Murphy v. Smith
138 S. Ct. 784 · Decided February 21, 2018 · Supreme Court of the United States
Record summary. This page is generated from the Supreme Court Database’s coded data about the case. It describes who decided what, not the Court’s reasoning. Read the opinion itself before relying on it. Not legal advice.
At a glance
Murphy v. Smith was decided on February 21, 2018 by a vote of 5–4. The Court affirmed the lower court's decision. Justice Neil M. Gorsuch wrote the opinion of the Court. SCDB classifies its main issue as “Attorneys' and officials' fees, compensation, or licenses” in the Attorneys area.
Read the opinion
- CourtListener (Free Law Project) — opinion text
- Supreme Court of the United States — slip opinions, October Term 2017
Case details
- Citations
- 138 S. Ct. 784 · 200 L. Ed. 2d 75 · 2018 U.S. LEXIS 1379
- Docket number
- 16-1067
- Decided
- February 21, 2018
- Argued
- December 6, 2017
- Court era
- Roberts Court
- Decision type
- Opinion of the Court (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Affirmed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party did not receive a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 5–4
- Majority opinion
- Neil M. Gorsuch
- Opinion assigned by
- John G. Roberts Jr.
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue area
- Attorneys
- Legal provision
- Prison Litigation Reform Act 42 usc ss 1997e(d)(2)
- Type of law
- Infrequently litigated statute
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Conservative what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice Anthony M. Kennedy | Majority | |
| Justice Clarence Thomas | Majority | |
| Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg | Dissent | |
| Justice Stephen G. Breyer | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice Sonia Sotomayor | Dissent | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Elena Kagan | Dissent | |
| Justice Neil M. Gorsuch | Majority | Wrote an opinion |
Full case caption
Murphy v. Smith
SCDB identifiers: case 2017-026, docket 2017-026-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Attorneys' and officials' fees, compensation, or licenses”
- Culbertson v. Berryhill
- Kirtsaeng v. John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
- Peter v. Nantkwest Inc.
- Melene James v. City of Boise
- Baker Botts, L.L.P. v. Asarco, L.L.C.
- Octane Fitness, LLC v. Icon Health & Fitness, Inc.
Source: Supreme Court Database, 2026 Release 01 (data file dated September 8, 2026). Imported into CaseTrail November 5, 2026. Coverage: decisions from the 1946 through 2025 Terms. Methodology · Report an error