diff --git a/eyecite/regexes.py b/eyecite/regexes.py
index 5b29ab0b..58bd077a 100644
--- a/eyecite/regexes.py
+++ b/eyecite/regexes.py
@@ -212,7 +212,7 @@ def short_cite_re(regex):
 # What case does a short cite refer to? For now, we just capture the previous
 # word optionally followed by a comma. Example: Adarand, 515 U.S. at 241.
 SHORT_CITE_ANTECEDENT_REGEX = r"""
-    (?P<antecedent>[\w\-.]+),?
+    (?P<antecedent>[A-Za-z][\w\-.]+),?
     \   # final space
 """