Covering the Supreme Court and the Judiciary in (mostly) Plain English

This morning the Supreme Court announced that, in “keeping with public health precautions recommended in response to COVID-19,” it would postpone its March argument session, which had been scheduled to begin on March 23. The justices did not set a new date for the 11 arguments slated for the March session, which include the dispute… Read More

Shortly after the White House and Congress announced that they would close to the public due to increasing concern over the coronavirus, the Supreme Court this afternoon followed suit. In a brief notice posted on the court’s website, the court announced that it would close to the public as of 4:30 p.m. today and would… Read More

Today the Supreme Court granted the Trump administration’s application for permission to enforce the Migrant Protection Protocols, colloquially known as the “remain in Mexico” policy, while it appeals to the Supreme Court. Announced in December 2018, the policy allows the Department of Homeland Security to return immigrants seeking asylum to Mexico while they wait for… Read More

During the 2016 presidential campaign, then-candidate Donald Trump famously refused to release copies of his tax returns – a departure from the practice of nearly all major-party candidates in recent decades – and he has continued to decline to do so since then. But on March 31, the Supreme Court will hear oral argument in… Read More

In October, the Supreme Court heard oral argument in the case of Lee Boyd Malvo, one of the so-called “D.C. snipers,” and was poised to rule on the scope of its 2012 decision in Miller v. Alabama, holding that mandatory life-without-parole sentences for defendants who were under the age of 18 when they committed their… Read More

The Trump administration returned today to the Supreme Court with a request for emergency relief. In a filing by U.S. Solicitor General Noel Francisco, the administration asked the justices to allow it to enforce the Migrant Protection Protocols, also known as the “remain in Mexico” policy, which allows the Department of Homeland Security to return… Read More

UPDATED: Shortly before 9 p.m. EST, the Supreme Court cleared the way for Woods’ execution. In a brief order, the full court denied Woods’ petition for review and his request to put his execution on hold. The justices vacated the earlier order, entered by Justice Clarence Thomas, that temporarily blocked Woods’ execution. The justices also… Read More

This morning the Supreme Court heard oral argument in a challenge to a Louisiana law that would require doctors who perform abortions to have the right to admit patients at nearby hospitals. Like many cases involving hot-button issues, the drama inside the courtroom was matched by protests and rallies outside the Supreme Court. But unlike… Read More

In 2016, the Supreme Court struck down a Texas law that (among other things) required doctors who perform abortions in that state to have the right to admit patients at nearby hospitals. In that case, Justice Anthony Kennedy joined the court’s four more liberal justices in concluding that the law made it harder for women… Read More

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is headed by a single director, who is appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate to serve a five-year term. Once that director is in office, she can only be removed by the president for “inefficiency, neglect of duty, or malfeasance in office.” This morning both a California… Read More