Also known as:stands adjourned · stood adjourned · standing adjourned · adjourn
Written by attorneys · grounded in primary & secondary sources — see below
A state of adjournment for a meeting or proceeding. This status is announced by a judge or other presiding officer to suspend business until a later time.
Sources & Authorities
How it applies
Common Examples
6
Presidential Adjournment of Congress
Spencer Silver, presiding over the Senate, announces that the body stands adjourned after the House refuses to agree on a date for ending the session. The President then exercises authority to set a new time for reconvening. The announcement halts all legislative business until the designated date arrives.
Military Commission Proceedings
Simon Stern, the presiding judge at a military commission, declares that the tribunal stands adjourned pending resolution of a habeas petition. The adjournment pauses all witness examinations and evidentiary rulings. Proceedings resume only after the reviewing court issues its decision.
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Statutes
Uniform Acts
Dictionaries
Ex parte Milligan71 U.S. 2 (1866)
Free Speech Hearing Adjournment
Sean Steele, the trial judge in a disorderly conduct case, announces that the court stands adjourned after heated public argument disrupts the proceedings. The adjournment allows time for cooler deliberation on the constitutional claims. The parties reconvene the next day under restored order.
Terminiello v. City of Chicago337 U.S. 1 (1949)
Recess Appointment Challenge
Sasha Stone, counsel for the labor board, moves that the hearing stand adjourned while the validity of recess appointments is litigated. The presiding officer grants the motion and suspends all agency actions. The adjournment preserves the status quo until the Supreme Court resolves the constitutional issue.
NLRB v. Noel Canning573 U.S. 513 (2014)
Student Group Litigation
Solomon Silver, the district judge, states that the case stands adjourned after the school board seeks clarification on equal access rules. The adjournment delays the injunction hearing and allows supplemental briefing. The court reconvenes once the parties submit the requested materials.
Board of Education of the Westside Community Schools v. Mergens496 U.S. 226, 249-253 (1990)
Sentencing Guidelines Review
Sofia Stern, the sentencing judge, announces that the proceeding stands adjourned to permit additional argument on the guidelines' constitutionality. The adjournment pauses imposition of sentence and allows the parties to address separation of powers concerns. The hearing resumes after the briefs are filed.
Mistretta v. United States488 U.S. 361 (1989)
Common questions
Frequently Asked
4
What does it mean when a court announces that it stands adjourned?+
The announcement places the proceeding in a suspended state until a later date. The presiding officer uses the phrase to signal that scheduled business will not continue immediately. This status is distinct from a final dismissal or termination of the matter.
How does the President's power to adjourn Congress relate to the phrase stand adjourned?+
The Constitution authorizes the President to set a time for reconvening when the houses disagree on adjournment. The announcement that Congress stands adjourned therefore triggers the President's limited authority under Article II. The phrase marks the formal suspension that activates this power.
Can a district court use the phrase stand adjourned to delay a regular session?+
Yes. A district court may adjourn or pretermit a session for insufficient business or other good cause. The clerk may also adjourn the court when the judge is unavailable. The announcement creates the official suspended status.
Does an arbitrator's decision to stand adjourned affect the award deadline?+
An arbitrator may adjourn a hearing for good cause but cannot postpone it beyond the contractual deadline without party consent. The announcement suspends proceedings while preserving the original time limit for the award unless the parties agree otherwise.
343 U.S. 579 (1952)Constitutional Law
…be remembered in this connection that during the period of the present emergency it is expected that the Congress will not adjourn, but, at most, will recess only for very limited periods of time. If, therefore, any serious work stoppage should arise or even be theatened, in spite of the terms of the Labor-Management…