Edward Nathaniel Bell v. Loretta K. Kelly
555 U.S. 55 · Decided November 17, 2008 · 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
Edward Nathaniel Bell v. Loretta K. Kelly was decided on November 17, 2008 unanimously (9–0). SCDB codes the disposition as “petition denied or appeal dismissed.” The decision was issued per curiam (an unsigned opinion of the Court). SCDB classifies its main issue as “No merits, writ improvidently granted” in the Judicial Power area.
Read the opinion
Case details
- Citations
- 555 U.S. 55 · 129 S. Ct. 393 · 172 L. Ed. 2d 353 · 2008 U.S. LEXIS 8345
- Docket number
- 07-1223
- Decided
- November 17, 2008
- Argued
- November 12, 2008
- Court era
- Roberts Court
- Decision type
- Per curiam (orally argued)
- Disposition
- Petition denied or appeal dismissed
- Outcome for petitioner
- The petitioning party did not receive a favorable disposition
- Vote
- 9–0 (unanimous)
- Opinion assigned by
- John G. Roberts Jr.
- How the case arrived
- Certiorari
- Issue (SCDB)
- No merits, writ improvidently granted
- Issue area
- Judicial Power
- Legal provision
- Infrequently litigated statute
- Type of law
- Infrequently litigated statute
- 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 David H. Souter | 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. | Majority |
Full case caption
Edward Nathaniel Bell v. Loretta K. Kelly, Warden
SCDB identifiers: case 2008-004, docket 2008-004-01.
Related decisions
Other cases on “No merits, writ improvidently granted”
- Philip Morris USA Inc. v. Mayola Williams
- Reymundo Toledo-Flores v. United States
- Jose Tolentino v. New York
- Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings v. Metabolite Laboratories, Inc.
- Maryland v. Leeander Jerome Blake
- Alexander Vasquez v. United States.
Same Term, same area (Judicial Power)
- Carlos Jimenez v. Nathaniel Quarterman
- Priscilla Summers v. Earth Island Institute
- Philip Morris USA Inc. v. Mayola Williams
- Federal Communications Commission v. Fox Television Stations, Inc.
- Arthur Andersen LLP v. Wayne Carlisle
- Carlsbad Technology, Inc. v. Hif Bio, Inc.
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