October Term 2012 · Docket 12-52
Does federal trucking law preempt state car storage rules?
A used car dealer and a car owner dispute federal preemption of state storage laws.
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
The dealer argued federal law preempts state storage rules.
The owner argued state law governs the storage dispute.
questions_asked_by_justices
Read the official transcript for this argument · Official argument details
Sources used for this argument breakdown
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 24, lines 25-25 — Transcript, file page 24, lines 25-25
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 24, lines 27-17 — Transcript, file page 24, lines 27-17
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 21-49 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 21-49
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 51-13 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 51-13
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 9-19 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 9-19
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 39, lines 49-49 — Transcript, file page 39, lines 49-49
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 21-23 — Transcript, file page 4, lines 21-23
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 35-47 — Transcript, file page 4, lines 35-47
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 49-4 — Transcript, file page 5, lines 49-4
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 13-29 — Transcript, file page 6, lines 13-29
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 35-37 — Transcript, file page 6, lines 35-37
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 43-11 — Transcript, file page 6, lines 43-11
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 13-15 — Transcript, file page 7, lines 13-15
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 25-37 — Transcript, file page 7, lines 25-37
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 23-35 — Transcript, file page 8, lines 23-35
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 15-19 — Transcript, file page 9, lines 15-19
A citizen's guide to the whole case
What this case is about
The case tests if federal trucking deregulation overrides state car storage rules.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 24, lines 25-25 — Transcript, file page 24, lines 25-25
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 24, lines 27-17 — Transcript, file page 24, lines 27-17
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 21-49 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 21-49
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 39, lines 49-49 — Transcript, file page 39, lines 49-49
How the case got here
The Supreme Court heard oral argument in this case on March 20, 2013.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 9-19 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 9-19
What each side wants
The dealer wants the federal law to block state storage rules.
The owner wants state law to govern the car storage dispute.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 24, lines 25-25 — Transcript, file page 24, lines 25-25
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 24, lines 27-17 — Transcript, file page 24, lines 27-17
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 21-49 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 21-49
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 39, lines 49-49 — Transcript, file page 39, lines 49-49
What each side says
The dealer argues federal law preempts state storage regulations.
The owner argues state law controls the storage dispute.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 24, lines 25-25 — Transcript, file page 24, lines 25-25
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 24, lines 27-17 — Transcript, file page 24, lines 27-17
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 21-49 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 21-49
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 39, lines 49-49 — Transcript, file page 39, lines 49-49
What the justices asked
Justice Breyer asked how state towing laws survive federal preemption.
Justice Scalia questioned the distance between the case and preemption.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 51-13 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 51-13
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 9-19 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 9-19
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 21-23 — Transcript, file page 4, lines 21-23
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 35-47 — Transcript, file page 4, lines 35-47
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 49-4 — Transcript, file page 5, lines 49-4
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 13-29 — Transcript, file page 6, lines 13-29
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 35-37 — Transcript, file page 6, lines 35-37
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 43-11 — Transcript, file page 6, lines 43-11
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 13-15 — Transcript, file page 7, lines 13-15
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 25-37 — Transcript, file page 7, lines 25-37
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 23-35 — Transcript, file page 8, lines 23-35
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 15-19 — Transcript, file page 9, lines 15-19
Why it matters
The outcome defines the boundary between federal trucking law and state property rules.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 24, lines 25-25 — Transcript, file page 24, lines 25-25
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 24, lines 27-17 — Transcript, file page 24, lines 27-17
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 21-49 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 21-49
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 39, lines 49-49 — Transcript, file page 39, lines 49-49
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 3, lines 51-13 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 51-13
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 9-19 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 9-19
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 21-23 — Transcript, file page 4, lines 21-23
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 35-47 — Transcript, file page 4, lines 35-47
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 49-4 — Transcript, file page 5, lines 49-4
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 13-29 — Transcript, file page 6, lines 13-29
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 35-37 — Transcript, file page 6, lines 35-37
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 43-11 — Transcript, file page 6, lines 43-11
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 13-15 — Transcript, file page 7, lines 13-15
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 25-37 — Transcript, file page 7, lines 25-37
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 23-35 — Transcript, file page 8, lines 23-35
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 15-19 — Transcript, file page 9, lines 15-19
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 24, lines 25-25 — Transcript, file page 24, lines 25-25
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 24, lines 27-17 — Transcript, file page 24, lines 27-17
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 21-49 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 21-49
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 39, lines 49-49 — Transcript, file page 39, lines 49-49
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 24, lines 25-25 — Transcript, file page 24, lines 25-25
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 24, lines 27-17 — Transcript, file page 24, lines 27-17
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 21-49 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 21-49
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 39, lines 49-49 — Transcript, file page 39, lines 49-49
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.