Holding
A holding is a court’s answer to the legal issue it decides in a case. It states the rule or conclusion the court reaches; the case’s disposition separately says whether the lower court’s judgment is affirmed or reversed.
A holding is a court’s answer to the legal issue it decides in a case. It states the rule or conclusion the court reaches; the case’s disposition separately says whether the lower court’s judgment is affirmed or reversed.
Example: In Miranda v. Arizona, the Supreme Court held that prosecutors may not use statements from custodial interrogation unless effective safeguards protect the privilege against self-incrimination.
Common misconception: A common mistake is to treat affirming or reversing a lower-court judgment as the holding itself. The Miranda summary states the Court’s legal conclusion under “Supreme Court holding” and lists the judgments it affirmed or reversed separately.
Sources: Facts and Case Summary – Miranda v. Arizona – United States Courts