Covering the Supreme Court, lower courts, and the law

A single hearing in the Supreme Court on Tuesday arises out of a long line of prior rulings, back as far as 1804 and the case of a schooner named the Charming Betsy and her famous role in the young United States’ efforts to stay neutral in a European war, between France and Britain.  Those… Read More

On Monday, the Supreme Court begins its final week of planned hearings in the current term.  The first hearing will examine the right to appeal in a case about prison inmates’ rights. A second hearing is a test of the independent legal status of Indian tribes. The Court will broadcast “live” the audio (no video)… Read More

With only two noted dissents, the Supreme Court on Friday evening cleared the way for the abortion drug mifepristone to remain available throughout the country but settled nothing about its legality in the face of broad new challenges. In a one-paragraph order, containing no explanation, the Court put on hold an April 7 decision by… Read More

The Supreme Court on Wednesday got more time to think about what it wants to do on women’s access to a widely used abortion drug, with no action probably until Friday. Justice Samuel A. Alito, Jr., acting in his own name but very likely after consulting with other Justices, delayed until just before midnight this… Read More

The Supreme Court finishes this week’s hearings tomorrow with a Colorado case testing the meaning of the word “threat.”  The case will require the Court to probe again a question that has lingered in the law for well over a century: how would a “reasonable person” behave? The Court will broadcast “live” the audio (no… Read More

The Supreme Court begins its day Tuesday with a hearing on one of the current conservative majority’s favorite subjects – religious freedom.  A second hearing will explore the proof needed to show that someone knew they had broken a law. The Court will broadcast “live” the audio (no video) of the hearings on its homepage,… Read More

Unless something special turns up, the Supreme Court tomorrow opens the last round of scheduled hearings for its current term.  A two-week sitting begins Monday with cases on deportation of individuals who commit crimes and on the rights of investors to reliable information in the financial markets.  (If the Court agrees soon to step into… Read More

A single Supreme Court Justice, taking the smallest, temporary yet significant step to deal with a major legal controversy, agreed on Friday afternoon to allow the abortion bill (mifepristone) to remain available nationwide at least for five more days. Justice Samuel A. Alito, Jr., acting alone in his capacity as the Justice handling emergency requests… Read More

The Biden Administration asked the Supreme Court on Friday morning to act swiftly to keep the abortion pill available across the nation, to prevent “profound disruption and grave harm.” If the Court does not react in a matter of hours, lower court rulings will go into effect tonight with the practical effect that medical abortions… Read More

A federal appeals court, in a temporary ruling issued late Wednesday night, allowed a drug company to continue to supply an abortion pill but only under tight restrictions that the federal drug control agency had relaxed over the past seven years. If the ruling stands, it would mean that women would have to make a… Read More