October Term 2017 · Docket 16-658
Can a late appeal notice be fixed by court rules?
The parties dispute whether a late appeal notice is a strict legal bar or a flexible deadline.
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
Hamer's lawyer argued that only Congress can set court jurisdiction.
Neighborhood Housing Services' lawyer argued that the late notice is a strict bar.
justice_question_1
Read the official transcript for this argument · Official argument details
Sources used for this argument breakdown
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 10, lines 10-12 — Transcript, file page 10, lines 10-12
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 10, lines 28-46 — Transcript, file page 10, lines 28-46
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 11, lines 42-46 — Transcript, file page 11, lines 42-46
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 24, lines 14-48 — Transcript, file page 24, lines 14-48
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 12-24 — Transcript, file page 4, lines 12-24
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 26-20 — Transcript, file page 4, lines 26-20
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 22-34 — Transcript, file page 5, lines 22-34
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 48-8 — Transcript, file page 5, lines 48-8
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 46-50 — Transcript, file page 6, lines 46-50
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 54-18 — Transcript, file page 6, lines 54-18
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 36-40 — Transcript, file page 7, lines 36-40
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 14-28 — Transcript, file page 8, lines 14-28
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 48-50 — Transcript, file page 8, lines 48-50
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 16-22 — Transcript, file page 9, lines 16-22
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 42-50 — Transcript, file page 9, lines 42-50
A citizen's guide to the whole case
What this case is about
This case tests if a late appeal notice is a strict legal bar or a flexible deadline.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 24, lines 14-48 — Transcript, file page 24, lines 14-48
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 26-20 — Transcript, file page 4, lines 26-20
How the case got here
The Supreme Court heard oral argument in this case on October 10, 2017.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 12-24 — Transcript, file page 4, lines 12-24
What each side wants
Hamer wants the court to treat the late notice as a fixable error.
Neighborhood Housing Services wants the court to treat the late notice as a strict bar.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 24, lines 14-48 — Transcript, file page 24, lines 14-48
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 26-20 — Transcript, file page 4, lines 26-20
What each side says
Hamer argues that only Congress can set court jurisdiction, so this rule is flexible.
Neighborhood Housing Services argues that the rule is a strict legal requirement.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 24, lines 14-48 — Transcript, file page 24, lines 14-48
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 26-20 — Transcript, file page 4, lines 26-20
What the justices asked
Justice Kennedy asked if parties could delay judgment for years.
Justice Kagan asked if a rule can be jurisdictional without a statute.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 10, lines 10-12 — Transcript, file page 10, lines 10-12
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 10, lines 28-46 — Transcript, file page 10, lines 28-46
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 11, lines 42-46 — Transcript, file page 11, lines 42-46
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 22-34 — Transcript, file page 5, lines 22-34
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 48-8 — Transcript, file page 5, lines 48-8
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 46-50 — Transcript, file page 6, lines 46-50
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 54-18 — Transcript, file page 6, lines 54-18
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 36-40 — Transcript, file page 7, lines 36-40
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 14-28 — Transcript, file page 8, lines 14-28
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 48-50 — Transcript, file page 8, lines 48-50
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 16-22 — Transcript, file page 9, lines 16-22
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 42-50 — Transcript, file page 9, lines 42-50
Why it matters
This dispute defines how strictly courts enforce appeal deadlines for all litigants.
Official sources for this section
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 24, lines 14-48 — Transcript, file page 24, lines 14-48
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 26-20 — Transcript, file page 4, lines 26-20
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 10, lines 10-12 — Transcript, file page 10, lines 10-12
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 10, lines 28-46 — Transcript, file page 10, lines 28-46
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 11, lines 42-46 — Transcript, file page 11, lines 42-46
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 12-24 — Transcript, file page 4, lines 12-24
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 22-34 — Transcript, file page 5, lines 22-34
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 5, lines 48-8 — Transcript, file page 5, lines 48-8
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 46-50 — Transcript, file page 6, lines 46-50
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 6, lines 54-18 — Transcript, file page 6, lines 54-18
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 7, lines 36-40 — Transcript, file page 7, lines 36-40
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 14-28 — Transcript, file page 8, lines 14-28
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 8, lines 48-50 — Transcript, file page 8, lines 48-50
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 16-22 — Transcript, file page 9, lines 16-22
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 9, lines 42-50 — Transcript, file page 9, lines 42-50
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 14-48 — Transcript, file page 24, lines 14-48
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 26-20 — Transcript, file page 4, lines 26-20
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 24, lines 14-48 — Transcript, file page 24, lines 14-48
- Official Supreme Court Transcript — file page 4, lines 26-20 — Transcript, file page 4, lines 26-20
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.