A court decision is the official ruling of a judge or other judicial officer that finally determines the rights and claims of parties to a case. The word decision is sometimes used interchangeably with terms like judgment, ruling, and opinion.
The most elaborate written decisions, or opinions, receive the most public attention. But they make up only a fraction of the cases decided each year. Four Justices must concur—or agree—on a decision to make it official. This is because five Justices are needed for a quorum, which is necessary to conduct the Court’s business, including holding oral arguments and issuing decisions.
Opinions are usually prefaced by a syllabus prepared by the reporter. The Justice who writes the majority or principal opinion often summarizes his or her opinion from the bench during a court session. Most — but not all — Supreme Court decisions include the principal and concurring opinions.
If a majority of Justices agree on the outcome and reasoning of a case, it is a majority opinion. If less than a majority (four or fewer Justices) agree, the main opinion is called a plurality opinion. It is helpful to count the number of Justices who signed onto the opinion, since this can have a significant effect on how the decision is perceived.
When a case involves both state and federal law, determining whether the decision below rested on an adequate and independent state ground is not always easy. In Michigan v. Long, the Court established a framework that provides some clarity to this issue: If a state ruling “fairly appears to rest on, or be interwoven with, federal law” the Court will assume it does not, unless the state court makes a “plain statement” clearly indicating otherwise.
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