Supreme Court will review FCC’s fines against AT&T, Verizon

The Supreme Court agreed to decide whether the Federal Communications Commission’s authority to issue massive fines violated AT&T’s and Verizon’s constitutional right to a jury trial. It’s the latest Supreme Court case to take aim at federal agencies’ regulatory power. The case is expected to be argued near the end of this term, which would enable it to be decided by summer 2026. The FCC ordered AT&T to pay roughly $57 million. Verizon’s fine amounted to nearly $47 million. In 2024, the Supreme Court ruled the Securities and Exchange Commission’s in-house civil fraud enforcement system violated defendants’ constitutional jury trial right. Guided by the justices’ decision, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit ruled the FCC’s penalty system was also unconstitutional, siding with AT&T. Verizon’s case went before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit, which ruled for the government. All sides—the Trump Administration, AT&T, and Verizon—agreed the Supreme Court should take up the two cases and resolve the issue.