Clinton v. Jones | |
---|---|
![]() | |
Argued January 13, 1997 Decided May 27, 1997 | |
Full case name | William Jefferson Clinton, President of the United States of America, Petitioner v. Paula Corbin Jones |
Citations | 520 U.S. 681 (more) 117 S. Ct. 1636; 137 L. Ed. 2d 945; 1997 U.S. LEXIS 3254; 65 U.S.L.W. 4372; 73 Fair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BNA) 1548; 73 Fair Empl. Prac. Cas. (BNA) 1549; 70 Empl. Prac. Dec. (CCH) ΒΆ 44,686; 97 Cal. Daily Op. Service 3908; 97 Daily Journal DAR 6669; 10 Fla. L. Weekly Fed. S 499 |
Argument | Oral argument |
Case history | |
Prior | Motion to defer granted, motion for immunity denied, 869 F. Supp. 690 (E.D. Ark. 1994); motion to defer reversed, 72 F.3d 1354 (8th Cir. 1996) |
Subsequent | Motion for summary judgment granted, 990 F. Supp. 657 (E.D. Ark. 1998); motion affirmed, 161 F.3d 528 (8th Cir. 1998) |
Holding | |
The Constitution does not protect the President from federal civil litigation involving actions committed before entering office. There is no requirement to stay the case until the President leaves office. | |
Court membership | |
| |
Case opinions | |
Majority | Stevens, joined by Rehnquist, O'Connor, Scalia, Kennedy, Souter, Thomas, Ginsburg |
Concurrence | Breyer (in judgment) |
Laws applied | |
U.S. Const. art. II |
Clinton v. Jones, 520 U.S. 681 (1997), was a landmark United States Supreme Court case establishing that a sitting President of the United States has no immunity from civil law litigation, in federal court, for acts done before taking office and unrelated to the office.[1] In particular, there is no temporary immunity and thus no delay of federal cases until the President leaves office.[1]