The Supreme Court will hear oral argument on Wednesday, Nov. 12, in two back-to-back cases posing basic questions about the breadth of the compassionate-release statute, 18 U.S.C. § 3582(c)(1)(A)(i), that governs a type of sentence reduction for federal prisoners. The compassionate-release statute dates back to the enactment of the Sentencing Reform Act […]

The Trump administration on Monday afternoon once again asked the Supreme Court to block an order by a federal judge in Rhode Island that would require the government to fully fund the federal food-stamp program for November despite the government shutdown. The ruling by U.S. District Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., U.S. Solicitor General […]

The Supreme Court on Monday appeared unsympathetic to the plight of a Louisiana man who is suing prison officials who shaved his dreadlocks despite a federal appeals court ruling that established his right to keep them. After nearly two hours of oral argument, a majority of the justices seemed to […]

Immigration Matters is a recurring series by César Cuauhtémoc García Hernández that analyzes the court’s immigration docket, highlighting emerging legal questions about new policy and enforcement practices. Please note that the views of outside contributors do not reflect the official opinions of SCOTUSblog or its staff. Earlier this year, the […]

The Supreme Court on Monday morning turned down a request from Kim Davis, a former county clerk in Kentucky, to reconsider its 2015 decision recognizing a constitutional right to same-sex marriage. In a brief, unsigned order, the justices rejected Davis’ petition for review of a ruling by a federal appeals court […]

Setting the stage for a major ruling on election law, the Supreme Court on Monday agreed to decide whether federal law requires ballots to be not only cast by voters but also received by election officials by Election Day. As part of the list of orders from the justices’ private […]

“Sesame Street” debuted on this day in 1969. Justice Sonia Sotomayor has been on the program to settle a dispute between characters and talk about what it means to have a career. A reminder: You can be part of what comes next at SCOTUSblog. We’re exploring how to better serve […]

The Trump administration on Friday night asked the Supreme Court to pause a ruling by a federal judge in Rhode Island that requires the government to pay $4 billion to fully fund the federal food-stamp program for November. The “unprecedented” order by U.S. District Judge John J. McConnell, Jr. “makes […]

On Monday, the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in the case of Damon Landor. Landor is a Louisiana man who grew long dreadlocks for religious reasons. In 2020, prison officials forcibly shaved his head even after he showed them a copy of a federal appeals court ruling affirming his […]

Clear Statements is a recurring series by Abbe R. Gluck on civil litigation and the modern regulatory and statutory state. Verbs, verbs, verbs. Court-watchers hoping for fireworks over the reach of presidential authority in the tariff cases argued at the Supreme Court on Wednesday might have been left a little disappointed. Going in, […]