2010 term United States Supreme Court opinions of Stephen Breyer

The 2010 term of the Supreme Court of the United States began October 4, 2010, and concluded October 1, 2011. This was the seventeenth term of Associate Justice Stephen Breyer's tenure on the Court.
Stephen Breyer 2010 term statistics
7
Majority or Plurality
5
Concurrence
1
Other
11
Dissent
1
Concurrence/dissent Total = 25
Bench opinions = 23 Opinions relating to orders = 2 In-chambers opinions = 0
Unanimous opinions: 0 Most joined by: Ginsburg (15) Least joined by: Thomas (3)
Type Case Citation Issues Joined by Other opinions
101



Los Angeles County v. Humphries • [full text] 562 U.S. 29 (2010)

42 U.S.C. § 1983  • "policy or custom" liability requirement  • damages Roberts, Scalia, Kennedy, Thomas, Ginsburg, Alito, Sotomayor
Breyer's 8-0 opinion held that a municipality can only be liable under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 for an injury caused by that municipality's own "policy or custom", regardless of whether the plaintiff seeks prospective relief or monetary damages.
202



Bruesewitz v. Wyeth LLC 562 U.S. 223 (2011)

National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act of 1986  • state law design defect claims  • federal preemption
Scalia
Sotomayor
103



Williamson v. Mazda Motor of America, Inc. 562 U.S. 323 (2011)

National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1966  • Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards on seat belt design  • state law torts against auto manufacturers  • federal preemption Roberts, Scalia, Kennedy, Ginsburg, Alito, Sotomayor
Thomas
Sotomayor
204



Snyder v. Phelps 562 U.S. 443 (2011)

First Amendment  • free speech  • intentional infliction of emotional distress
Roberts
Alito
205



Pepper v. United States 562 U.S. 476 (2011)

Federal Sentencing Guidelines  • consideration of postsentencing rehabilitation
Sotomayor
Alito
Thomas
406



Milner v. Department of Navy 562 U.S. 562 (2011)

Freedom of Information Act  • exemption for internal personnel rules
Kagan
Alito
107



Kasten v. Saint-Gobain Performance Plastics Corp. 563 U.S. 1 (2011)

Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938  • antiretaliation provision  • oral intracompany complaints Roberts, Kennedy, Ginsburg, Alito, Sotomayor
Scalia
308



Cullen v. Pinholster 563 U.S. 170 (2011)

Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996  • introduction of new evidence in habeas corpus proceedings  • Sixth Amendment  • ineffective assistance of counsel
Thomas
Alito
Sotomayor
409



AT&T Mobility LLC v. Concepcion 563 U.S. 333 (2011)

Federal Arbitration Act  • federal preemption  • class actions Ginsburg, Sotomayor, Kagan
Scalia
Thomas
110



CIGNA Corp. v. Amara 563 U.S. 421 (2011)

ERISA  • failure to provide proper notice of plan changes  • court authority to reform plan as equitable relief Roberts, Kennedy, Ginsburg, Alito, Kagan
Scalia
411



Chamber of Commerce of United States of America v. Whiting 563 U.S. 582 (2011)

Immigration Reform and Control Act  • Legal Arizona Workers Act  • state requirement that businesses use E-Verify  • suspension or revocation of business licenses for hiring unauthorized aliens  • federal preemption Ginsburg
Roberts
Sotomayor
112



United States v. Tinklenberg 563 U.S. 647 (2011)

Speedy Trial Act of 1974  • effect of pretrial motions on delay Kennedy, Ginsburg, Alito, Sotomayor; Roberts, Scalia, Thomas (in part)
Scalia
113



Fowler v. United States 563 U.S. 668 (2011)

federal witness tampering crime  • likelihood victim was intending to communicate with federal officer Roberts, Kennedy, Thomas, Sotomayor, Kagan
Scalia
Alito
414



Board of Trustees of Leland Stanford Junior Univ. v. Roche Molecular Systems, Inc. 563 U.S. 776 (2011)

patent law  • University and Small Business Patent Procedures Act of 1980  • vesting of federally funded patents in inventors or contractors Ginsburg
Roberts
Sotomayor
515



Kiyemba v. Obama 563 U.S. 954 (2011)

Guantanamo Bay detainees Kennedy, Ginsburg, Sotomayor
Breyer filed a statement respecting the Court's denial of certiorari.
216



Microsoft Corp. v. i4i Ltd. Partnership 564 U.S. 91 (2011)

Patent Act of 1952  • presumption of patent validity  • on-sale bar  • clear and convincing evidence Scalia, Alito
Sotomayor
Thomas
417



Janus Capital Group, Inc. v. First Derivative Traders 564 U.S. 135 (2011)

SEC Rule 10b-5  • participation of corporate affiliate in making false statements Ginsburg, Sotomayor, Kagan
Thomas
418



Davis v. United States 564 U.S. 229 (2011)

Fourth Amendment  • exclusionary rule  • good faith reliance on binding appellate precedent Ginsburg
Alito
Sotomayor
119



Turner v. Rogers 564 U.S. 431 (2011)

Due Process Clause  • right to counsel in civil contempt hearing for indigent defendant facing incarceration Kennedy, Ginsburg, Sotomayor, Kagan
Thomas
420



Stern v. Marshall 564 U.S. 462 (2011)

Article III  • bankruptcy court authority to decide state law counterclaim Ginsburg, Sotomayor, Kagan
Roberts
Scalia
421



Sorrell v. IMS Health Inc. 564 U.S. 552 (2011)

state law restrictions on sale or disclosure of drug prescriber information  • First Amendment  • free speech Ginsburg, Kagan
Kennedy
422



Brown v. Entertainment Merchants Assn. 564 U.S. 786 (2011)

First Amendment  • freedom of speech  • restriction on sale of violent video games to minors
Scalia
Alito
Thomas
223



J. McIntyre Machinery, Ltd. v. Nicastro 564 U.S. 873 (2011)

Fourteenth Amendment  • Due Process Clause  • personal jurisdiction over foreign manufacturer in state product liability suit  • purposeful availment of the forum Alito
Kennedy
Ginsburg
424



Leal Garcia v. Texas 564 U.S. 940 (2011)

Vienna Convention on Consular Relations  • domestication of international law  • due process Ginsburg, Sotomayor, Kagan
per curiam
Breyer dissented from the Court's denial of a stay of execution
425



Valle v. Florida 564 U.S. 1067 (2011)

Eighth Amendment  • death penalty
Breyer dissented from the Court's denial of stay, in a case arguing that executing the petitioner after he spent 33 years on death row constitutes cruel and unusual punishment.

References

  • "2010 Term Opinions of the Court". Supreme Court of the United States. Retrieved October 2, 2011.
  • "2010 Term Opinions Relating to Orders". Supreme Court of the United States. Retrieved October 2, 2011.
  • "2010 Term In-Chambers Opinions". Supreme Court of the United States. Retrieved October 2, 2011.