Covering the Supreme Court, lower courts, and the law

The Supreme Court finishes up this week’s hearings with a single, one-hour review of an important issue on the constitutional rule that juries must vote unanimously in order to convict someone of a serious crime.  The hearing’s audio portion is expected to be broadcast “live” at C-SPAN.org/supremecourt Hearing begins at 10 a.m.: Edwards v. Vannoy… Read More

Continuing with its remote hearings by telephone, with the “live” broadcasts of the audio portion, the Supreme Court on Tuesday will look into child slavery in Africa and into a federal tax dispute that has its origins back in the Civil War era.  The broadcasts are expected to be available online at C-SPAN.org/supreme court First… Read More

The Supreme Court resumes its public hearings tomorrow, opening a week of lawyers’ debates in five cases. The most important dispute is coming up first on Monday. It involves a long-running controversy over who gets counted in the census. The second hearing of the day involves legal limits on computer searches on the Internet. The… Read More

At three minutes before midnight last night, a new Supreme Court emerged: a 5-4 majority with the most conservative Justices clearly in control. For the first time, the newest Justice, Amy Coney Barrett, cast the deciding fifth vote to make a majority. In 33 pages of judicial writing, some of it quite ill-tempered, the ruling… Read More

Even though tomorrow is election day across America, the Supreme Court will be at work as usual, with the nine Justices hearing two new cases, including a case that brings up a familiar theme: how severely may states punish juveniles who commit the most serious crimes?  The audio portion of the hearings can be heard… Read More

With Justice Amy Coney Barrett now a member of the Supreme Court, the full bench of nine Justices resumes this week its “live” broadcasts of the audio portion of its hearings on pending cases.  Because of the pandemic, the hearings are remote, not in-person. No matter how new a Justice is to the bench, they… Read More

The Supreme Court is back in (remote) session on Monday, and will again allow “live” broadcasts of its hearings on pending cases.  This time, the hearings will be before nine Justices, with Justice Amy Coney Barrett taking part for the first time.  Issues of religious freedom, and Justice Barrett’s own work in the past in… Read More

This year, of course, is the year that the every-ten-year national Census is taken, but it has been significantly affected by legal controversy stirred up by the Trump Administration, and that continued this week with two orders by the Supreme Court. So, as of today, where does the 2020 Census stand, as a result of… Read More

The Supreme Court on Wednesday holds the final two hearings in the opening sitting of its new term.  Eight Justices will hear cases focusing on police use of force and on the threat of deportation for non-citizens.  The Court will begin its second sitting with hearings on November 2. First case, starting at 10 a.m.:… Read More

The Supreme Court on Tuesday continues with the “live” broadcast of the audio portion of its hearings.  Two cases will be heard each day, tomorrow and Wednesday, for about one hour each.  Eight Justices will be taking part.  The technical complexity of the law in this week’s cases adds emphasis to the need for a… Read More