Federal Judiciary

The Week Ahead

By Akin Gump Supreme Court Practice Group

The Court is in recess for the summer. The opening conference for next term will take place September 29. Oral arguments will resume October 6.

On Monday, the military commission trial of Salim Ahmed Hamdan, Osama bin Laden’s former driver, is scheduled to begin at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

Monday also is the deadline to seek rehearing in Kennedy v. Louisiana (07-343), though there has been no indication the state of Louisiana will seek rehearing over the omission of a federal statute in the Court’s survey of legislation that authorizes the death penalty for child rape.

By Friday, both sides in the Guantanamo Bay detainee case must file legal briefs on a series of issues about the shape the District Court’s habeas review will take during and after the coordinating phase for more than 240 cases.

No petitioners’ merits briefs are due this week. The respondent’s merits brief is due Monday in Arizona v. Gant (07-542).

Full post as published by SCOTUSBLOG on July 20, 2008 (boomark / email).