# 2002 term opinions of the Supreme Court of the United States

The 2002 term of the Supreme Court of the United States began October 7, 2002, and concluded October 5, 2003. The table illustrates which opinion was filed by each justice in each case and which justices joined each opinion.

## Table key

| | Delivered the Court's opinion | Joined the Court's opinion | Filed a concurrence | Joined a concurrence |
| | Filed a dissent | Joined a dissent | Filed a concurrence/dissent | Joined a concurrence/dissent |
| | Did not participate in the decision |
| Decisions that do not note an argument date were decided without oral argument. Decisions that do not note a Justice delivering the Court's opinion are per curiam. Multiple concurrences and dissents within a case are numbered, with joining votes numbered accordingly. Justices frequently join multiple opinions in a single case; each vote is subdivided accordingly. An asterisk ( * ) in the Court's opinion denotes that it was only a majority in part or a plurality. An asterisk in a joining vote denotes that the justice joined it only in part. A dash ( - ) denotes that the Justice voted without filing or joining an opinion. ||||||||

## 2002 term opinions

| # | Case name and citation | Argued | Decided | Rehnquist | Stevens | O'Connor | Scalia | Kennedy | Souter | Thomas | Ginsburg | Breyer |
| 1 | Ford Motor Co. v. McCauley, 537 U.S. 1 | October 7, 2002 | October 15, 2002 | | | | | | | | | |
| 2 | Early v. Packer, 537 U.S. 3 | | November 4, 2002 | | | | | | | | | |
| 3 | INS v. Ventura, 537 U.S. 12 | | November 4, 2002 | | | | | | | | | |
| 4 | Woodford v. Visciotti, 537 U.S. 19 | | November 4, 2002 | | | | | | | | | |
| 5 | Syngenta Crop Protection, Inc. v. Henson, 537 U.S. 28 | October 15, 2002 | November 5, 2002 | | | | | | | | | |
| 6 | Yellow Transportation, Inc. v. Michigan, 537 U.S. 36 | October 7, 2002 | November 5, 2002 | | | | | | | | | |
| 7 | Sprietsma v. Mercury Marine, 537 U.S. 51 | October 15, 2002 | December 3, 2002 | | | | | | | | | |
| 8 | United States v. Bean, 537 U.S. 71 | October 16, 2002 | December 10, 2002 | | | | | | | | | |
| 9 | Howsam v. Dean Witter Reynolds, Inc., 537 U.S. 79 | October 9, 2002 | December 10, 2002 | | | | | | | | | |
| 10 | Abdur'Rahman v. Bell, 537 U.S. 88 | November 6, 2002 | December 10, 2002 | | | | | | | | | |
| 11 | Borden Ranch Partnership v. Army Corps of Engineers, 537 U.S. 99 | December 10, 2002 | December 16, 2002 | | | | | | | | | |
| 12 | Sattazahn v. Pennsylvania, 537 U.S. 101 | November 4, 2002 | January 14, 2003 | | | * | * | * | | | | |
| 13 | Pierce County v. Guillen, 537 U.S. 129 | November 4, 2002 | January 14, 2003 | | | | | | | | | |
| 14 | Barnhart v. Peabody Coal Co., 537 U.S. 149 | October 8, 2002 | January 15, 2003 | | | 1 | 1 | | | 12 | | |
| 15 | Eldred v. Ashcroft, 537 U.S. 186 | October 9, 2002 | January 15, 2003 | | 1 | | | | | | | 2 |
| 16 | United States v. Jimenez Recio, 537 U.S. 270 | November 12, 2002 | January 21, 2003 | | | | | | | | | |
| 17 | Meyer v. Holley, 537 U.S. 280 | December 3, 2002 | January 22, 2003 | | | | | | | | | |
| 18 | FCC v. NextWave Personal Communications, Inc., 537 U.S. 293 | October 8, 2002 | January 27, 2003 | | * | | | | | | | |
| 19 | Miller-El v. Cockrell, 537 U.S. 322 | October 16, 2002 | February 25, 2003 | | | | | | | | | |
| 20 | Wa. Dept. of Social and Health Servs. v. Guardianship Estate of Keffeler, 537 U.S. 371 | December 3, 2002 | February 25, 2003 | | | | | | | | | |
| 21 | Scheidler v. National Organization for Women, Inc., 537 U.S. 393 | December 4, 2002 | February 26, 2003 | | | | | | | | | |
| 22 | Moseley v. V Secret Catalogue, Inc., 537 U.S. 418 | November 12, 2002 | March 4, 2003 | | | | * | | | | | |
| 23 | Boeing Co. v. United States, 537 U.S. 437 | December 9, 2002 | March 4, 2003 | | | | | | | | | |
| 24 | United States v. White Mountain Apache Tribe, 537 U.S. 465 | December 2, 2002 | March 4, 2003 | | | | | | | | | |
| 25 | United States v. Navajo Nation, 537 U.S. 488 | December 2, 2002 | March 4, 2003 | | | | | | | | | |
| 26 | Clay v. United States, 537 U.S. 522 | January 13, 2003 | March 4, 2003 | | | | | | | | | |
| 27 | Connecticut Dept. of Public Safety v. Doe, 538 U.S. 1 | November 13, 2002 | March 5, 2003 | | 1 | | 2 | | 3 | | 3 | |
| 28 | Ewing v. California, 538 U.S. 11 | November 5, 2002 | March 5, 2003 | | 12 | * | 1 | | 12 | 2 | 12 | 12 |
| 29 | Lockyer v. Andrade, 538 U.S. 63 | November 5, 2002 | March 5, 2003 | | | | | | | | | |
| 30 | Smith v. Doe, 538 U.S. 84 | November 13, 2002 | March 5, 2003 | | 1 | | | | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| 31 | Cook County v. United States ex rel Chandler, 538 U.S. 119 | January 14, 2003 | March 10, 2003 | | | | | | | | | |
| 32 | Norfolk & Western R. Co. v. Ayers, 538 U.S. 135 | November 6, 2002 | March 10, 2003 | *1 | | *1 | | *1 | | | | *12 |
| 33 | Cuyahoga Falls v. Buckeye Community Hope Foundation, 538 U.S. 188 | January 21, 2003 | March 25, 2003 | | | | | | | | | |
| 34 | Woodford v. Garceau, 538 U.S. 202 | January 21, 2003 | March 25, 2003 | | | | | | | | | |
| 35 | Brown v. Legal Foundation of Washington, 538 U.S. 216 | December 9, 2002 | March 26, 2003 | 1 | | | 1 | 12 | | 1 | | |
| 36 | Branch v. Smith, 538 U.S. 254 | December 10, 2002 | March 31, 2003 | | *12* | * | * | 2 | *12* | * | | *12* |
| 37 | Archer v. Warner, 538 U.S. 314 | January 13, 2003 | March 31, 2003 | | | | | | | | | |
| 38 | Kentucky Assn. of Health Plans, Inc. v. Miller, 538 U.S. 329 | January 14, 2003 | April 2, 2003 | | | | | | | | | |
| 39 | Virginia v. Black, 538 U.S. 343 | December 11, 2002 | April 7, 2003 | | | * | *1 | 2 | 2 | 1* | 2 | |
| 40 | PacifiCare Health Systems, Inc. v. Book, 538 U.S. 401 | February 24, 2003 | April 7, 2003 | | | | | | | | | |
| 41 | State Farm Mut. Automobile Ins. Co. v. Campbell, 538 U.S. 408 | December 11, 2002 | April 7, 2003 | | | | 1 | | | 2 | 3 | |
| 42 | Clackamas Gastroenterology Associates, P.C. v. Wells, 538 U.S. 440 | February 25, 2003 | April 22, 2003 | | | | | | | | | |
| 43 | Jinks v. Richland County, 538 U.S. 456 | March 5, 2003 | April 22, 2003 | | | | | | | | | |
| 44 | Dole Food Co. v. Patrickson, 538 U.S. 468 | January 22, 2003 | April 22, 2003 | | | * | | | | | | * |
| 45 | Franchise Tax Bd. of Cal. v. Hyatt, 538 U.S. 488 | February 24, 2003 | April 23, 2003 | | | | | | | | | |
| 46 | Massaro v. United States, 538 U.S. 500 | February 25, 2003 | April 23, 2003 | | | | | | | | | |
| 47 | Demore v. Kim, 538 U.S. 510 | January 15, 2003 | April 29, 2003 | | *1 | *1 | *1 | 2 | *1 | *1 | *1 | *2 |
| 48 | Roell v. Withrow, 538 U.S. 580 | February 26, 2003 | April 29, 2003 | | | | | | | | | |
| 49 | Illinois ex rel. Madigan v. Telemarketing Assoc., Inc., 538 U.S. 600 | March 3, 2003 | May 5, 2003 | | | | | | | | | |
| 50 | Kaupp v. Texas, 538 U.S. 626 | | May 5, 2003 | | | | | | | | | |
| 51 | Price v. Vincent, 538 U.S. 634 | April 21, 2003 | May 19, 2003 | | | | | | | | | |
| 52 | Pharmaceutical Research and Mfrs. of America v. Walsh, 538 U.S. 644 | January 22, 2003 | May 19, 2003 | * | * | * | 1 | * | | 2 | | *3 |
| 53 | Breuer v. Jim's Concrete of Brevard, Inc., 538 U.S. 691 | April 2, 2003 | May 19, 2003 | | | | | | | | | |
| 54 | Inyo County v. Pauite-Shoshone Indians of Bishop Community of Bishop Colony, 538 U.S. 701 | March 31, 2003 | May 19, 2003 | | | | | | | | | |
| 55 | Los Angeles v. David, 538 U.S. 715 | | May 19, 2003 | | | | | | | | | |
| 56 | Nevada Dept. of Human Resources v. Hibbs, 538 U.S. 721 | January 15, 2003 | May 27, 2003 | | 1 | | 12 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| 57 | Chavez v. Martinez, 538 U.S. 760 | December 4, 2002 | May 27, 2003 | 1 | 2*12 | 1* | 1* | 2*2 | 2* | 1* | 2*2*3 | 2 |
| 58 | National Park Hospitality Assn. v. Department of Interior, 538 U.S. 803 | March 4, 2003 | May 27, 2003 | | | | | | | | | |
| 59 | Black & Decker Disability Plan v. Nord, 538 U.S. 822 | April 28, 2003 | May 27, 2003 | | | | | | | | | |
| 60 | Bunkley v. Florida, 538 U.S. 835 | | May 27, 2003 | | | | | | | | | |
| 61 | Beneficial National Bank v. Anderson, 539 U.S. 1 | April 30, 2003 | June 2, 2003 | | | | | | | | | |
| 62 | Dastar Corp. v. Twentieth Century Fox Film Corp., 539 U.S. 23 | April 2, 2003 | June 2, 2003 | | | | | | | | | |
| 63 | Entergy La., Inc. v. Louisiana Pub. Serv. Comm'n, 539 U.S. 39 | April 28, 2003 | June 2, 2003 | | | | | | | | | |
| 64 | Citizens Bank v. Alafabco, Inc., 539 U.S. 52 | | June 2, 2003 | | | | | | | | | |
| 65 | Hillside Dairy, Inc. v. Lyons, 539 U.S. 59 | April 22, 2003 | June 9, 2003 | | | | | | | * | | |
| 66 | Nguyen v. United States, 539 U.S. 69 | March 24, 2003 | June 9, 2003 | | | | | | | | | |
| 67 | Desert Palace, Inc. v. Costa, 539 U.S. 90 | April 21, 2003 | June 9, 2003 | | | | | | | | | |
| 68 | Fitzgerald v. Racing Association of Central Iowa, 539 U.S. 103 | April 29, 2003 | June 9, 2003 | | | | | | | | | |
| 69 | Dow Chemical Co. v. Stephenson, 539 U.S. 111 | February 26, 2003 | June 9, 2003 | | | | | | | | | |
| 70 | Virginia v. Hicks, 539 U.S. 113 | April 30, 2003 | June 16, 2003 | | | | | | | | | |
| 71 | Overton v. Bazzetta, 539 U.S. 126 | March 26, 2003 | June 16, 2003 | | 1 | | 2 | | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| 72 | Federal Election Commission v. Beaumont, 539 U.S. 146 | March 25, 2003 | June 16, 2003 | | | | | | | | | |
| 73 | Sell v. United States, 539 U.S. 166 | March 3, 2003 | June 16, 2003 | | | | | | | | | |
| 74 | United States v. American Library Association, Inc., 539 U.S. 194 | March 5, 2003 | June 23, 2003 | * | 1 | | | 1 | 2 | | 2 | 2 |
| 75 | Gratz v. Bollinger, 539 U.S. 244 | April 1, 2003 | June 23, 2003 | | 1 | 1 | | | 123 | 2 | 2*3 | 1*33* |
| 76 | Grutter v. Bollinger, 539 U.S. 306 | April 1, 2003 | June 23, 2003 | 1 | | | *12*1 | 12 | | *121 | | |
| 77 | American Insurance Association v. Garamendi, 539 U.S. 296 | April 23, 2003 | June 23, 2003 | | | | | | | | | |
| 78 | Green Tree Financial Corp. v. Bazzle, 539 U.S. 444 | April 22, 2003 | June 23, 2003 | 1 | | 1 | | 1 | | 2 | | * |
| 79 | Georgia v. Ashcroft, 539 U.S. 461 | April 29, 2003 | June 26, 2003 | | | | | 1 | | 2 | | |
| 80 | Wiggins v. Smith, 539 U.S. 510 | March 24, 2003 | June 26, 2003 | | | | | | | | | |
| 81 | Lawrence v. Texas, 539 U.S. 558 | March 26, 2003 | June 26, 2003 | 1 | | | 1 | | | 12 | | |
| 82 | Stogner v. California, 539 U.S. 607 | March 31, 2003 | June 26, 2003 | | | | | | | | | |
| 83 | Nike, Inc. v. Kasky, 539 U.S. 654 | April 23, 2003 | June 26, 2003 | | | 2 | | 1 | * | | | 2 |
| # | Case name and citation | Argued | Decided | Rehnquist | Stevens | O'Connor | Scalia | Kennedy | Souter | Thomas | Ginsburg | Breyer |

## 2002 term membership and statistics

This was the seventeenth term of Chief Justice Rehnquist's tenure, and the ninth consecutive term in which the Court's membership had not changed.
| Justice | Justice | Appointment history | Appointment history | Agreement with judgment | Agreement with judgment | Opinions filed | Opinions filed | Opinions filed | Opinions filed | Opinions filed |
| Seniority | Name | President | Date confirmed | % | # | | | | | Total |
| Chief Justice | William Rehnquist | Richard Nixon | January 7, 1972 | 88% | 73/83 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 12 |
| Associate Justice | John Paul Stevens | Gerald Ford | December 19, 1975 | 78% | 64/82 | 9 | 11 | 3 | 7 | 30 |
| Associate Justice | Sandra Day O'Connor | Ronald Reagan | September 25, 1981 | 87.8% | 72/82 | 9 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 17 |
| Associate Justice | Antonin Scalia | Ronald Reagan | September 26, 1986 | 79.5% | 66/83 | 8 | 7 | 2 | 8 | 25 |
| Associate Justice | Anthony Kennedy | Ronald Reagan | February 18, 1988 | 84.1% | 69/82 | 7 | 6 | 2 | 5 | 20 |
| Associate Justice | David Souter | George H. W. Bush | October 9, 1990 | 88% | 73/83 | 9 | 5 | 2 | 6 | 22 |
| Associate Justice | Clarence Thomas | George H. W. Bush | October 23, 1991 | 73.2% | 60/82 | 7 | 7 | 2 | 11 | 27 |
| Associate Justice | Ruth Bader Ginsburg | Bill Clinton | August 10, 1993 | 81.9% | 68/83 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 6 | 17 |
| Associate Justice | Stephen Breyer | Bill Clinton | August 3, 1994 | 80.5% | 66/82 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 19 |
| Notes on statistics: Opinion counts only include the bench opinions listed above; opinions relating to orders or in-chambers opinions are not included. Agreement with the Court's judgment does not guarantee agreement with the reasoning expressed in its opinion. A justice is not considered in agreement if they dissented even in part. Agreement percentages are based only on the listed cases in which a justice participated and are rounded to the nearest one-tenth of one percentage point. | Notes on statistics: Opinion counts only include the bench opinions listed above; opinions relating to orders or in-chambers opinions are not included. Agreement with the Court's judgment does not guarantee agreement with the reasoning expressed in its opinion. A justice is not considered in agreement if they dissented even in part. Agreement percentages are based only on the listed cases in which a justice participated and are rounded to the nearest one-tenth of one percentage point. | Notes on statistics: Opinion counts only include the bench opinions listed above; opinions relating to orders or in-chambers opinions are not included. Agreement with the Court's judgment does not guarantee agreement with the reasoning expressed in its opinion. A justice is not considered in agreement if they dissented even in part. Agreement percentages are based only on the listed cases in which a justice participated and are rounded to the nearest one-tenth of one percentage point. | Notes on statistics: Opinion counts only include the bench opinions listed above; opinions relating to orders or in-chambers opinions are not included. Agreement with the Court's judgment does not guarantee agreement with the reasoning expressed in its opinion. A justice is not considered in agreement if they dissented even in part. Agreement percentages are based only on the listed cases in which a justice participated and are rounded to the nearest one-tenth of one percentage point. | Notes on statistics: Opinion counts only include the bench opinions listed above; opinions relating to orders or in-chambers opinions are not included. Agreement with the Court's judgment does not guarantee agreement with the reasoning expressed in its opinion. A justice is not considered in agreement if they dissented even in part. Agreement percentages are based only on the listed cases in which a justice participated and are rounded to the nearest one-tenth of one percentage point. | Notes on statistics: Opinion counts only include the bench opinions listed above; opinions relating to orders or in-chambers opinions are not included. Agreement with the Court's judgment does not guarantee agreement with the reasoning expressed in its opinion. A justice is not considered in agreement if they dissented even in part. Agreement percentages are based only on the listed cases in which a justice participated and are rounded to the nearest one-tenth of one percentage point. | Totals | Totals | Totals | Totals | Totals | Totals |
| Notes on statistics: Opinion counts only include the bench opinions listed above; opinions relating to orders or in-chambers opinions are not included. Agreement with the Court's judgment does not guarantee agreement with the reasoning expressed in its opinion. A justice is not considered in agreement if they dissented even in part. Agreement percentages are based only on the listed cases in which a justice participated and are rounded to the nearest one-tenth of one percentage point. | Notes on statistics: Opinion counts only include the bench opinions listed above; opinions relating to orders or in-chambers opinions are not included. Agreement with the Court's judgment does not guarantee agreement with the reasoning expressed in its opinion. A justice is not considered in agreement if they dissented even in part. Agreement percentages are based only on the listed cases in which a justice participated and are rounded to the nearest one-tenth of one percentage point. | Notes on statistics: Opinion counts only include the bench opinions listed above; opinions relating to orders or in-chambers opinions are not included. Agreement with the Court's judgment does not guarantee agreement with the reasoning expressed in its opinion. A justice is not considered in agreement if they dissented even in part. Agreement percentages are based only on the listed cases in which a justice participated and are rounded to the nearest one-tenth of one percentage point. | Notes on statistics: Opinion counts only include the bench opinions listed above; opinions relating to orders or in-chambers opinions are not included. Agreement with the Court's judgment does not guarantee agreement with the reasoning expressed in its opinion. A justice is not considered in agreement if they dissented even in part. Agreement percentages are based only on the listed cases in which a justice participated and are rounded to the nearest one-tenth of one percentage point. | Notes on statistics: Opinion counts only include the bench opinions listed above; opinions relating to orders or in-chambers opinions are not included. Agreement with the Court's judgment does not guarantee agreement with the reasoning expressed in its opinion. A justice is not considered in agreement if they dissented even in part. Agreement percentages are based only on the listed cases in which a justice participated and are rounded to the nearest one-tenth of one percentage point. | Notes on statistics: Opinion counts only include the bench opinions listed above; opinions relating to orders or in-chambers opinions are not included. Agreement with the Court's judgment does not guarantee agreement with the reasoning expressed in its opinion. A justice is not considered in agreement if they dissented even in part. Agreement percentages are based only on the listed cases in which a justice participated and are rounded to the nearest one-tenth of one percentage point. | 72 | 48 | 17 | 52 | 189 |