Case v. Montana
| Docket No. | Op. Below | Argument | Opinion | Vote | Author | Term |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24-624 | Mont. | Oct 15, 2025 | Jan 14, 2026 | 9-0 | Kagan | OT 2025 |
Holding: Under the standard set in Brigham City v. Stuart, the Fourth Amendment allows police officers to enter a home without a warrant if they have an “objectively reasonable basis for believing” that someone inside needs emergency assistance; that standard was met here.
Judgment: Affirmed, 9-0, in an opinion by Justice Kagan on January 14, 2026. Justices Sotomayor and Gorsuch filed concurring opinions.
SCOTUSblog Coverage
- Court finds police properly entered man’s home despite absence of a warrant (Amy Howe, January 14, 2026)
- What can we learn from the Supreme Court’s first round of oral arguments? (Adam Feldman, November 3, 2025)
- Criminal case arguments in the November sitting (Rory Little, October 29, 2025)
- Court hears arguments on when police may enter a home without a warrant (Amy Howe, October 16, 2025)
- Court to consider circumstances in which police may enter a home during an emergency (Amy Howe, October 10, 2025)
- Upcoming criminal law arguments, and putting faith in life tenure (Rory Little, October 3, 2025)
- The Supreme Court’s upcoming criminal cases (Rory Little, September 5, 2025)
- Supreme Court announces when it will hear oral argument in several important cases (Amy Howe, August 12, 2025)
- Supreme Court adds four cases to next term’s docket (Amy Howe, June 2, 2025)
- Government contractors’ defenses, election challenges, and intellectual disability in capital cases (John Elwood, May 29, 2025)
- From police powers to pork: Supreme Court faces broad range of new relists (John Elwood, May 22, 2025)
| Date | Proceedings and Orders |
|---|---|
| 10/11/2024 | Application (24A361) to extend the time to file a petition for a writ of certiorari from November 4, 2024 to December 4, 2024, submitted to Justice Kagan. |
| 10/17/2024 | Application (24A361) granted by Justice Kagan extending the time to file until December 4, 2024. |
| 12/04/2024 | Petition for a writ of certiorari filed. (Response due January 6, 2025) |
| 12/17/2024 | Waiver of right of respondent Montana to respond filed. |
| 12/24/2024 | DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 1/10/2025. |
| 01/02/2025 | Response Requested. (Due February 3, 2025) |
| 01/03/2025 | Motion to extend the time to file a response from February 3, 2025 to March 5, 2025, submitted to The Clerk. |
| 01/06/2025 | Motion to extend the time to file a response is granted and the time is extended to and including March 5, 2025. |
| 02/03/2025 | Brief amicus curiae of Project for Privacy & Surveillance Accountability filed. |
| 02/12/2025 | Motion to extend the time to file a response from March 5, 2025 to April 4, 2025, submitted to The Clerk. |
| 02/14/2025 | Motion to extend the time to file a response is granted and the time is further extended to and including April 4, 2025. |
| 04/02/2025 | Brief of respondent Montana in opposition filed. |
| 04/15/2025 | Reply of petitioner William Trevor Case filed. (Distributed) |
| 04/16/2025 | DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 5/2/2025. |
| 05/01/2025 | Rescheduled. |
| 05/12/2025 | DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 5/15/2025. |
| 05/19/2025 | DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 5/22/2025. |
| 05/27/2025 | DISTRIBUTED for Conference of 5/29/2025. |
| 05/28/2025 | Letter updating counsel of record information for respondents received. |
| 06/02/2025 | Petition GRANTED. |
| 06/12/2025 | Motion for an extension of time within which to file the briefs on the merits filed. |
| 06/25/2025 | Motion to extend the time within which to file the briefs on the merits granted. The time for filing the joint appendix and petitioner's brief on the merits is extended to and including July 30, 2025. The time to file respondent's brief on the merits is extended to and including September 3, 2025. |
| 07/30/2025 | Brief of petitioner William Trevor Case filed. |
| 07/30/2025 | Joint appendix filed. (Statement of costs filed) |
| 08/04/2025 | Brief amicus curiae of The LONANG Institute filed. |
| 08/05/2025 | Brief amici curiae of National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, et al. filed. |
| 08/06/2025 | Brief amici curiae of Cato Institute, et al. filed. |
| 08/06/2025 | Brief amicus curiae of Montana Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers filed. |
| 08/06/2025 | Brief amici curiae of America's Future, et al. filed. |
| 08/06/2025 | Brief amici curiae of Project for Privacy & Surveillance Accountability, et al. filed. |
| 08/06/2025 | Brief amicus curiae of Rutherford Institute filed. |
| 08/06/2025 | Brief amicus curiae of Constitutional Accountability Center filed. |
| 08/06/2025 | Brief amici curiae of American Psychiatric Association, et al. in support of neither party filed. |
| 08/12/2025 | SET FOR ARGUMENT on Wednesday, October 15, 2025. |
| 08/18/2025 | Record requested from the Supreme Court of Montana. |
| 08/22/2025 | Record received electronically from the Anaconda-Deer Lodge District Court and available with the Clerk. |
| 09/02/2025 | CIRCULATED |
| 09/03/2025 | Brief of respondent Montana filed. (Distributed) |
| 09/05/2025 | Record received electronically from the Supreme Court of Montana and available with the Clerk. |
| 09/09/2025 | Brief amicus curiae of Professor Michael J.Z. Mannheimer filed. (Distributed) |
| 09/10/2025 | Brief amici curiae of Michigan, et al. filed. (Distributed) |
| 09/10/2025 | Brief amici curiae of Local Government Legal Center, et al. filed. (Distributed) |
| 09/10/2025 | Brief amicus curiae of United States filed. (Distributed) |
| 09/10/2025 | Motion of the Solicitor General for leave to participate in oral argument as amicus curiae and for divided argument filed. |
| 09/30/2025 | Motion of the Solicitor General for leave to participate in oral argument as amicus curiae and for divided argument GRANTED. |
| 10/03/2025 | Reply of petitioner William Trevor Case filed. (Distributed) |
| 10/15/2025 | Argued. For petitioner: Fred A. Rowley, Jr., Los Angeles, Cal. For respondent: Christian B. Corrigan, Solicitor General, Helena, Mont.; and Zoe A. Jacoby, Assistant to the Solicitor General, Department of Justice, Washington, D. C. (for United States, as amicus curiae.) |
| 01/14/2026 | Adjudged to be AFFIRMED. Kagan, J., delivered the opinion for a unanimous Court. Sotomayor, J., and Gorsuch, J., filed concurring opinions. |