merits docket

American  

[mer-its dok-it] / ˈmɛr ɪts ˌdɒk ɪt /

noun

1. a list of the cases resolved by the U.S. Supreme Court in a recorded vote after full briefing and oral arguments, and with written opinions signed by individual justices.

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Etymology

Origin of merits docket

First recorded in 1885–90

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

merits docket

The appeals to the emergency docket have long outnumbered those to the merits docket, but most are procedural requests or requests to stay execution for capital offenses.

From Salon ● Jul. 3, 2026

There is an additional difference between the shadow docket and the merits docket.

From Salon ● Jul. 3, 2026

That is to say, the merits docket exists in the shadows of the shadow docket, not the other way around.

From Slate ● May 24, 2023

After all, to a greater extent than has been true in generations, the merits docket is providing plenty of fodder all by itself.

From Slate ● May 24, 2023

Those orders are in contrast to the merits docket, the 60 to 70 cases each year that go through rounds of briefing and oral argument before being resolved in long, signed opinions for the court.

From New York Times ● Apr. 13, 2022