{"argument_date":"2019-02-25T00:00:00Z","arguments":[{"argument_date":"2019-02-25T00:00:00Z","heading":"What happened at the argument","official_detail_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcript/2018","official_transcript_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1702_6536.pdf","paragraphs":["The operator argued that expanding the public function test would radically change existing law.","The residents argued that the operator was engaged by the city to administer a state-determined scheme.","Justice Sotomayor noted that government often has its own speech and creates speech.","Justice Ginsburg described the operator as administering a first-come, first-served access scheme."],"reargument":false,"sequence":1,"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 10, lines 22-25","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1702_6536.pdf","page_label":"file page 10, lines 22-25"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 10, lines 27-28","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1702_6536.pdf","page_label":"file page 10, lines 27-28"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 10, lines 31-32","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1702_6536.pdf","page_label":"file page 10, lines 31-32"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 11, lines 11-12","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1702_6536.pdf","page_label":"file page 11, lines 11-12"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 34, lines 15-28","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1702_6536.pdf","page_label":"file page 34, lines 15-28"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 17-13","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1702_6536.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 17-13"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 8-16","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1702_6536.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 8-16"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 18-30","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1702_6536.pdf","page_label":"file page 5, lines 18-30"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 17-32","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1702_6536.pdf","page_label":"file page 6, lines 17-32"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 71, lines 25-10","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1702_6536.pdf","page_label":"file page 71, lines 25-10"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 71, lines 8-23","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1702_6536.pdf","page_label":"file page 71, lines 8-23"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 72, lines 25-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1702_6536.pdf","page_label":"file page 72, lines 25-15"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 74, lines 16-18","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1702_6536.pdf","page_label":"file page 74, lines 16-18"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 74, lines 21-22","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1702_6536.pdf","page_label":"file page 74, lines 21-22"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 76, lines 12-13","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1702_6536.pdf","page_label":"file page 76, lines 12-13"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 33-34","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1702_6536.pdf","page_label":"file page 8, lines 33-34"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 6-10","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1702_6536.pdf","page_label":"file page 8, lines 6-10"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 17-18","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1702_6536.pdf","page_label":"file page 9, lines 17-18"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 22-23","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1702_6536.pdf","page_label":"file page 9, lines 22-23"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 36-12","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1702_6536.pdf","page_label":"file page 9, lines 36-12"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 6-12","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1702_6536.pdf","page_label":"file page 9, lines 6-12"}]}],"caption":"Manhattan Community Access Corp. v. Halleck","case_history":[{"changed_at":"2026-08-29T20:06:20.155790Z","explanation":"An official oral-argument transcript was verified.","status":"argued"},{"changed_at":"2026-08-29T20:06:20.179165Z","explanation":"An official oral-argument transcript was verified.","status":"argued"}],"case_status":"argued","dek":"The dispute centers on whether a private company administering a state-mandated public access channel constitutes a government actor.","dek_sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 34, lines 15-28","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1702_6536.pdf","page_label":"file page 34, lines 15-28"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 17-13","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1702_6536.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 17-13"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 71, lines 8-23","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1702_6536.pdf","page_label":"file page 71, lines 8-23"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 72, lines 25-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1702_6536.pdf","page_label":"file page 72, lines 25-15"}],"dispositions":[],"latest_court_document_date":"2019-02-25T00:00:00Z","maturity":"official_transcript","official_detail_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcript/2018","official_disposition_urls":[],"official_docket_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/docket/docketfiles/html/public/17-1702.html","primary_docket":"17-1702","revisions":[{"correction_note":"Rewritten to the concise citizen-facing editorial standard.","created_at":"2026-08-30T17:56:54.388375Z","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 boundary between private conduct and state action in First Amendment law."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 34, lines 15-28","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1702_6536.pdf","page_label":"file page 34, lines 15-28"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 17-13","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1702_6536.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 17-13"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 71, lines 8-23","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1702_6536.pdf","page_label":"file page 71, lines 8-23"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 72, lines 25-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1702_6536.pdf","page_label":"file page 72, lines 25-15"}]},{"heading":"How the case got here","paragraphs":["The Supreme Court heard oral argument in this case on February 25, 2019."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 8-16","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1702_6536.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 8-16"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 76, lines 12-13","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1702_6536.pdf","page_label":"file page 76, lines 12-13"}]},{"heading":"What each side wants","paragraphs":["The operator wants the Court to rule that private conduct does not create a public forum.","The residents want the Court to rule that the state-mandated channel is a public forum."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 34, lines 15-28","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1702_6536.pdf","page_label":"file page 34, lines 15-28"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 17-13","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1702_6536.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 17-13"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 71, lines 8-23","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1702_6536.pdf","page_label":"file page 71, lines 8-23"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 72, lines 25-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1702_6536.pdf","page_label":"file page 72, lines 25-15"}]},{"heading":"What each side says","paragraphs":["The operator argues that strict adherence to state action precedents preserves the line between government and private conduct.","The residents argue that New York opened property for speech through a general first-come, first-served access policy."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 34, lines 15-28","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1702_6536.pdf","page_label":"file page 34, lines 15-28"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 17-13","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1702_6536.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 17-13"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 71, lines 8-23","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1702_6536.pdf","page_label":"file page 71, lines 8-23"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 72, lines 25-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1702_6536.pdf","page_label":"file page 72, lines 25-15"}]},{"heading":"What the justices asked","paragraphs":["Justice Breyer asked how the other thirteen board members are chosen.","Justice Breyer asked what discretion the operator has given non-commercial and non-discriminatory regulations."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 10, lines 22-25","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1702_6536.pdf","page_label":"file page 10, lines 22-25"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 10, lines 27-28","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1702_6536.pdf","page_label":"file page 10, lines 27-28"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 10, lines 31-32","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1702_6536.pdf","page_label":"file page 10, lines 31-32"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 11, lines 11-12","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1702_6536.pdf","page_label":"file page 11, lines 11-12"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 18-30","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1702_6536.pdf","page_label":"file page 5, lines 18-30"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 17-32","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1702_6536.pdf","page_label":"file page 6, lines 17-32"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 71, lines 25-10","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1702_6536.pdf","page_label":"file page 71, lines 25-10"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 74, lines 16-18","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1702_6536.pdf","page_label":"file page 74, lines 16-18"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 74, lines 21-22","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1702_6536.pdf","page_label":"file page 74, lines 21-22"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 76, lines 12-13","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1702_6536.pdf","page_label":"file page 76, lines 12-13"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 33-34","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1702_6536.pdf","page_label":"file page 8, lines 33-34"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 6-10","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1702_6536.pdf","page_label":"file page 8, lines 6-10"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 17-18","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1702_6536.pdf","page_label":"file page 9, lines 17-18"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 22-23","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1702_6536.pdf","page_label":"file page 9, lines 22-23"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 36-12","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1702_6536.pdf","page_label":"file page 9, lines 36-12"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 6-12","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1702_6536.pdf","page_label":"file page 9, lines 6-12"}]},{"heading":"Why it matters","paragraphs":["This case defines when private entities become state actors. It determines the scope of free speech protections on private property. It clarifies the limits of government regulation over private speech channels."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 34, lines 15-28","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1702_6536.pdf","page_label":"file page 34, lines 15-28"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 17-13","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1702_6536.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 17-13"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 71, lines 8-23","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1702_6536.pdf","page_label":"file page 71, lines 8-23"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 72, lines 25-15","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1702_6536.pdf","page_label":"file page 72, lines 25-15"}]},{"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 10, lines 22-25","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1702_6536.pdf","page_label":"file page 10, lines 22-25"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 10, lines 27-28","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1702_6536.pdf","page_label":"file page 10, lines 27-28"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 10, lines 31-32","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1702_6536.pdf","page_label":"file page 10, lines 31-32"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 11, lines 11-12","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1702_6536.pdf","page_label":"file page 11, lines 11-12"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 8-16","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1702_6536.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 8-16"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 18-30","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1702_6536.pdf","page_label":"file page 5, lines 18-30"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 17-32","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1702_6536.pdf","page_label":"file page 6, lines 17-32"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 71, lines 25-10","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1702_6536.pdf","page_label":"file page 71, lines 25-10"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 74, lines 16-18","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1702_6536.pdf","page_label":"file page 74, lines 16-18"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 74, lines 21-22","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1702_6536.pdf","page_label":"file page 74, lines 21-22"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 76, lines 12-13","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1702_6536.pdf","page_label":"file page 76, lines 12-13"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 33-34","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1702_6536.pdf","page_label":"file page 8, lines 33-34"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 6-10","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1702_6536.pdf","page_label":"file page 8, lines 6-10"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 17-18","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1702_6536.pdf","page_label":"file page 9, lines 17-18"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 22-23","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1702_6536.pdf","page_label":"file page 9, lines 22-23"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 36-12","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1702_6536.pdf","page_label":"file page 9, lines 36-12"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 6-12","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1702_6536.pdf","page_label":"file page 9, lines 6-12"}]}],"slug":"2018-17-1702-manhattan-community-access-corp-v-halleck","term":"2018","title":"Does a private cable operator acting under state law create a public forum?","title_sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 34, lines 15-28","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2018/17-1702_6536.pdf","page_label":"file page 34, lines 15-28"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 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