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
Justices to tackle disputes over access to Trump financial records
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
Justices grant replacement for D.C. sniper case
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
Government asks justices for permission to enforce “remain in Mexico” policy
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
Thomas grants temporary reprieve to Alabama inmate, but court later denies stay (Updated)
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
Roberts condemns Schumer rally remarks (Corrected)
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
Justices grapple with Louisiana abortion law (Updated)
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
Justices divided in challenge to CFPB structure
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
More on today’s orders
This morning the Supreme Court issued orders from the justices’ private conference last week. The court granted four petitions for review, including two consolidated cases (discussed in a separate post) involving the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act’s individual mandate. All the cases granted today are expected to be argued next fall, with a decision… Read More
Justices grant Affordable Care Act petitions
Just as it did almost eight years ago, the Supreme Court will once again weigh in on the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act’s individual mandate. The justices announced today that they had granted two petitions involving the ACA – one by California and a group of states, the other by Texas and a different… Read More