Federal Judiciary

Wednesday round-up

By Akin Gump Supreme Court Practice Group

The Justices? speeches and appearances this summer continue to garner news coverage.  At the Blog of LegalTimes, Tony Mauro reports on a discussion of cameras in the courtroom last week at the Tenth Circuit Bench and Bar Conference.  While Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg concluded that the Court should refrain from allowing cameras if any Justice has a strong objection to them, Beverley McLachlin ? the Chief Justice of the Canadian Supreme Court — described the Canadian Supreme Court?s generally unremarkable experience with cameras in its courtroom.  Meanwhile, Constitutional Law Prof Blog highlights Justice Sotomayor?s response to a question at the University of Denver last week, in which she said that, despite the Court?s recent ruling in Berghuis v. Thompkins, the Court is not ?eroding Miranda.? On her Court Beat blog, Joan Biskupic discusses Justice Sotomayor?s response to a different student question, about the ?biggest sacrifice? Sotomayor made in pursuing her career.  That sacrifice, Sotomayor said, was ?taking this job when I know that I am on the tail end of my mother?s life.?

Briefly:

• The L.A. Times editorial board weighs in on Weise v. Casper (No. 10-67), in which a cert. petition was filed by two Denver residents who were ordered to leave a 2005 town hall meeting in which then-President Bush was scheduled to discuss Social Security because one petitioner?s car had an anti-Bush bumper sticker.   The board urges the Court to grant review and recognize the ?crucial distinction? between open events like town hall meetings and closed events like political rallies.

• Yesterday the full D.C. Circuit denied rehearing en banc in a Guantanamo case about the government?s power to detain noncitizens suspected of terrorism; but as they did so, as Lyle reports for SCOTUSblog, the judges also ?narrow[ed] the scope? of the prior panel decision.  At Balkinization, Steve Vladeck writes that the panel decision?s ?significance in other cases has been unquestionably lessened (along with any chance that the Supreme Court would feel the need to step in).?

• The Huffington Post?s Sam Stein discusses Senator Patrick Leahy?s suggestion (reported in Vermont?s Times Argus) that President Obama could make three to four Supreme Court nominations in the next six years.  Stein contends that Senator Leahy?s prediction seems to be ?unguardedly wishful.?

Full post as published by SCOTUSBLOG on September 01, 2010 (boomark / email).