The Supreme Court will hear oral argument on Tuesday in a lawsuit brought by the city of Baltimore against companies that produce fossil fuels, seeking to hold them responsible for their role in global warming. The justices won’t weigh in on the merits of the city’s claims or the companies’ defenses; instead, the court will… Read More
Justices grant FDA request to block mail delivery of abortion pills
The Supreme Court on Tuesday granted a request from the Food and Drug Administration to reinstate a federal requirement that a pill used to induce abortion in the early stages of pregnancy be picked up in person from a health care provider. A federal district judge had suspended that requirement last summer because of the… Read More
Argument analysis: Justices weigh mootness after change in government policy in cases seeking nominal damages
The Supreme Court heard oral argument on Tuesday in the case of a Georgia student who was stopped from handing out religious literature and speaking about his faith on the campus of his public college. The student, Chike Uzuegbunam, argued that the college’s policies violated the First Amendment, but shortly after the lawsuit was filed… Read More
Justices issue more orders from Friday’s conference, decline to fast-track election-related cases
The Supreme Court on Monday morning issued more orders from the justices’ private conference last week. After adding 14 new cases to their docket for the term on Friday afternoon, the justices were not expected to grant review in additional cases on Monday – and they did not. Monday’s order list was nonetheless noteworthy because… Read More
Justices grant review in 14 new cases but don’t act on hot-button issues
The Supreme Court took a big step on Friday night toward filling up its merits docket for the rest of the 2020-21 term, granting review in 14 new cases for a total of 12 hours of argument. The justices will weigh in on the First Amendment rights of students and charitable organizations, as well as… Read More
Justices to consider effect of change in government policy on cases seeking symbolic damages
The Supreme Court will hear oral argument on Tuesday in a case questioning whether a lawsuit seeking only symbolic damages can go forward after the government changes the unconstitutional policy being challenged, or whether the case is instead moot – that is, no longer a live controversy. The issue comes to the justices in Uzuegbunam… Read More
The Supreme Court and the president’s pardon power
Correction appended. The Constitution gives the president the power “to grant Reprieves and Pardons for Offenses against the United States, except in Cases of impeachment.” In the days before Christmas, President Donald Trump used this power to pardon or commute the sentences of over 40 people, including Paul Manafort, Trump’s former campaign manager; Charles Kushner,… Read More
In year-end report, Roberts praises “unsung heroes” of the pandemic
Chief Justice John Roberts issued his annual year-end report on Thursday, and the theme – perhaps unsurprisingly – was the coronavirus pandemic. Roberts paid tribute to everyone in the federal court system and the federal government who allowed the courts to carry out their work safely, but he singled out what he called the “‘first… Read More
February argument calendar includes immigration, voting-rights cases
The Supreme Court on Thursday released the calendar for its February argument session, which begins on Feb. 22, 2021. Like the argument calendar for January 2021, the session is relatively light: It is slated to feature eight hours of argument over six days, but with the very real prospect that two cases will be removed… Read More
Missed deadline complicates Trump’s plan for census data, despite court’s ruling that allowed him to move forward
Twelve days after the Supreme Court allowed the Trump administration to proceed with a plan to change how census numbers are used to determine congressional representation, the Census Bureau confirmed that it would not meet a key year-end deadline to provide state-by-state population counts to the president. Instead, the bureau indicated on Wednesday, it aims… Read More