Hawkins v. Community Bank of Raymore

Docket No.	Op. Below	Argument	Opinion	Vote	Author	Term
14-520	8th Cir.	Oct 5, 2015	Apr 28, 2025	4-4	Per Curiam	OT 2015

Issue: (1) Whether "primarily and unconditionally liable" spousal guarantors are unambiguously excluded from being Equal Credit Opportunity Act (ECOA) "applicants" because they are not integrally part of "any aspect of a credit transaction"; and (2) whether the Federal Reserve Board has authority under the ECOA to include by regulation spousal guarantors as "applicants" to further the purposes of eliminating discrimination against married women.

Judgment: Affirmed by an equally divided Court in a per curiam opinion on April 28, 2025.

SCOTUSblog Coverage

Argument analysis: Justices dubious of longstanding protections for spouses forced to guarantee each others debts (Ronald Mann, October 6, 2015)
Argument preview: Justices to mull protections for spouses forced to guarantee each others debts (Ronald Mann, September 28, 2015)
Petition of the day (Maureen Johnston, February 27, 2015)

Date	Proceedings and Orders (key to color coding)
11/03/2014	Petition for a writ of certiorari filed. (Response due December 5, 2014)
11/26/2014	Order extending time to file response to petition to and including January 5, 2015.
12/30/2014	Brief of respondent Community Bank of Raymore in opposition filed.
01/06/2015	Reply of petitioners Valerie J. Hawkins and Janice A. Patterson filed.
01/14/2015	DISTRIBUTED for Conference of February 20, 2015.
02/23/2015	DISTRIBUTED for Conference of February 27, 2015.
03/02/2015	Petition GRANTED.
04/07/2015	The time to file the joint appendix and petitioners' brief on the merits is extended to and including May 18, 2015.
05/18/2015	Joint appendix filed. (Statement of costs filed)
05/18/2015	Brief of petitioners Valerie J. Hawkins and Janice A. Patterson filed.
05/26/2015	Brief amicus curiae of the United States filed.
06/12/2015	The time to file respondent's brief on the merits is extended to and including July 24, 2015.
07/07/2015	Motion of the Solicitor General for leave to participate in oral argument as amicus curiae and for divided argument filed.
07/24/2015	Brief of respondent Community Bank of Raymore filed.
07/29/2015	SET FOR ARGUMENT on Monday, October 5, 2015.
07/30/2015	Application (15A139) to extend the time to file a reply brief on the merits from August 24, 2015 to September 14, 2015, submitted to Justice Alito.
07/30/2015	Brief amici curiae of American Bankers Association, et al. filed. (Distributed)
07/31/2015	CIRCULATED.
08/06/2015	Application (15A139) granted by Justice Alito extending the time to file the reply brief on the merits until September 3, 2015.
08/12/2015	Record requested from U.S.C.A. 8th Circuit.
08/19/2015	Record received from U.S.C.A. 8th Circuit. 1 Box.
08/28/2015	Motion of the Solicitor General for leave to participate in oral argument as amicus curiae and for divided argument GRANTED.
09/03/2015	Reply of petitioners Valerie J. Hawkins and Janice A. Patterson filed. (Distributed)
10/05/2015	Argued. For petitioners: John M. Duggan, Overland Park, Kan.; and Brian H. Fletcher, Assistant to the Solicitor General, Department of Justice, Washington, D. C. (for United States, as amicus curiae.) For respondent: Stephen R. McAllister, Lawrence, Kan.
03/22/2016	Adjudged to be AFFIRMED. Opinion per curiam. The judgment is affirmed by an equally divided Court.
04/15/2016	Petition for Rehearing filed.
04/26/2016	DISTRIBUTED for Conference of May 12, 2016.
05/16/2016	DISTRIBUTED for Conference of May 19, 2016.
05/23/2016	DISTRIBUTED for Conference of May 26, 2016.
05/31/2016	DISTRIBUTED for Conference of June 2, 2016.
06/06/2016	DISTRIBUTED for Conference of June 9, 2016.
06/13/2016	DISTRIBUTED for Conference of June 16, 2016.
06/20/2016	DISTRIBUTED for Conference of June 23, 2016.
06/27/2016	Rehearing DENIED.
06/28/2016	JUDGMENT ISSUED