No. 19-7852October Term 2019Decided Apr 20, 2020
Parson v. U.S. Air Force
The Supreme Court did not revisit the Feres doctrine in this case.
Case status
- Current stage
- Decided
- Latest event
- Decision released Apr 20, 2020
- What it's about
The petitioner is asking the Supreme Court to review a lower court decision involving the U.S. Air Force, while also requesting permission to proceed without paying standard filing fees.
Question presented
1. Whether the Feres doctrine should be overruled? 2. Whether the Feres doctrine should be limited to its original purpose of preventing suits for injuries incident to service?
- Case path
United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit / Decision released Apr 20, 2020
- Area
Decided Supreme Court case
Briefing
What it's about
Edwin Parson asked the Supreme Court to review whether the Feres doctrine should be overruled or narrowed to injuries "incident to service." On April 20, 2020, the Court ended this docket without taking the case, so it did not decide those questions and the Ninth Circuit result stayed in place.
Impact
The Feres doctrine affects whether service members can sue over injuries tied to military service. By not taking this case, the Court left existing limits in place for people like an Air Force member trying to bring that kind of claim.
What's next
This Supreme Court docket is finished. The Ninth Circuit result remains in place, and the justices did not issue a merits decision on the Feres questions.
What was the Supreme Court asked to decide in Parson v. U.S. Air Force?
Parson asked the justices to overrule the Feres doctrine or limit it to injuries tied to military service.
Who is affected by the outcome in Parson v. U.S. Air Force?
Service members or former service members trying to sue over service-related injuries are most affected. The Ninth Circuit result stays in place here.
What happens next in Parson v. U.S. Air Force?
Nothing more is scheduled at the Supreme Court in this docket. The Court finished the case without deciding the merits questions.
Decision
What the Court decided
The Supreme Court did not revisit the Feres doctrine in this case.
Impact
The Feres doctrine affects whether service members can sue over injuries tied to military service. By not taking this case, the Court left existing limits in place for people like an Air Force member trying to bring that kind of claim.
Not official Court text.
Timing
Decided April 20, 2020
The Court released its decision on April 20, 2020 without hearing oral argument.
Related cases
Grounding
- Grounding
- Primary materials plus reporting.
- Note
- Best-effort analysis: this explainer relies on a mix of primary materials and trusted secondary sources. Official filings and opinions remain authoritative.
- Checked
- Jul 25, 2026
- Method
- Methodology