October Term 2015 · Docket 14-419
Can the government freeze a defendant's clean funds to pay for legal defense?
The dispute centers on whether a pretrial freeze order can seize money a defendant earned legally to pay for their attorney.
Verified source milestones
- — An official oral-argument transcript was verified.
- — 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. Srebnick argued the Sixth Amendment protects the right to spend one's own money on counsel.
Mr. Dreeben argued the principle from Monsanto resolves the case regarding substitute property.
Chief Justice Roberts questioned how defendants manage daily expenses under a total freeze.
Justice Kennedy asked about the difficulty of tracing assets to determine their taint.
Read the official transcript for this argument · Official argument details
Sources used for this argument breakdown
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 26, lines 28-1 — Transcript, file page 26, lines 28-1
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 18-42 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 18-42
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 44-46 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 44-46
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 8-16 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 8-16
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 24-48 — Transcript, file page 4, lines 24-48
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 4-10 — Transcript, file page 4, lines 4-10
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 8-24 — Transcript, file page 5, lines 8-24
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 55, lines 18-8 — Transcript, file page 55, lines 18-8
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 57, lines 11-13 — Transcript, file page 57, lines 11-13
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 32-12 — Transcript, file page 6, lines 32-12
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 6-14 — Transcript, file page 6, lines 6-14
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 16-16 — Transcript, file page 7, lines 16-16
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 34-36 — Transcript, file page 7, lines 34-36
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 16-26 — Transcript, file page 8, lines 16-26
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 32-36 — Transcript, file page 8, lines 32-36
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 42-44 — Transcript, file page 8, lines 42-44
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 4-8 — Transcript, file page 9, lines 4-8
A citizen's guide to the whole case
What this case is about
Luis argues the Sixth Amendment protects her right to spend her own clean money on legal counsel. The government contends the freeze order is valid because it targets proceeds from drug activity. The lower court upheld the freeze, and Luis seeks reversal.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 26, lines 28-1 — Transcript, file page 26, lines 28-1
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 18-42 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 18-42
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 55, lines 18-8 — Transcript, file page 55, lines 18-8
How the case got here
The Supreme Court heard oral argument in this case on November 10, 2015.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 8-16 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 8-16
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 57, lines 11-13 — Transcript, file page 57, lines 11-13
What each side wants
Luis wants the Court to strike down the freeze order on her clean funds.
The government wants the Court to uphold the freeze order on her assets.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 26, lines 28-1 — Transcript, file page 26, lines 28-1
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 18-42 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 18-42
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 55, lines 18-8 — Transcript, file page 55, lines 18-8
What each side says
Luis argues the Sixth Amendment guarantees the right to spend one's own money on counsel.
The government argues the freeze order is valid because it targets drug proceeds.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 26, lines 28-1 — Transcript, file page 26, lines 28-1
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 18-42 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 18-42
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 55, lines 18-8 — Transcript, file page 55, lines 18-8
What the justices asked
Chief Justice Roberts asked how a defendant pays daily expenses if the freeze covers all money.
Justice Kennedy asked whether assets can be traced to determine their taint status.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 44-46 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 44-46
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 24-48 — Transcript, file page 4, lines 24-48
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 4-10 — Transcript, file page 4, lines 4-10
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 8-24 — Transcript, file page 5, lines 8-24
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 57, lines 11-13 — Transcript, file page 57, lines 11-13
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 32-12 — Transcript, file page 6, lines 32-12
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 6-14 — Transcript, file page 6, lines 6-14
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 16-16 — Transcript, file page 7, lines 16-16
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 34-36 — Transcript, file page 7, lines 34-36
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 16-26 — Transcript, file page 8, lines 16-26
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 32-36 — Transcript, file page 8, lines 32-36
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 42-44 — Transcript, file page 8, lines 42-44
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 4-8 — Transcript, file page 9, lines 4-8
Why it matters
This case defines the boundary between government power and individual rights. It determines whether defendants can access their own funds for legal defense. The outcome shapes pretrial procedures for all criminal defendants.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 26, lines 28-1 — Transcript, file page 26, lines 28-1
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 18-42 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 18-42
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 55, lines 18-8 — Transcript, file page 55, lines 18-8
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 44-46 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 44-46
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 8-16 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 8-16
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 24-48 — Transcript, file page 4, lines 24-48
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 4-10 — Transcript, file page 4, lines 4-10
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 8-24 — Transcript, file page 5, lines 8-24
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 57, lines 11-13 — Transcript, file page 57, lines 11-13
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 32-12 — Transcript, file page 6, lines 32-12
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 6-14 — Transcript, file page 6, lines 6-14
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 16-16 — Transcript, file page 7, lines 16-16
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 34-36 — Transcript, file page 7, lines 34-36
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 16-26 — Transcript, file page 8, lines 16-26
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 32-36 — Transcript, file page 8, lines 32-36
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 42-44 — Transcript, file page 8, lines 42-44
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 4-8 — Transcript, file page 9, lines 4-8
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 26, lines 28-1 — Transcript, file page 26, lines 28-1
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 18-42 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 18-42
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 55, lines 18-8 — Transcript, file page 55, lines 18-8
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 26, lines 28-1 — Transcript, file page 26, lines 28-1
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 3, lines 18-42 — Transcript, file page 3, lines 18-42
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 55, lines 18-8 — Transcript, file page 55, lines 18-8
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.