October Term 2012 · Docket 12-167
Can a magistrate judge pressure a defendant to plead guilty?
The dispute centers on whether a magistrate judge may urge a defendant to abandon trial rights and accept a plea deal.
Verified source milestones
- — An official oral-argument transcript was verified.
The arguments, in order
This case may have been argued more than once. Each entry below uses that session's official transcript. Later arguments do not erase earlier ones.
Argument 1 ·
What happened at the argument
Mr. Feigin argued on behalf of the side that brought the case.
Mr. Yablon argued that the magistrate judge distorted the pretrial process.
justice_questions
Read the official transcript for this argument · Official argument details
Sources used for this argument breakdown
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 12, lines 27-35 — Transcript, file page 12, lines 27-35
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 13, lines 7-9 — Transcript, file page 13, lines 7-9
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 14, lines 23-29 — Transcript, file page 14, lines 23-29
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 14, lines 41-43 — Transcript, file page 14, lines 41-43
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 19, lines 13-25 — Transcript, file page 19, lines 13-25
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-17 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 17-17
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 51-25 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 51-25
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 7-15 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 7-15
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 13-29 — Transcript, file page 5, lines 13-29
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 43-1 — Transcript, file page 6, lines 43-1
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 5-17 — Transcript, file page 6, lines 5-17
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 17-43 — Transcript, file page 7, lines 17-43
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 43-37 — Transcript, file page 9, lines 43-37
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 7-9 — Transcript, file page 9, lines 7-9
A citizen's guide to the whole case
What this case is about
The case examines the limits of judicial neutrality during pretrial proceedings.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 19, lines 13-25 — Transcript, file page 19, lines 13-25
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-17 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 17-17
How the case got here
The Supreme Court heard oral argument in this case on April 15, 2013.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 7-15 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 7-15
What each side wants
the side that brought the case seeks a ruling that the magistrate judge acted improperly.
the opposing side seeks a ruling that the magistrate judge acted within bounds.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 19, lines 13-25 — Transcript, file page 19, lines 13-25
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-17 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 17-17
What each side says
the side that brought the case argues the magistrate judge abandoned neutrality and distorted the process.
the opposing side argues the magistrate judge did not improperly influence the defendant.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 19, lines 13-25 — Transcript, file page 19, lines 13-25
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-17 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 17-17
What the justices asked
Justice Sotomayor asked whether the judge assumed the defendant would not rebut the intervention.
Justice Ginsburg asked if the district judge knew about the earlier magistrate episode.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 12, lines 27-35 — Transcript, file page 12, lines 27-35
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 13, lines 7-9 — Transcript, file page 13, lines 7-9
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 14, lines 23-29 — Transcript, file page 14, lines 23-29
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 14, lines 41-43 — Transcript, file page 14, lines 41-43
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 51-25 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 51-25
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 7-15 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 7-15
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 13-29 — Transcript, file page 5, lines 13-29
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 43-1 — Transcript, file page 6, lines 43-1
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 5-17 — Transcript, file page 6, lines 5-17
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 17-43 — Transcript, file page 7, lines 17-43
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 43-37 — Transcript, file page 9, lines 43-37
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 7-9 — Transcript, file page 9, lines 7-9
Why it matters
This case defines the boundaries of judicial conduct during plea negotiations. It protects the integrity of the pretrial process. It ensures defendants retain their constitutional trial rights.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 19, lines 13-25 — Transcript, file page 19, lines 13-25
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-17 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 17-17
What happens next
This article currently covers the argument record. Use the official docket link for later case activity.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 12, lines 27-35 — Transcript, file page 12, lines 27-35
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 13, lines 7-9 — Transcript, file page 13, lines 7-9
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 14, lines 23-29 — Transcript, file page 14, lines 23-29
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 14, lines 41-43 — Transcript, file page 14, lines 41-43
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 51-25 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 51-25
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 7-15 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 7-15
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 13-29 — Transcript, file page 5, lines 13-29
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 43-1 — Transcript, file page 6, lines 43-1
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 5-17 — Transcript, file page 6, lines 5-17
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 17-43 — Transcript, file page 7, lines 17-43
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 43-37 — Transcript, file page 9, lines 43-37
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 7-9 — Transcript, file page 9, lines 7-9
Official Court provenance
Official docket and case history · Official Supreme Court oral-argument detail page
Title and summary sources
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 19, lines 13-25 — Transcript, file page 19, lines 13-25
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-17 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 17-17
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 19, lines 13-25 — Transcript, file page 19, lines 13-25
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 17-17 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 17-17
Revision history
- Revision 1 · Official Transcript ·
Correction: Rewritten to the concise citizen-facing editorial standard.
- Revision 2 · Official Transcript ·
Correction: Migrated to the dated official Court activity contract without model use.