Today in Supreme Court History: October 31, 1963

10/31/1963: Cleveland Police Detective patted down, and arrested John W. Terry.

The Warren Court (1962-1965)

Comments

[Frank Drackman]

One of the few William Douglas opinions I agree with (or yes, have read). Always loved how he pulled a "Costanza" by continuing to come to work after he resigned.

[Stupid Government Tricks]

Poor, punctuation.

[JoeFromtheBronx]

One tidbit in this article is that Scalia hoped President Obama would appoint Elena Kagan:

“I hope he sends us someone smart,” he told David Axelrod, then an adviser to President Barack Obama, at a Washington dinner. “I hope he sends us Elena Kagan.”

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/31/us/politics/supreme-court-kagan-jackson-liberal-justices.html

A Halloween themed bit from JB's favorite justice:

“Justice Sotomayor showed up in my office with Halloween candy for my kids because it was right around Halloween time for my husband to take back to Indiana with him on that weekend,” Barrett said. “Collegiality isn’t going to make you change your principles … but there’s a way to have disagreement and to meet each other where it is possible to meet.”

https://www.politico.com/news/2024/02/23/sotomayor-barrett-supreme-court-camaraderie-00143045

[JoeFromtheBronx]

One memorable Halloween was an oral argument early in Roberts' tenure when a light bulb exploded.

https://www.bankruptcylitigation.blog/us-supreme-court-cases/more-tricks-than-treats-in-a-light-popping-halloween-performance-at-the-us-supreme-court-in-central-va-v-katz/

[Michael Resanovic]

Illegally. There was no Ohio law authorizing it.

There would be no such authority in Ohio until a stop-and-identify law was passed in 2006.