{"argument_date":"2021-04-20T00:00:00Z","arguments":[{"argument_date":"2021-04-20T00:00:00Z","heading":"What happened at the argument","official_detail_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcript/2020","official_transcript_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2020/20-444_5i26.pdf","paragraphs":["Gary's counsel argued the due process error is structural.","The government's counsel argued the Fourth Circuit rule is inconsistent with precedent.","questions_detail"],"reargument":false,"sequence":1,"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 11, lines 33-41","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2020/20-444_5i26.pdf","page_label":"file page 11, lines 33-41"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 12, lines 39-47","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2020/20-444_5i26.pdf","page_label":"file page 12, lines 39-47"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 14, lines 15-23","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2020/20-444_5i26.pdf","page_label":"file page 14, lines 15-23"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 15, lines 39-25","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2020/20-444_5i26.pdf","page_label":"file page 15, lines 39-25"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 17, lines 17-17","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2020/20-444_5i26.pdf","page_label":"file page 17, lines 17-17"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 17, lines 21-39","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2020/20-444_5i26.pdf","page_label":"file page 17, lines 21-39"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 18, lines 7-25","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2020/20-444_5i26.pdf","page_label":"file page 18, lines 7-25"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 24, lines 27-25","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2020/20-444_5i26.pdf","page_label":"file page 24, lines 27-25"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 11-21","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2020/20-444_5i26.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 11-21"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 23-21","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2020/20-444_5i26.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 23-21"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 23-31","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2020/20-444_5i26.pdf","page_label":"file page 6, lines 23-31"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 9-23","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2020/20-444_5i26.pdf","page_label":"file page 7, lines 9-23"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 13-17","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2020/20-444_5i26.pdf","page_label":"file page 8, lines 13-17"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 21-27","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2020/20-444_5i26.pdf","page_label":"file page 8, lines 21-27"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 51-9","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2020/20-444_5i26.pdf","page_label":"file page 9, lines 51-9"}]}],"caption":"United States v. Gary","case_history":[{"changed_at":"2026-08-29T20:06:18.348261Z","explanation":"An official oral-argument transcript was verified.","status":"argued"}],"case_status":"argued","dek":"Gary argues a judge's error on intent requires automatic reversal. The government says courts should review such errors case by case.","dek_sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 24, lines 27-25","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2020/20-444_5i26.pdf","page_label":"file page 24, lines 27-25"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 23-21","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2020/20-444_5i26.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 23-21"}],"dispositions":[],"latest_court_document_date":"2021-04-20T00:00:00Z","maturity":"official_transcript","official_detail_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcript/2020","official_disposition_urls":[],"official_docket_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/docket/docketfiles/html/public/20-444.html","primary_docket":"20-444","revisions":[{"correction_note":"Rewritten to the concise citizen-facing editorial standard.","created_at":"2026-08-30T17:10:22.454041Z","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":["Gary argues a judge's error on intent requires automatic reversal. The government says courts should review such errors case by case."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 24, lines 27-25","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2020/20-444_5i26.pdf","page_label":"file page 24, lines 27-25"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 23-21","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2020/20-444_5i26.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 23-21"}]},{"heading":"How the case got here","paragraphs":["The Supreme Court heard oral argument in this case on April 20, 2021."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 11-21","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2020/20-444_5i26.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 11-21"}]},{"heading":"What each side wants","paragraphs":["Gary wants automatic reversal of his conviction.","The government wants case-by-case review of the error."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 24, lines 27-25","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2020/20-444_5i26.pdf","page_label":"file page 24, lines 27-25"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 23-21","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2020/20-444_5i26.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 23-21"}]},{"heading":"What each side says","paragraphs":["Gary argues the error is structural and requires automatic reversal.","The government argues the error is not structural and allows forfeiture."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 24, lines 27-25","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2020/20-444_5i26.pdf","page_label":"file page 24, lines 27-25"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 23-21","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2020/20-444_5i26.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 23-21"}]},{"heading":"What the justices asked","paragraphs":["Chief Justice Roberts asked if a judge's error on intent is structural.","Justice Alito asked if automatic vacatur burdens the judiciary significantly."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 11, lines 33-41","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2020/20-444_5i26.pdf","page_label":"file page 11, lines 33-41"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 12, lines 39-47","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2020/20-444_5i26.pdf","page_label":"file page 12, lines 39-47"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 14, lines 15-23","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2020/20-444_5i26.pdf","page_label":"file page 14, lines 15-23"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 15, lines 39-25","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2020/20-444_5i26.pdf","page_label":"file page 15, lines 39-25"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 17, lines 17-17","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2020/20-444_5i26.pdf","page_label":"file page 17, lines 17-17"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 17, lines 21-39","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2020/20-444_5i26.pdf","page_label":"file page 17, lines 21-39"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 18, lines 7-25","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2020/20-444_5i26.pdf","page_label":"file page 18, lines 7-25"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 23-31","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2020/20-444_5i26.pdf","page_label":"file page 6, lines 23-31"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 9-23","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2020/20-444_5i26.pdf","page_label":"file page 7, lines 9-23"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 13-17","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2020/20-444_5i26.pdf","page_label":"file page 8, lines 13-17"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 21-27","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2020/20-444_5i26.pdf","page_label":"file page 8, lines 21-27"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 51-9","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2020/20-444_5i26.pdf","page_label":"file page 9, lines 51-9"}]},{"heading":"Why it matters","paragraphs":["This case defines how courts handle plea colloquy errors. It determines whether judges must reverse convictions automatically or review them individually."],"sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 24, lines 27-25","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2020/20-444_5i26.pdf","page_label":"file page 24, lines 27-25"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 23-21","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2020/20-444_5i26.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 23-21"}]},{"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 11, lines 33-41","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2020/20-444_5i26.pdf","page_label":"file page 11, lines 33-41"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 12, lines 39-47","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2020/20-444_5i26.pdf","page_label":"file page 12, lines 39-47"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 14, lines 15-23","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2020/20-444_5i26.pdf","page_label":"file page 14, lines 15-23"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 15, lines 39-25","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2020/20-444_5i26.pdf","page_label":"file page 15, lines 39-25"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 17, lines 17-17","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2020/20-444_5i26.pdf","page_label":"file page 17, lines 17-17"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 17, lines 21-39","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2020/20-444_5i26.pdf","page_label":"file page 17, lines 21-39"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 18, lines 7-25","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2020/20-444_5i26.pdf","page_label":"file page 18, lines 7-25"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 11-21","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2020/20-444_5i26.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 11-21"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 23-31","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2020/20-444_5i26.pdf","page_label":"file page 6, lines 23-31"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 9-23","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2020/20-444_5i26.pdf","page_label":"file page 7, lines 9-23"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 13-17","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2020/20-444_5i26.pdf","page_label":"file page 8, lines 13-17"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 21-27","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2020/20-444_5i26.pdf","page_label":"file page 8, lines 21-27"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 51-9","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2020/20-444_5i26.pdf","page_label":"file page 9, lines 51-9"}]}],"slug":"2020-20-444-united-states-v-gary","term":"2020","title":"Does a judge's wrong plea explanation force automatic reversal?","title_sources":[{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 24, lines 27-25","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2020/20-444_5i26.pdf","page_label":"file page 24, lines 27-25"},{"evidence_type":"Transcript","label":"Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 23-21","official_url":"https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/2020/20-444_5i26.pdf","page_label":"file page 4, lines 23-21"}],"topics":[],"undated_disposition_date_fallback":null,"updated_at":"2026-09-05T03:22:24Z"}