Stay

A stay is a temporary pause of a lower-court order, judgment, deadline, or proceeding.

In Supreme Court practice, stay requests can determine what happens while appeals or emergency applications are pending.

A stay is temporary. It does not itself decide the underlying legal question unless paired with a merits ruling.

• In re SmithDocket 19-8161Stay request

  Oscar Smith filed an application with the Supreme Court to stay his execution in Tennessee. The Court rejected the bid to block the execution, though he ultimately received a reprieve due to a state oversight.

• In re SmithDocket 19-8162Stay request

  Oscar Smith filed an application with the Supreme Court seeking to stay his execution in Tennessee. The Court ultimately rejected his bid to block the execution.

• Donald J. Trump, President of the United States, Applicant v. Lisa D. Cook, Member of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, et al.Docket 25A312Stay request

  This case involves a dispute over whether the President can remove a member of the Federal Reserve Board of Governors for cause based on conduct that occurred before their appointment, without providing prior notice or a hearing. The Court is considering whether to lift a lower court's order that currently blocks the President from carrying out such a removal.