Olivier v. City of Brandon · ¶23

The argument is a fair one, but hardly dispositive. We have to agree that if Olivier succeeds in this suit, it would mean his prior conviction was unconstitutional. So, strictly speaking, the Heck language fts. But that could just show that the phrasing was not quite as tailored as it should have been. This Court has often cautioned that “general language in judicial opinions should be read as referring in context to circumstances similar to the circumstances then before the Court and not referring to quite different circumstances that the Court was not then considering.” Turkiye Halk Bankasi A. S. v. United States, 598 U. S. 264, 278 (2023) (quoting Illinois v. Lidster, 540 U. S. 419, 424 (2004)). The City's argument raises the question whether that is true here.

preliminary print (page proof)
Source edition
Passage preview. Read in context for the complete text, notes and references.