# Why is it Donald J Trump v USA, instead of US v Trump? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Tags:** trump\ **Created:** [October 5, 2022, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-donald-j-trump-v-usa-instead-of-us-v-trump/972758 "2022-10-05T13:26:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2022, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-donald-j-trump-v-usa-instead-of-us-v-trump/972758/1 "2022-10-05T13:26:32Z")
Talking about the case with the classified documents. As I see it Trump was being investigated for a crime, then sued the government somehow before he was put on trial. If I understand it, this would be akin if I got caught in the act of burglary, then before my trial sued the government for illegally taking my property that I stole and claiming it was mine. Is this what’s going on here? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2022, 1:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-donald-j-trump-v-usa-instead-of-us-v-trump/972758/2 "2022-10-05T13:39:52Z")
Trump is suing the government, so his name comes first. If (When, please!) he is indicted, then it will be the other way around. ---
**Author:** ![ishamael69](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b9e5f3/32.png) [@ishamael69](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ishamael69)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2022, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-donald-j-trump-v-usa-instead-of-us-v-trump/972758/3 "2022-10-05T13:41:27Z")
I think your analogy is pretty apt, yes. That is what is happening. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2022, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-donald-j-trump-v-usa-instead-of-us-v-trump/972758/4 "2022-10-05T13:50:02Z")
I thought when it was an appeal, the appellate’s name came first in the case e.g. _Miranda v Arizona_. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2022, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-donald-j-trump-v-usa-instead-of-us-v-trump/972758/5 "2022-10-05T14:36:31Z")
> [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > I thought when it was an appeal, the appellate’s name came first in the case e.g. _Miranda v Arizona_ The US Supreme Court does it that way, but most appellate courts do not. (don’t ask me why) ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2022, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-donald-j-trump-v-usa-instead-of-us-v-trump/972758/6 "2022-10-05T15:04:27Z")
Does anyone have any idea just how many lawsuits he has filed in his life? He’s got to be a record holder. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2022, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-donald-j-trump-v-usa-instead-of-us-v-trump/972758/7 "2022-10-05T15:47:46Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > The US Supreme Court does it that way, but most appellate courts do not. (don’t ask me why) Filing. It’s a lot easier to keep track of a case in the court files if the name doesn’t change. ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2022, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-donald-j-trump-v-usa-instead-of-us-v-trump/972758/8 "2022-10-05T17:57:08Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > Does anyone have any idea just how many lawsuits he has filed in his life? He’s got to be a record holder. According to a [USA Today analysis](https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/elections/2016/06/01/donald-trump-lawsuits-legal-battles/84995854/), prior to being elected president, Trump or his businesses had been involved in 3,500 legal cases. Trump or one of his businesses was the plaintiff in 1,900 cases. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2022, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-donald-j-trump-v-usa-instead-of-us-v-trump/972758/9 "2022-10-05T18:00:56Z")
Jumpin’ Jehoshaphat! His middle name should be Sue. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2022, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-donald-j-trump-v-usa-instead-of-us-v-trump/972758/10 "2022-10-05T18:15:00Z")
> [@BobLibDem](#): > > Does anyone have any idea just how many lawsuits he has filed in his life? He’s got to be a record holder. [He’s not.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_Lee_Riches) ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2022, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-donald-j-trump-v-usa-instead-of-us-v-trump/972758/11 "2022-10-05T18:32:49Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > > [@Procrustus](#): > > > > The US Supreme Court does it that way, but most appellate courts do not. (don’t ask me why) ⁢ > > Filing. It’s a lot easier to keep track of a case in the court files if the name doesn’t change. ⁢ Sure, that makes sense. But then the question becomes why the Supreme Court does it differently. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [October 5, 2022, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-it-donald-j-trump-v-usa-instead-of-us-v-trump/972758/12 "2022-10-05T18:52:36Z")
1. Because there’s no further appeal from them. 2. They’re the Supremes and run by their own rules.