SCOTUS Snippets: Stats, Forecasts, Scalia Speaks, a Belated Birthday Wish
While the Supreme Court of the United States has us on the edge of our seats as we await opinions and arguments in several hot topic cases, we're only left with some SCOUTS snippets to get us through the day.
SCOTUS Stats
SCOTUSblog has released its Stat Pack for the October 2013 term and there are some surprising, and not so surprising facts to be gleaned. So far, the Ninth Circuit is leading the charge with most cases reversed -- so far 5 -- something that we've come to expect. More surprising, is how agreeable the Court has been to date this term. Most of the cases -- 20 so far -- have been decided with a 9-0 vote, while none have had the difficult 5-4 vote. Of course, we're awaiting some controversial decisions in highly charged cases, so that can change anytime.
Petition Forecast
On Friday, a federal judge struck down an Arkansas law, clearly in violation of Supreme Court precedent, that "would ban abortions starting at 12 weeks of pregnancy," reports WHTC. Looking into our crystal ball, we forecast Arkansas appealing this, with the Eight Circuit affirming, and then a cert. petition that will be surely denied.
The same-sex marriage movement is also gaining momentum with a lawsuit challenging Indiana's ban on gay marriage. It's only a matter of time before SCOTUS will have to take the next logical step after Windsor and find gay marriage bans unconstitutional.
Scalia Speaks
Justice Scalia spoke last Friday at a constitutional symposium hosted by the State Bar of Georgia, and his speech was entitled "Interpreting the Constitution: A View From the High Court," reports The Associated Press. He stated, "The Constitution is not a living organism. ... It's a legal document, and it says what it says and doesn't say what it doesn't say." Standard Scalia fare.
Belated Birthday to Justice Ginsburg
Justice Ginsburg celebrated her 81st birthday on Saturday, March 15, and we wish her a belated birthday!
Related Resources:
- Happy Birthday, RBG! 8 Reasons to Celebrate Justice Ginsburg (FindLaw's Supreme Court of the United States Blog)
- Ginsburg and Scalia: Raising the Bar for Supreme Court Friendship (FindLaw's Supreme Court of the United States Blog)
- Famous Friends: Profiles of Ginsburg and Scalia (FindLaw's Supreme Court of the United States Blog)
