Citation Primer

1
Citation Primer

• 5 basic parts to a case citation
• Parties
• Volume
• Reporter
• Page
• Year
• In addition, there are other parts for some cases
  from some courts

2
Breaking out a cite US Supreme Court

• Rothgery v. Gillespie County, Texas, 128 S.Ct.
  2578 (2008)
• _____________________________ ___ ____ ____
  ______
• Parties
  Vol Rep. Page
  year
• This is a cite for a Supreme Court (US) case.
  Alternative cite forms are
• Smith v. Jones, 401 U.S. 111 (1989).
• For Supreme Court (US) cases, use either the U.S.
  cite (preferred) or the S.Ct. cite (if no U.S.
  cite is available).

3
Breaking out a cite US Court of Appeals

• Mize v. Hall, 532 F.3d 1184 (11th Cir. 2006)
• __________ __ __ __ ____ _______ ____
• Parties vol. Rep.
  Ed. Page Circuit Year
• Notes
• There are three editions of court of appeals
  reporters F., F.2d, F.3d Always put the edition
  in your citation!
• Not all court of appeals citations are officially
  published. When there is no F.3d (or F. or F.2d)
  citation, you may use the U.S. App. LEXIS. Do not
  use the lexis cite unless there is no F.3d (etc)
  cite.

4
Breaking out a cite US District Court

• Osorio v. Secretary, Department of Corrections,
  558 F.Supp. 2d 1233 (M.D. Fla. 2008)
• _______________________________________ ___
  _____ ___ ____ ________ ____
• Parties
  Vol. Rep.
  Ed. Page Dist State Year
• Notes
• There are more district court cases that are not
  officially published, if there is no F.Supp.
  Citation, you may use the U.S. Dist. LEXIS.
• There are two editions of F.Supp. (F.Supp.
  F.Supp.2d), make sure you put the edition number
  in your citation.
• The information about the District and State is
  usually found under the case title. It will say
  something like United States District Court for
  the Middle District of Florida, Tampa Division
  This is shortened to M.D. (for middle district)
  or N.D. etc. There is no need to put the Tampa
  Division reference.

5
Breaking out a cite State Supreme Court

• James v. Florida, 974 So.2d 365 (Fla. 2008)
• ____________ ___ __ __ ___ __ ___
• Parties Vol.
  Rep. Ed. Page State Year
• Notes
• If there is no So.2d cite, you may use the Fla.
  LEXIS cite.
• Always put the edition in your cite.
• Florida uses a regional (Southern, abbreviated
  So.) reporter. Some states use a state reporter
  (i. e. 245 Ill. 156 (1967). Where the state uses
  a regional reporter, you should put the State
  reference in with the year).

6
Breaking out a cite State Appellate Court

• Harris v. Florida, 2008 Fla. App. LEXIS 1872 (2d
  Dist. 2008)
• _____________ ____ _____________ ____ ______
  ____
• Parties Year vol.
  Reporter Page Dist.
  Year
• Many state appellate court opinions are not
  printed in official reporters. Use the Lexis
  format unless there is a citation form that
  appears to its left at the top of the case.
• In the rare case that you see a non-Lexis cite
  for a state appellate court, it would be like
  this
• Martelus v. Florida, 979 So. 2d 1137 (Fla. App.
  2008).
• The Fla. App. reference is necessary to
  indicate what court and what level of court
  decided the case (compare the cite form for a
  Fla. Supreme Court decision).

7
Reading case info quickly, Part I

• UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, Plaintiff-Appellee,
  versus MICHAEL EDWARD PAIR, Defendant-Appellant.
  No. 06-13064 UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR
  THE ELEVENTH CIRCUIT 2008 U.S. App. LEXIS 11577
  
• This tells you
• The case name (US v. Pair),
• Who filled the appeal (the appellant is the party
  who has brought the appeal),
• The official court number (No. 06-13064, usually
  unnecessary unless you want to go to the court to
  read the file),
• The court that heard the appeal (US Court of
  Appeals, Eleventh Circuit), and
• The cite, which in this case is the unofficial
  LEXIS cite.

8
Reading case info quickly, Part II

• BERTHA JACKSON, Petitioner, vs. STATE OF FLORIDA,
  Respondent. No. SC07-659 SUPREME COURT OF
  FLORIDA 983 So. 2d 562 2008 Fla. LEXIS 938 33
  Fla. L. Weekly S 357 May 29, 2008, Decided
• Again, note how this tells us who was involved,
  what court heard the case, who brought the case
  (petitionerappellant), where the case was
  published, and when.