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Ashcroft v. Iqbal, 556 U.S. 662 (2009)

Full notes and cites: https://opinion-of-the-court.pages.dev/ep/062-ashcroft-v-iqbal

Official text (U.S. Reports, Library of Congress): https://tile.loc.gov/storage-services/service/ll/usrep/usrep556/usrep556662/usrep556662.pdf

Full text of the opinions, AI-narrated (Kokoro-82M, voice af_heart). Original introduction; opinion text is public domain. Not legal advice.

After September eleventh, Javaid Iqbal, a Pakistani Muslim, was arrested on immigration and fraud charges and held in a maximum-security unit in Brooklyn, where he alleged he was beaten and abused. He sued many officials, including former Attorney General John Ashcroft and FBI Director Robert Mueller, alleging they adopted a policy of harsh confinement because of religion and national origin.

Justice Kennedy, for a five-to-four majority, held the complaint insufficient against the top officials. Applying Twombly to all civil actions, he described a two-step method: set aside legal conclusions, then ask whether the remaining factual allegations plausibly suggest entitlement to relief, drawing on judicial experience and common sense. Iqbal's allegations against Ashcroft and Mueller, he said, did not.

Justice Souter, the author of Twombly, dissented, arguing the majority misapplied his own opinion. Justice Breyer also dissented. Iqbal is among the most cited Supreme Court decisions ever, and every motion to dismiss now begins with it.

Citations: reporter citations were shortened or left out of the audio; every citation is listed on the website.

Cases named aloud

- Iqbal v. Hasty, 490 F.3d 143 (CA2 2007) at 147-148 [as printed: New York. Iqbal v. Hasty, 490 F. 3d 143, 147-148 (CA2 2007); Opinion of the Court (Justice Kennedy)] (episode link pending)

- Bivens v. Six Unknown Fed. Narcotics Agents, 403 U.S. 388 (1971) [as printed: Bivens v. Six Unknown Fed. Narcotics Agents, 403 U. S. 388 (1971); Opinion of the Court (Justice Kennedy)] episode

- Conley v. Gibson, 355 U.S. 41 (1957) at 47 (omission in original) [as printed: Conley v. Gibson, 355 U. S. 41, 47 (1957) (omission in original); Opinion of the Court (Justice Kennedy)] episode

- Bell Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U.S. 544 (2007) [as printed: Bell Atlantic Corp. v. Twombly, 550 U. S. 544 (2007); Dissent (Justice Breyer)] episode

- Johnson v. Jones, 515 U.S. 304 (1995) at 309 [as printed: Johnson v. Jones, 515 U. S. 304, 309 (1995); Opinion of the Court (Justice Kennedy)] (episode link pending)

- Behrens v. Pelletier, 516 U.S. 299 (1996) at 305 [as printed: Behrens v. Pelletier, 516 U. S. 299, 305 (1996); Opinion of the Court (Justice Kennedy)] (episode link pending)

- Cohen v. Beneficial Industrial Loan Corp., 337 U.S. 541 (1949) at 546 [as printed: Cohen v. Beneficial Industrial Loan Corp., 337 U. S. 541, 546 (1949); Opinion of the Court (Justice Kennedy)] episode

- Mitchell v. Forsyth, 472 U.S. 511 (1985) at 530 [as printed: Mitchell v. Forsyth, 472 U. S. 511, 530 (1985); Opinion of the Court (Justice Kennedy)] (episode link pending)

- Harlow v. Fitzgerald, 457 U.S. 800 (1982) at 818 [as printed: Harlow v. Fitzgerald, 457 U. S. 800, 818 (1982); Opinion of the Court (Justice Kennedy)] episode

(+18 more named aloud; see the website)

Full list of 140 citations not read aloud: https://opinion-of-the-court.pages.dev/ep/062-ashcroft-v-iqbal