2018 term United States Supreme Court opinions of Sonia Sotomayor

The 2018 term of the Supreme Court of the United States began October 1, 2018, and concluded October 6, 2019. This was the tenth term of Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor's tenure on the Court.
Sonia Sotomayor 2018 term statistics
7
Majority or Plurality
3
Concurrence
7
Other
17
Dissent
1
Concurrence/dissent Total = 35
Bench opinions = 19 Opinions relating to orders = 16 In-chambers opinions = 0
Unanimous opinions: 3 Most joined by: Ginsburg (13) Least joined by: Thomas (4)
Type Case Citation Issues Joined by Other opinions
501



Apodaca v. Raemisch 586 U.S. ___ (2018)

Eighth Amendment  • solitary confinement
Sotomayor filed a statement respecting the Court's denial of certiorari.
402



Zagorski v. Parker 586 U.S. ___ (2018)

Eighth Amendment  • death penalty  • lethal injection by midazolam Breyer
Sotomayor dissented from the Court's denial of application for stay of execution and certiorari.
403



Brown v. United States 586 U.S. ___ (2018)

United States Federal Sentencing Guidelines  • sentence enhancement for habitual offenders with violent crime convictions  • vagueness doctrine Ginsburg
Sotomayor dissented from the Court's denial of certiorari.
504



Townes v. Alabama 586 U.S. ___ (2018)

death penalty punishment  • Fourteenth Amendment  • Due Process Clause  • jury instructions  • prosecutorial burden of proof on each element of crime  • failure to preserve audio record
Sotomayor filed a statement respecting the Court's denial of certiorari.
405



Zagorski v. Haslam 586 U.S. ___ (2018)

Eighth Amendment  • death penalty  • lethal injection by midazolam
Sotomayor dissented from the Court's denial of application for stay of execution and certiorari.
406



Reynolds v. Florida 586 U.S. ___ (2018)

Eighth Amendment  • death penalty  • jury instructions
Thomas
Breyer
Sotomayor dissented from the Court's denial of certiorari.
407



Miller v. Parker 586 U.S. ___ (2018)

Eighth Amendment  • death penalty  • electric chair
Sotomayor dissented from the Court's denial of application for stay of execution and certiorari.
408



Lance v. Sellers 586 U.S. ___ (2019)

Eighth Amendment  • death penalty  • Sixth Amendment  • ineffective assistance of counsel Ginsburg, Kagan
Sotomayor dissented from the Court's denial of certiorari.
409



Stokeling v. United States 586 U.S. ___ (2019)

Armed Career Criminal Act  • definition of "physical force" Roberts, Ginsburg, Kagan
Thomas
510



Schock v. United States 586 U.S. ___ (2019)

Article One  • Rulemaking Clause
Sotomayor filed a statement respecting the Court's denial of certiorari.
111



Nutraceutical Corp. v. Lambert 586 U.S. ___ (2019)

deadline for appealing class action decertification  • equitable tolling Unanimous
112



Garza v. Idaho 586 U.S. ___ (2019)

Sixth Amendment  • ineffective assistance of counsel  • failure to file notice of appeal  • waiver of right to appeal Roberts, Ginsburg, Breyer, Kagan, Kavanaugh
Thomas
513



Tharpe v. Ford 586 U.S. ___ (2019)

Sixth Amendment  • racial bias of juror
Sotomayor filed a statement respecting the Court's denial of certiorari.
214



Obduskey v. McCarthy & Holthus LLP 586 U.S. ___ (2019)

Fair Debt Collection Practices Act  • nonjudicial foreclosure proceedings
Breyer
215



Sturgeon v. Frost 587 U.S. ___ (2019)

Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act  • National Park Service regulatory authority over running river Ginsburg
Kagan
416



Biestek v. Berryhill 587 U.S. ___ (2019)

Social Security Administration claims process  • effect of expert denying data request on evidentiary value of testimony
Kagan
Gorsuch
417



Bucklew v. Precythe 587 U.S. ___ (2019)

Eighth Amendment  • death penalty  • challenges to method of execution
Gorsuch
Thomas
Kavanaugh
Breyer
418



Lamps Plus, Inc. v. Varela 587 U.S. ___ (2019)

Federal Arbitration Act  • contractual agreement to class action arbitration
Roberts
Thomas
Ginsburg
Breyer
Kagan
419



Abdur'rahman v. Parker 587 U.S. ___ (2019)

Eighth Amendment  • death penalty punishment  • challenges to method of execution
Sotomayor dissented from the Court's denial of certiorari.
120



Herrera v. Wyoming 587 U.S. ___ (2019)

effect of statehood on Native American treaty rights Ginsburg, Breyer, Kagan, Gorsuch
Alito
221



Mission Product Holdings, Inc. v. Tempnology, LLC 587 U.S. ___ (2019)

bankruptcy law  • Chapter 11  • debtor rejection of executory contract
Kagan
Gorsuch
422



Nieves v. Bartlett 587 U.S. ___ (2019)

First Amendment  • free speech  • retaliatory arrest  • Fourth Amendment  • probable cause
Roberts
Thomas
Ginsburg
Gorsuch
123



Smith v. Berryhill 587 U.S. ___ (2019)

judicial review of final decision by Social Security Administration Unanimous
424



Mont v. United States 587 U.S. ___ (2019)

tolling of supervised release for new imprisonment  • Sentencing Reform Act of 1984 Breyer, Kagan, Gorsuch
Thomas
125



Return Mail, Inc. v. Postal Service 587 U.S. ___ (2019)

patent law  • Leahy-Smith America Invents Act of 2011  • eligibility of federal government to initiate Patent Trial and Appeal Board post-patent issuance review Roberts, Thomas, Alito, Gorsuch, Kavanaugh
Breyer
426



Manhattan Community Access Corp. v. Halleck 587 U.S. ___ (2019)

First Amendment  • public-access television  • government-designated private entity as state actor Ginsburg, Breyer, Kagan
Kavanaugh
127



McDonough v. Smith 588 U.S. ___ (2019)

Section 1983  • prosecution based on false evidence  • statute of limitations Roberts, Ginsburg, Breyer, Alito, Kavanaugh
Thomas
128



North Carolina Dept. of Revenue v. Kimberley Rice Kaestner 1992 Family Trust 588 U.S. ___ (2019)

Fourteenth Amendment  • Due Process Clause  • state taxation of trust based on beneficiary residence Unanimous
Alito
329



Iancu v. Brunetti 588 U.S. ___ (2019)

trademark law  • Lanham Act  • registration of immoral or scandalous trademarks  • First Amendment  • free speech Breyer
Kagan
Alito
Roberts
Breyer
430



Mitchell v. Wisconsin 588 U.S. ___ (2019)

Fourth Amendment  • blood alcohol test taken from unconscious driver  • exigent circumstances Ginsburg, Kagan
Alito
Thomas
Gorsuch
431



McGee v. McFadden 588 U.S. ___ (2019)

death penalty  • Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996  • habeas corpus  • certificate of appealability  • withholding of exculpatory evidence
Sotomayor dissented from the Court's denial of certiorari.
532



Bowles v. Florida 588 U.S. ___ (2019)

Eighth Amendment  • death penalty  • execution of the intellectually disabled
Sotomayor filed a statement respecting the Court's denial of certiorari.
533



Crutsinger v. Davis 588 U.S. ___ (2019)

habeas corpus  • Federal Rules of Civil Procedure  • reopening of final judgment
Sotomayor filed a statement respecting the Court's denial of certiorari.
434



Barr v. East Bay Sanctuary Covenant 588 U.S. ___ (2019)

asylum policy  • requirement to apply for asylum in other countries while traveling Ginsburg
Sotomayor dissented from the Court's grant of application for stay.
535



Sparks v. Davis 588 U.S. ___ (2019)

death penalty  • pro-death penalty attire worn by courtroom employee during sentencing
Sotomayor filed a statement respecting the Court's denial of certiorari.

References

  • "2018 Term Opinions of the Court". Supreme Court of the United States. Retrieved October 7, 2019.
  • "2018 Term Opinions Relating to Orders". Supreme Court of the United States. Retrieved October 7, 2019.
  • "2018 Term In-Chambers Opinions". Supreme Court of the United States. Retrieved October 7, 2019.