David Bobby v. Robert J. Van Hook
558 U.S. 4 · Decided November 9, 2009 · Supreme Court of the United States
Record summary. This page is generated from the Supreme Court Database’s coded data about the case. It describes who decided what, not the Court’s reasoning. Read the opinion itself before relying on it. Not legal advice.
At a glance
David Bobby v. Robert J. Van Hook was decided on November 9, 2009 unanimously (9–0). The Court reversed the lower court's decision and remanded the case. The decision was issued per curiam (an unsigned opinion of the Court). SCDB classifies its main issue as “Indigents, inadequate representation by counsel” in the Civil Rights area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 558 U.S. 4 · 130 S. Ct. 13 · 175 L. Ed. 2d 255 · 2009 U.S. LEXIS 7976
- Docket number
- 09-144
- Decided
- November 9, 2009
- Court era
- Roberts Court
- Decision type
- Per curiam (no oral argument)
- Disposition
- Reversed and remanded
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party received a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 9–0 (unanimous)
- Opinion assigned by
- John G. Roberts Jr.
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- Indigents, inadequate representation by counsel
- Issue area
- Civil Rights
- Legal provision
- Article VI, Section 2 (supremacy clause)
- Type of law
- Constitution
- Decision direction (SCDB)
- Conservative what this means
How the Justices voted
| Justice | Vote | Separate writing |
|---|---|---|
| Justice John Paul Stevens | Majority | |
| Justice Antonin Scalia | Majority | |
| Justice Anthony M. Kennedy | Majority | |
| Justice Clarence Thomas | Majority | |
| Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg | Majority | |
| Justice Stephen G. Breyer | Majority | |
| Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. | Majority | |
| Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. | Concurrence | Wrote an opinion |
| Justice Sonia Sotomayor | Majority |
Full case caption
David Bobby, Warden v. Robert J. Van Hook
SCDB identifiers: case 2009-008, docket 2009-008-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “Indigents, inadequate representation by counsel”
- Robert Wong v. Fernando Belmontes, Jr.
- Albert Holland v. Florida
- Michael A. Knowles v. Alexandre Mirzayance
- Jeff Premo v. Randy Joseph Moore
- James Walker v. Charles W. Martin
- Luis Mariano Martinez v. Charles L. Ryan
Cases on the same legal provision: Article VI, Section 2 (supremacy clause)
- Keith Haywood v. Curtis DrownLaw held unconstitutional
- Plivia, Inc. v. Gladys Mensing
- Toby Douglas v. Independent Living Center of Southern California, Inc.
- Arizona v. United States
- Armstrong v. Exceptional Child Center, Inc.
- Stephen P. Crosby v. National Foreign Trade CouncilLaw held unconstitutional
Same Term, same area (Civil Rights)
- Robert Wong v. Fernando Belmontes, Jr.
- Agron Kucana v. Eric H. Holder, Jr.
- Jamey L. Wilkins v. Officer Gaddy
- Karen L. Jerman v. Carlisle
- Timothy Mark Cameron Abbott v. Jacquelyn Vaye Abbott
- Arthur L. Lewis, Jr. v. City of Chicago
Source: Supreme Court Database, 2026 Release 01 (data file dated September 8, 2026). Imported into CaseTrail November 5, 2026. Coverage: decisions from the 1946 through 2025 Terms. Methodology · Report an error