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Thursday, July 03, 2008
Courts - "Next Term: A Fatter, Faster Calendar for Supreme Court"
Tony Mauro of Legal Times writes today in a long story that begins:
The current term is history, so what's up for the Supreme Court's next term, which begins Oct. 6? More cases, heard more quickly, and possibly decided with more division among the justices than the term just ended.The Court has already granted review in enough cases to fill 43 hours of oral argument, allowing Chief Justice John Roberts Jr. to hasten the argument calendar, and making it likely that the Court will decide more cases with signed opinions after argument than this term's 67, the lowest number in more than 50 years.
The cases pose a range of tough and possibly divisive issues from religion in the public square to expletives on the public airwaves. More about those later. At a Court that changes its ways rarely and uneasily, tinkering with the calendar is as significant as the cases it will consider.
Steering the Supreme Court's doctrine in a new direction is one thing. But altering its calendar -- that's a true sign that a new chief justice has taken control of the Court. Roberts announced the change in a June 6 speech at the judicial conference of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit.
In October and November, the justices will hear three arguments a day instead of two, likely leaving fewer cases to be argued next spring -- possibly as few as one a day. By front-loading the calendar, Roberts aims to give himself and his colleagues more decisions to write and issue through the winter, alleviating the Court's usual headlong race to finish the term's work in May and June.
Posted by Marcia Oddi on July 3, 2008 08:07 AM
Posted to Courts in general