cert. denied
Law & Legal abbreviation · Legal Citation
| Stands for | Certiorari denied |
|---|---|
| Categories | Law & Legal |
cert. denied stands for Certiorari denied, a legal citation abbreviation.
Subsequent-history phrase showing that the US Supreme Court declined to review the cited decision. A denial means only that the Court chose not to hear the case; it is not a ruling on the merits and sets no precedent.
Example: United States v. Doe, 900 F.3d 1 (1st Cir. 2018), cert. denied, 139 S. Ct. 1234 (2019).
Usage notes
Bluebook Rule 10.7 says to include a denial of certiorari only if the decision is less than two years old or the denial is particularly relevant. The Court grants only about 1 percent of petitions, so most cases end this way. Justices sometimes write statements or dissents respecting the denial, which can signal interest in the issue.
Related abbreviations
More legal citation abbreviations
- B.R. – Bankruptcy Reporter
- C.F.R. – Code of Federal Regulations
- C.J.S. – Corpus Juris Secundum
- Cal. 5th – California Reports, Fifth Series
- Cal. App. 5th – California Appellate Reports, Fifth Series
- Cal. Rptr. 3d – California Reporter, Third Series
- cert. granted – Certiorari granted
- cl. – Clause
- cmt. – Comment
- Cnty. – County
- Comm'n – Commission
- Comm'r – Commissioner
See all 87 legal citation abbreviations →
This entry is for general education and is not legal advice. Abbreviation use varies between institutions; always confirm in context.