15-1485_gfbi.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 24-1"}],"topics":[],"undated_disposition_date_fallback":null,"updated_at":"2026-09-05T03:22:24Z"}