The narrow ruling left the judges little leeway to order more ballot boxes opened, though it is still possible, election law experts said.

It is a narrow ruling limited to the constitutionality of that California statute.

Bottom line, it is a narrow ruling in a specific and unusual set of facts.

When the court reconsidered the case, it handed down a narrow ruling in April 1999.

But a narrow ruling needs to be written carefully to avoid anyone's seeing it as a result of partisanship.

They act as if the Santa Fe case is a narrow, technical ruling.

Where does the Supreme Court's narrow ruling leave the debate about the constitutionality of voting rights law?

But the defense lawyers have also presented many arguments that could lay the groundwork for another narrow ruling.

The importance of the case to property tax law generally may depend on whether the Court issues a broad or narrow ruling.

Instead, their narrow ruling last Saturday allows for ballot boxes in only about 9 percent of polling places to be opened and reviewed.