How Appealing



Wednesday, June 23, 2021

“‘Hot Pursuit’ Doesn’t Always Justify Entry, Supreme Court Rules; The mere flight of a person suspected of a minor crime, without more, does not allow police officers to enter homes without warrants, the court said”: Adam Liptak of The New York Times has this report.

Robert Barnes of The Washington Post reports that “Supreme Court tightens, slightly, rules for police entering a home without a warrant.”

David G. Savage of The Los Angeles Times reports that “In two very different California disputes, Supreme Court affirms private property rights.”

John Fritze of USA Today reports that “Supreme Court balks at automatic warrantless searches when police are in ‘hot pursuit’ for lesser crimes.”

Jessica Gresko of The Associated Press reports that “High court limits when police can enter home without warrant.”

Lawrence Hurley of Reuters reports that “U.S. Supreme Court declines to expand police search powers.”

And Samantha Hawkins of Courthouse News Service reports that “Hot Pursuit May Still Require Warrant, High Court Rules; The government had argued that police in any kind of a chase don’t need a warrant to enter a house, regardless of whether the crime at issue is a felony or a misdemeanor.”

Posted at 8:24 PM by Howard Bashman



“Why The ‘Trump Court’ Won’t Be Like Trump: There may be more common ground among Supreme Court liberals and conservatives than many people think.” Peter S. Canellos has this essay online at Politico Magazine.

Posted at 8:10 PM by Howard Bashman



“Supreme Court Rules for Cheerleader Punished for Vulgar Snapchat Message; A Pennsylvania school district violated the First Amendment by disciplining a student for off-campus speech, the court ruled”: Adam Liptak of The New York Times has this report.

Robert Barnes of The Washington Post reports that “Supreme Court sides with high school cheerleader in free-speech dispute over profane Snapchat rant.”

David G. Savage of The Los Angeles Times reports that “Supreme Court rules student cheerleader may not be punished for vulgar social media posts.”

Jess Bravin of The Wall Street Journal reports that “Supreme Court Rules for High-School Cheerleader Brandi Levy in Free-Speech Case Over Snapchat Post; In 8-1 decision, court finds school violated First Amendment by punishing student for using a vulgar word in social media.”

John Fritze of USA Today reports that “Supreme Court sides with cheerleader who wrote profane social media post slamming her school.”

Alex Swoyer of The Washington Times reports that “Supreme Court rules for foul-mouthed cheerleader in student free speech case.”

Jeremy Roebuck of The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that “U.S. Supreme Court sides with a cussing Pa. cheerleader in student free-speech case; While the court held that there are some instances where schools have an interest in regulating off-campus speech, like harassment or bullying, officials went too far in the case of Brandi Levy.”

Peter Hall of The Morning Call of Allentown, Pennsylvania reports that “Supreme Court sides with Schuylkill County cheerleader suspended over profane Snapchat post.”

Mark Sherman of The Associated Press reports that “Justices rule for cursing cheerleader over Snapchat post.”

Andrew Chung of Reuters reports that “Cheerleader prevails at U.S. Supreme Court in free speech case.”

Greg Stohr and Kimberly Robinson of Bloomberg News report that “Cheerleader’s Vulgarity Is Shielded in Supreme Court Speech Win.”

Josh Gerstein and Bianca Quilantan of Politico report that “Supreme Court sides with teen in speech case over Snapchat outburst; The justices’ 8-1 decision found that the First Amendment imposes broad limits on public schools’ ability to regulate off-campus speech delivered via social media.”

John Kruzel of The Hill reports that “Supreme Court backs cheerleader over school in free speech case.”

Mark Walsh of Education Week reports that “U.S. Supreme Court Rules for Student on Regulation of Off-Campus Speech.”

Jack Rodgers of Courthouse News Service reports that “Cheerleader Suspended Over Expletive-Laden Snap Prevails at High Court; The justices ruled 8-1 that a Pennsylvania school district overstepped its authority when it suspended a cheerleader over a vulgar Snapchat post.”

And on today’s broadcast of NPR’s “Morning Edition,” Nina Totenberg had an audio segment titled “Supreme Court Rules Cheerleader’s F-Bombs Are Protected By The 1st Amendment.”

Posted at 1:08 PM by Howard Bashman



“Kavanaugh’s Sports Fandom Shines in Athlete-Centered Opinion”: Kimberly Strawbridge Robinson and Jordan S. Rubin of Bloomberg Law have this report.

Posted at 10:37 AM by Howard Bashman



Access today’s rulings of the U.S. Supreme Court in argued cases: The Court issued rulings in four argued cases.

1. Justice Elena Kagan delivered the opinion of the Court in Lange v. California, No. 20-18. Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh issued a concurring opinion. Justice Clarence Thomas issued an opinion, in which Justice Kavanaugh joined in part, concurring in part and concurring in the judgment. And Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr. issued an opinion, in which Justice Samuel A. Alito, Jr. joined, concurring in the judgment. You can access the oral argument via this link.

2. Justice Alito delivered the opinion of the Court in Collins v. Yellen, No. 19-422. Justice Thomas issued a concurring opinion. Justice Neil M. Gorsuch issued an opinion concurring in part. Justice Kagan issued an opinion, ih which Justices Stephen G. Breyer and Sonia Sotomayor joined in part, concurring in part and concurring in the judgment. And Justice Sotomayor issued an opinion, in which Justice Breyer joined, concurring in part and dissenting in part. You can access the oral argument via this link.

3. Justice Breyer delivered the opinion of the Court in Mahanoy Area School Dist. v. B.L., No. 20-255. Justice Alito issued a concurring opinion, in which Justice Gorsuch joined. And Justice Thomas issued a dissenting opinion. You can access the oral argument via this link.

4. And Chief Justice Roberts delivered the opinion of the Court in Cedar Point Nursery v. Hassid, No. 20-107. Justice Kavanaugh issued a concurring opinion. And Justice Breyer issued a dissenting opinion, in which Justices Sotomayor and Kagan joined. You can access the oral argument via this link.

Posted at 10:01 AM by Howard Bashman



“John Roberts: The man in the middle. Many on the right don’t like the chief justice. Others see him as protecting the institution. Is he the last bulwark against rank partisanship?” Sarah Isgur has this article in the July/August 2021 issue of Deseret Magazine.

Posted at 8:37 AM by Howard Bashman



“Trump admits he is ‘disappointed’ with Supreme Court judges he picked who voted to back Obamacare; The ex-president also lashed out at his former vice-president Mike Pence for certifying the election results”: Josh Marcus of The Independent (UK) has this report.

Posted at 8:34 AM by Howard Bashman



“As the Supreme Court wraps up, Justice Stephen Breyer offers no hints on retirement; Democratic activists are loudly lobbying for the oldest justice to step down”: Devin Dwyer of ABC News has this report.

Posted at 8:33 AM by Howard Bashman



Tuesday, June 22, 2021

“Sixth Circuit Reinstates Tennessee Restrictions on First-Time Voters; A divided appeals panel put back in place a Tennessee law that prohibits first-time voters from using absentee ballots, after finding the underlying challenge had been mooted”: Kevin Koeninger of Courthouse News Service has this report on a ruling that a divided three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit issued today.

Posted at 8:44 PM by Howard Bashman



“Appeals court to decide fate of California’s ban on high-capacity gun magazines”: Maura Dolan of The Los Angeles Times has this report.

And Bianca Bruno of Courthouse News Service reports that “Ninth Circuit Questions Commonality of Large-Capacity Magazines Banned by California; Large-capacity gun magazines holding 10 or more rounds of ammunition are used in virtually all mass shootings; They are also frequently sold as a standard firearm attachment with the most popular guns sold in the U.S.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit has posted on YouTube at this link the video of today’s remote oral argument before an 11-judge en banc panel.

Posted at 8:35 PM by Howard Bashman



“Clarence Thomas vs. the Fictional Progressive Narrative: His writings from the bench frequently bust popular left-wing myths about race and justice.” Columnist Jason L. Riley will have this op-ed in Wednesday’s edition of The Wall Street Journal.

Posted at 8:12 PM by Howard Bashman



“Why Justice Breyer Will Resign at the End of This Court Term: Despite a lot of words about not politicizing the Court, he will do the right thing — and his former clerk is likely to take his seat.” Law professor Randall Kennedy has this essay online at The American Prospect.

Posted at 8:00 PM by Howard Bashman



“The Politics of Supreme Court Retirements: Amid calls for Justice Stephen Breyer to step down, the legal scholar Noah Feldman considers politics, partisanship, and the Court.” Isaac Chotiner has this “Q&A” online at The New Yorker.

Posted at 7:24 PM by Howard Bashman



“Appeals Court Revives Challenge to California Law Mandating Women Board Members; Federal judges say shareholder may sue over state’s 2018 law that requires public companies in California to have women directors”: Theo Francis has this article in today’s edition of The Wall Street Journal reporting on a ruling that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit issued yesterday.

And Bob Egelko of The San Francisco Chronicle reports that “Challenge to state law requiring women on corporate boards brought back to life.

Posted at 1:48 PM by Howard Bashman



Ninth Circuit decides the fate of three separate lawsuits accusing Facebook, Google, and Twitter of aiding terrorism: You can access today’s ruling of a partially divided three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, in which each of the three judges on the panel issued an opinion, at this link.

Update: In other coverage, William Dotinga of Courthouse News Service reports that “Ninth Circuit Revives Suit Against Social Media Giants Over Nightclub Terror Attack; The tech giants argued the Communications Decency Act absolves them of liability for terror attacks committed or sanctioned by the Islamic State group in Paris, Istanbul and San Bernardino, California.”

Posted at 1:42 PM by Howard Bashman



“Supreme Court asked to decide when travelers’ phones, laptops may be searched at border”: John Fritze of USA Today has this report.

Posted at 11:26 AM by Howard Bashman



“Supreme Court Term Limits Could Backfire on Democrats; Caps that apply only to new justices would frustrate the partisan ambitions behind the effort”: Ramesh Ponnuru has this essay online at Bloomberg Opinion.

Posted at 11:24 AM by Howard Bashman



“Let Jack Phillips Bake Cake: Some of the worst acts of intolerance are being done in the name of tolerance.” Columnist William McGurn has this op-ed in today’s edition of The Wall Street Journal.

Posted at 8:50 AM by Howard Bashman



“The NCAA, the Supreme Court, a Duck, and a Bicycle: The nation’s highest court takes on the warped economy — and flimsy defenses — of big-time college sports.” Jason Gay has this essay online at The Wall Street Journal.

Posted at 8:44 AM by Howard Bashman



Monday, June 21, 2021

“Supreme Court Gives Goldman Sachs a Do-Over in Securities Fraud Suit; The justices said the bank may renew its arguments that its statements about honesty and integrity were too generic to support a class action for billions of dollars”: Adam Liptak of The New York Times has this report.

Jess Bravin and Brent Kendall of The Wall Street Journal report that “Supreme Court Orders More Proceedings in Goldman Sachs Shareholder Suit; Court rejects Wall Street bank’s plea to alter the standards for misrepresentations.”

And Alexandra Jones of Courthouse News Service reports that “Class Suing Goldman Sachs Decertified by Supreme Court; The justices sent a securities fraud case back to the Second Circuit on Monday for a look at whether the misrepresentations Goldman Sachs made to investors actually affected its stock price.”

Posted at 10:04 PM by Howard Bashman



“Supreme Court Says Over 200 Patent Judges Were Improperly Appointed; A fractured coalition of justices limited the effect of the decision, saying a larger role for an executive branch official would address the matter”: Adam Liptak of The New York Times has this report.

Jessica Gresko of The Associated Press has a report headlined “High court: Congress erred in patent dispute board setup.”

Andrew Chung of Reuters reports that “U.S. Supreme Court reins in power of patent tribunal judges.”

Greg Stohr and Susan Decker of Bloomberg News report that “Supreme Court Leaves Intact ‘Death Squad’ Patent Board.”

Alexandra Jones of Courthouse News Service reports that “High Court Says Patent Judges Must Be Appointed by President; The Supreme Court removed the secretary of commerce’s power to appoint administrative patent judges, finding they are principal officers who must be appointed by the president.”

And at his “Patently-O” blog, Dennis Crouch has a post titled “United States v. Arthrex: Supreme Court Preserves the PTAB.”

Posted at 9:58 PM by Howard Bashman



“Effective July 6, 2021, operation of the Unified Judicial System shall return to prepandemic status. All courtrooms, adjacent judicial facilities, chambers, and offices within the Unified Judicial System shall be fully opened and staffed by judges and other personnel.” So states an order that the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania issued today.

The Pa. Superior Court, the far busier of Pennsylvania’s two intermediate appellate courts, has scheduled a remote oral argument session to take place from July 20-22, 2021. It will be interesting to see whether that oral argument session will instead now occur in-person at that court’s Philadelphia courtroom.

Posted at 4:38 PM by Howard Bashman



Access today’s rulings of the U.S. Supreme Court in argued cases: The Court issued rulings in three argued cases.

1. Justice Amy Coney Barrett delivered the opinion of the Court in Goldman Sachs Group, Inc. v. Arkansas Teacher Retirement System, No. 20-222. Justice Sonia Sotomayor issued an opinion concurring in part and dissenting in part. And Justice Neil M. Gorsuch issued an opinion, in which Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel A. Alito, Jr. joined, concurring in part and dissenting in part. You can access the oral argument via this link.

2. Justice Gorsuch delivered the opinion for a unanimous Court in National Collegiate Athletic Assn. v. Alston, No. 20-512. And Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh issued a concurring opinion. You can access the oral argument via this link.

3. And Chief Justice John G. Roberts delivered the opinion of the Court in part in United States v. Arthrex, Inc., No. 19-1434. Justice Gorsuch issued an opinion concurring in part and dissenting in part. Justice Stephen G. Breyer issued an opinion, in which Justices Sotomayor and Elena Kagan joined, concurring in the judgment in part and dissenting in part. And Justice Thomas issued a dissenting opinion, in which Justices Breyer, Sotomayor, and Kagan joined in part. You can access the oral argument via this link.

Posted at 10:01 AM by Howard Bashman



Sunday, June 20, 2021

“Justice Breyer, under pressure from left to retire, takes the long view”: Jazmine Ulloa of The Boston Globe has this report.

Posted at 9:33 PM by Howard Bashman



“Supreme Court Signals Expansion of Religious Exemptions From Laws; Cases will test the court’s ability to balance the growing legal recognition of LGBT equality with religious interests”: Jess Bravin of The Wall Street Journal has this report.

Posted at 12:59 PM by Howard Bashman