Crunch Time at SCOTUS With Big Opinions Still to Come

05/29/20 • 23 min

It's time for the justices to buckle down, with approximately two dozen cases outstanding and the end of the term approaching.

Lyle Denniston has covered the court for nearly six decades, and he joins Cases and Controversies to review the big pending cases and the pandemic's implications for the future of the Supreme Court. He'll also disclose what he's been up to during his third shot at "retirement."

Hosts Kimberly Robinson and Jordan Rubin will also get listeners up to date with the latest filings and court happenings. These include two likely new cases and emergency requests related to the pandemic.

It's time for the justices to buckle down, with approximately two dozen cases outstanding and the end of the term approaching.

Previous Episode

Qualified Immunity May Be Getting Axed by SCOTUS

Supreme Court justices are hammering out their final opinions of the term, fielding emergency litigation, and contemplating which new cases to add to their docket for next term.

The latest Cases and Controversies episode highlights an issue that’s been piling up on the high court’s docket: qualified immunity, the legal doctrine that shields law enforcement from liability even after the most egregious allegations of civil rights violations.

The Cato Institute’s Jay Schweikert has been fighting against the doctrine at the court and he joins hosts Kimberly Robinson and Jordan Rubin to explain why, in his view, it puts plaintiffs in a hopeless “Catch-22" when trying to vindicate their rights, and why the time has come for the justices to take another look at immunity.

The hosts also discuss a variety of high court action, including litigation over the release of the full Mueller Report, as well as the court’s most recent opinion, in a suit over the U.S. embassy bombings in East Africa more than two decades ago.

Producers: David Schultz and Josh Block

Next Episode

After Puerto Rico Ruling, Is Qualified Immunity Next?

The Supreme Court issued five opinions in a range of cases on June 1, including the much-anticipated decision over the fate of Puerto Rico’s financial oversight and management board.

This week’s Cases and Controversies episode breaks down that ruling as well as decisions on immigration, arbitration, and more.

Hosts Kimberly Robinson and Jordan Rubin also look at what’s ahead and note that the term’s most contentious opinions could come soon. Among the 20 cases remaining are ones on discrimination protections for LGBT workers and the Obama-era DACA program that shields hundreds of thousands of immigrants from deportation.

The hosts also update the situation on pending petitions over qualified immunity, which was discussed in the May 22 episode. The legal doctrine that shields law enforcement from liability, even in the face of egregious allegations of civil rights violations, is taking on new significance following George Floyd’s death at the hands of Minneapolis police.