Ninth Circuit Bankruptcy Appellate Panel, which affirmed, ruling that the expense amount only becomes "applicable" within the meaning of the statute when the debtor actually has such an expense. The Ninth Circuit also affirmed, stating that "[a]n 'ownership cost' is not an 'expense'—either actual or applicable—if it does not exist, period." The Ninth Circuit's judgment created a circuit split with the Fifth, Eight, and Seventh Circuits, which had all permitted debtors to take the Ownership Costs allowance regardless of whether they made lease or loan payments. Ransom petitioned to the Supreme Court for certiorari, which the Supreme Court granted on April 19, 2010 to resolve the circuit split. The Supreme Court's decision Briefing and oral argument Amicus curiae briefs were submitted by the federal government and by Yale Law School professor G. Eric Brunstad, Jr., in support of the respondent, MBNA/FIA, urging affirmance; and by the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys in support of the petitioner, Ransom, urging reversal. Oral argument was held on Monday, October 4, 2010, the first day of the Court's 2010 term. In addition to the attorneys for the parties, the Acting Solicitor General was granted leave to participate as amicus curiae. Court observers focused on the newly appointed Justice Elena Kagan, in what was her first public task as a judge: she asked several questions that New York Times Supreme Court reporter Adam Liptak described as "crisp and pointed" and as displaying "mastery" of the difficult legal questions. Justice Antonin Scalia, known for his strict textualist jurisprudence, criticized the petitioner for not including in his appellate brief the statutory language that was at issue. Chief Justice John G. Roberts suggested that there was no good answer to the issue in the case, characterizing the parties' arguments as leading to equally "absurd" results. Opinion of the Court The Supreme Court ruled 8-1 to affirm the Ninth Circuit's decision, in an opinion delivered by Justice Elena Kagan that was her first on the Court. All other justices joined the opinion except Justice Antonin Scalia, who filed a dissent. The Court viewed the key word in the statute to be "applicable", in that the debtor may only claim "applicable" expense allowances listed in the Standards, not all expenses. As the statute did not define "applicable", the Court looked to its ordinary meaning, and determined that an expense allowance is "applicable" "only if the debtor has costs corresponding