When does the Supreme Court send its judgment to a federal court?

Establish actual Supreme Court judgment entry.

Confirm that Rule 45.3’s court-of-the-United-States classification applies, rather than treating every geographically federal venue as sufficient.

Check for a special direction requiring a formal mandate and any actual timing changes.

Check filed rehearing, disposition and stay directions under the Rule 45.2 framework, then verify Clerk transmission.

1. Classify the lower court and applicable Rule 45 process.
2. Preserve Supreme Court judgment entry.
3. Check any filed rehearing petition and actual disposition.
4. Read any timing direction or earlier-issue stipulation.
5. Verify the Clerk’s recorded issue or transmission rather than treating a projected date as proof.

Rule 45 identifies a thirty-two-day default from judgment entry, but a filed rehearing petition stays the process until disposition unless the Court orders otherwise. Denial calls for action forthwith, not a fresh thirty-two-day period. A date added to judgment entry cannot establish the complete process.

The Court or a Justice may shorten or extend time, and the parties may stipulate to earlier issue. A filed rehearing petition ordinarily stays the process. Preserve the actual disposition rather than assuming a requested change was granted.

Rule 30.1 governs computation of the stated default period. An adjusted default date does not establish that a stay ended or that the Clerk completed the act. Check the actual docket and operative directions.

An isolated thirty-two-day result cannot establish a rehearing stay, disposition or actual Clerk act. No computed date or paid record is published for this process.

Rehearing stay

Under Rule 45.2, filing a rehearing petition stays the mandate until disposition unless the Court orders otherwise. Rule 45.3 applies the same framework to its federal-court process.

Denial and other disposition

If the petition is denied, Rule 45.2 calls for issue forthwith. Do not add a new thirty-two-day period after denial. For any other disposition, read the actual judgment and directions.

Actual timing changes

The Court or a Justice may shorten or extend time. The parties may stipulate to earlier issue. The actual direction or stipulation controls its stated effect.

Dismissal process

Rule 46.3 says no mandate or other process issues on a dismissal under Rule 46 without a Court order. Do not apply the default as automatic dismissal process.

• This source guide does not infer triggering facts, an extension or the effect of a particular direction.
• It provides no computed date or paid calculation record.

• Identify the lower-court classification and applicable process.
• Preserve actual Supreme Court judgment entry.
• Check whether a rehearing petition was filed and whether it has been disposed of.
• Read actual timing directions and any earlier-issue stipulation.
• Confirm the Clerk’s recorded act and preserve the issued or transmitted document.
• The material act is the Supreme Court Clerk sending the lower-court clerk the opinion or order and a certified judgment. Party dispatch or electronic filing does not prove that transmission. Confirm the actual docket and transmitted documents. The certified judgment provides for costs if awarded.