SCOTUS Watch

More Trump News 

Steve Vladeck in his weekly SCOTUS Substack:

I wanted to use today’s “Long Read” to bring folks up to speed on the series of ongoing cases involving efforts by the Department of Homeland Security to revoke “Temporary Protected Status” (TPS) on a country-by-country basis for hundreds of thousands of immigrants from Haiti, Syria, Venezuela, and elsewhere—two of which have reached the Supreme Court through the Trump administration’s 33rd and 34th emergency applications. 

(He also references the racism involved.) 

SCOTUS took the matter for review later in the day. The oral argument will be in late April. 

Eugenio Suárez’s hit in the top of the ninth later in the week provided the deciding run to allow Venezuela to win the World Baseball Classic over the United States. He earlier spoke out about how immigrant baseball players worry about current policies. He noted a family member lost TPS status. 

Another Execution 

It also rejected a final appeal in a capital case.

Michael Lee King, 54, is scheduled to receive a three-drug injection starting at 6 p.m. at Florida State Prison near Starke. King was sentenced to death in 2009 after being convicted of first-degree murder, sexual battery, and kidnapping.

(The death sentence is not patently outrageous. The system can be arbitrary and overall, not helpful to the public welfare, without each and every case being similarly bad.) 

Florida apparently is moving on to executing one or more people who haven't been on death row for over twenty years. The final appeal basically addressed red flags regarding the state's lethal injection procedures. 

Sotomayor recently referenced the matter. She didn't comment this time, but there is a comparable reason why a SCOTUS stay of execution is questionable without erasing the problems with the procedures.  

Chief Justice Roberts Speaks Out

"The problem sometimes is that the criticism can move from a focus on legal analysis to personalities. And you see from all over, I mean, not just any one political perspective on it, that it's more directed in a personal way, and that, frankly, can be actually quite dangerous," Roberts said.

I saw people respond with an expletive. It's understandable. First, it sounds like he is upset about the justices being criticized. Second, the conservative justices were hoisted on their own petard by enabling Trump. And, yes, his criticism is specifically at issue. 

Trump repeatedly, in personal ways, attacked judges for ruling against him. The problem also arose during his civil and criminal trials. Judges repeatedly criticized him or even sanctioned him for crossing the line. He is back to using such rhetoric to attack judges for the 2020 elections. We know how that went. 

There has been a dangerous uptick in harassment of judges. People send pizzas to their homes in the name of a murdered son of a judge. Judges get harassing phone calls. A few judges in the past were physically attacked or even killed. 

Strong criticism is part of the program. Some will be fair, some unfair. But, especially when people like Trump (or other members of the government) attack judges personally, sometimes targeting other people along the way (family members, prosecutors, etc.), a line begins to be crossed. The unjust delegitimizing of the court system alone is a problem. It can get worse. 

A new article flagged some lower court judges addressing the problem. It notes that the pizza thing might have, in some sense, been a foreign job. 

I didn't catch that aspect before. It should be carefully checked out. It surely would not be the only attempt at foreign interference with our institutions. 

Another way to look at this is to examine a major reason lower court judges have received some strong criticism. Conservative justices have, at times, with little or no explanation, overturned their rulings. 

This effectively is a big "fu" to lower court judges, who regularly are just doing their jobs, provided extended explanations when doing so. The judges come off as "judicial activists" who deserve strong criticism. As the article notes, "thanks a lot, John."

When you flag this, some people think you are just making it about Trump. He obviously has significant influence and has used it in unhinged ways. 

But it isn't just him. So "what about Schumer" won't be much of a comeback. Put aside his comments and influence simply are not comparable. If you can find something bad liberals say, fine. 

We need to protect our institutions. This should not be a partisan issue. Too often, it seems that it is. 

Justice O'Connor

There was a special event on Thursday to honor Justice O'Connor. The Supreme Court website provided a rare livestream video link. 

There were two parts. There was a bar event, and then they had a special court session. The livestream only covered the first part. A ceremonial occasion would be an ideal situation to provide SCOTUS video. 

Some documentary materials were supplied, including an extended biographic statement. O'Connor was a moderate conservative from another age. 

Her role in Bush v. Gore for some is disqualifying. But she's no Justice Alito. She was, as noted, a reasonable conservative who carefully and pragmatically (influenced by her legislative experience) applied the law. She also supported civics education, making it her focus after leaving the Court.  

Opinions

The justices were back for opinions and a conference on Friday. There will be oral arguments next week.

They handed down a single opinion, by Kagan, which unanimously allowed someone to sue to protect his free speech rights. The person feared future prosecution. The case is not about damages.

Kagan handles things, tossing in some Kagan-esque colloquial "let's chat about this" phrasings (e.g., "For anyone who has followed along this far") quickly in a Roberts Court special. It's a good, limited opinion. 

(Robert Court specials unite the justices, often with short opinions, by opinions of limited reach that avoid divisive questions. Sometimes, they clearly paper over certain disputes, the seams at times fairly blatant.) 

Other Stuff 

The Court also dropped a housekeeping order. 

They will hear oral arguments next week after dropping an Order List on Monday. 

Think Big

A local paper published my letter to the editor:

Bronx: We need major changes, including term limits for Supreme Court justices and limits on presidential power. This might require changing the Constitution. But we should think big. We had no amendments for more than 30 years. It’s time. 

Really 50 years. The 27A is a joke. 

Daughter of Daring

I used to keep track of and watch the Oscars. Now, I am barely familiar with some of the films. Instead, I read Daughter of Daring, which is not only a biography of a stuntwoman/actor, but a history of film and Hollywood (with a woman's focus) overall. 

I have also read her Creature from the Black Lagoon book. Both are good. Down-to-earth style, while quite detailed. Fun footnotes. 

ETA: One interesting tidbit is how cliffhanger serials and other films attracted women viewers as escapes and an example of women having agency, including for lower class women.

Venezuela Wins World Baseball Classic

The World Baseball Classic divides baseball players into international teams (Puerto Rico has a team). Italy was a surprise hit this time. They made it to the semifinals. Overall, it went well.

The U.S. team looked a bit stale, but made it to the finals. A promising Mets rookie started the game and did pretty well. Venezuela won in the ninth, 3-2. They were very excited to do so.

Blondie Plays Cupid

A retro channel shows "Blondie" films (1940s; there was also a couple of television series based on the comic strip, plus a radio show) each Saturday morning. I talked about this over the years. 

The 28 films are of mixed quality. For whatever reason, one film is not shown in the rotation (about a "haunted" house). Blondie Plays Cupid is a good one.

The film is effectively a series of vignettes. It starts with the Fourth of July coming up. Blondie is not a fan of Dagwood and Baby Dumpling's fireworks. 

She wants to go somewhere quiet. How about her relatives in the country? Some home and office scenes (where a plan to trick Dagwood backfires; the coworker involved is played by someone else in later films) take place. 

Then, an amusing scene on the train, with a familiar face (the grumpy railroad executive on Petticoat Junction; the actor was in lots of character roles). Fans of old shows and films will see other familiar faces throughout the series. 

The busy film then shifts to the country, where a young Glenn Ford offers them a ride. That's where the title drop comes in -- he has fallen in love with the neighbor's daughter, but the father opposes the match. The justice of the peace gives an amusing performance. 

More hijinks and things end (as they always do) happily. The film is well-paced and well-written, with the interrelated scenes fitting together nicely. 

One amusing bit of the "I see what they did there" variety involves Baby Dumpling winding up in a haystack after a joyride. Something is poking him. Turns out to be a needle. In a haystack.

There is also a cute final joke. The last bit involves something that would be rather serious (painful burns) if we took it seriously. The Wikipedia page at the moment somewhat misleadingly notes how things wound up. They don't simply enjoy the end of their vacation peacefully in the country.  

The films have various expected components, including the postman getting hit by Dagwood (the film has a twist, including him having a chance to get Dagwood back) during an early scene involving the family having breakfast. The smart aleck neighborhood kid usually gets involved somehow.  

Dagwood bumbles a lot, which at some point is a bit tedious. There is also some stereotypical Blondie stuff, including a bit too many scenes of her being jealous or upset (often arising from some misunderstanding) for some reason. She is not as sexy looking as in the comic strip.

Blondie started as a flapper-type character, while Dagwood was a rich man's son who gave up his money out of love. The films skip that backstory.

The strips, at least when I read them much later, also had them being close friends with their neighbors. This film has Blondie talking to the wife on the phone. Most of the films, however, skip them, and one late film has the neighbors annoyed at Dagwood.

The family grows over the decade or so of the films. "Baby Dumpling" becomes Alexander. And, they have a daughter named Cookie. The boss is "J.C" Dithers, though he is replaced later in the series except for the last film. That is, Julius Caesar Dithers.

Today is the Ides of March. It's all connected.

Mayor Mamdani appoints trans woman to run first-ever NYC Office of LGBTQIA+ Affairs

We are amidst a time of attack, from the executive department of the U.S. on down, against trans people. 

The Supreme Court has (except in the Bostock case) looked on and said, "You go!" though a few justices would say, "Go faster!" It is not all dark. But it is quite scary for many.

Mayor Mamdani was a strong ally during his campaign. Trans people now, even though it has been less than three months, are impatient for action. 

Some, including those noting they are part of the community (one on Bluesky said they had a trans child), are willing to optimistically give him a chance. Others are more pessimistic and/or cynical.

Given the stakes and situation, that's understandable.  Again, there is no single reaction here. We need to generally practice human empathy and discernment. 

The establishment of the office comes at an uncertain time for access to gender-affirming care for trans youth in New York — a city that also functions as a sanctuary destination for families elsewhere in the U.S. seeking such care. In February, NYU Langone, one of the foremost providers of gender-affirming care in the city, announced that it would cease the provision of such care to minors, citing the “current regulatory environment.” 

NY Attorney General Letitia James demanded that the hospital resume, with a deadline that just passed, because of state human rights law. We shall see. 

The move, a form of obedience in advance, by NYU Langone, shows some of the results of the human rights violations of the Trump Administration, which is a disgrace to this nation every second they (illegally) continue their injustices. 

We need more anger and passion about how horrible things are. One day, we will have to reconstruct our nation. The will to do so has to come with an understanding of the stakes. The harm to trans people is just one of so many examples of what we have to address. It is taken to such cruel levels. 

My "impatient" link shows that there are means for the city government to address the situation. Erin Reed and other trans advocates want to know what the mayor is going to do. 

The establishment of the first Mayor’s Office for LGBTQIA+ affairs and the appointment of the first out trans person to lead a New York City office as director provide a key avenue to address such things. 

A question posed at the announcement addressed the hospital issue:

Question: I'm curious how you see the city's role, potentially this office's role, in responding to actions like NYU Langone and other health institutions moving to end gender-affirming care. And I'm wondering if the city has a role in responding to that, and if you've talked about that at all in discussions with President Trump. 

Mayor Mamdani: I think the city has a role in standing up for the rights of New Yorkers and ensuring the compliance with the law. And that is regardless of who impedes upon it. And I made very clear my opposition to the decisions made by NYU Langone. I will continue to make that clear as the mayor of our city. And I am frankly looking forward to working with our new director on seeing the many ways our city can stand up for queer and trans New Yorkers.  

That's nice, though it is nothing specific. Such replies warrant follow-up. It annoys me when none come. 

The new office, specifically, would be the direct avenue to address it. The leader sounds like a great choice:

Taylor Brown — who is currently working in the state Attorney General’s office in its civil rights bureau, and assisted in a lawsuit launched against Nassau County and its ban on transgender women and girls from playing sports in county facilities — will head the new office. She will be the highest-ranking trans person in New York City government.

Brown also worked for Lambda Legal Defense and Education Fund and the American Civil Liberties Union, where she was a part of the legal team behind a landmark lawsuit for trans people looking to amend birth certificates in West Virginia.

Change must come from below before it reaches the top. This office is what people voted for. What I voted for. 

As Out Magazine noted:

The historic move not only marks an institutional shift for the city but also highlights Mamdani's commitment to the LGBTQ+ community. This draws a stark contrast with other Democrats at a time when the Democratic Party is being urged to "do more" for queer people.

Good luck and godspeed. 

SCOTUS Watch

Order List

There was a seven-page Order List on Monday. The Court granted one case for review. SCOTUSBlog:

In Prutehi Guahan, the justices will weigh in on a dispute that arises from the U.S. Air Force’s disposal of unexploded ordnance, which it burns or blows up, on a base in Guam. 

So notable concern, but based on technical issues:

Four years ago, Prutehi Guahan, an environmental group, went to federal court to challenge the Air Force’s then-pending application to renew its permit, granted to it by Guam’s Environmental Protection Agency under a federal law called the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act, for its disposal of ordnance. The group contended that before the Air Force submitted its application, it should have prepared an environmental impact statement, as required by a different federal law, the National Environmental Policy Act.

Kavanaugh didn't take part in deciding a case without saying why. Jackson dissented from a refusal to a motion based on an alleged abuse of the in forma pauperis policy, following her recent practice of doing so for incarcerated persons. 

Gorsuch dissents from a denial of cert. As Mark Joseph Stern (Slate) summarizes on Bluesky (noting his position received four votes in the past):

Gorsuch dissents from the Supreme Court's refusal to consider whether a judge (not a jury) can extend a person's prison sentence by finding, by a preponderance of evidence (not beyond a reasonable doubt), that he violated supervised release.

Charles Burton Doesn't Die

Charles Burton has been in prison for over thirty years for his involvement in a robbery/homicide. Burton is in his mid-70s and in a wheelchair. A final SCOTUS appeal (involving procedural issues) was pending. 

“I firmly believe that the death penalty is just punishment for society’s most heinous offenders, as shown by the 25 executions I have presided over as governor,” Ivey said in a statement on Tuesday. “In order to ensure the continued viability of the death penalty, however, I also believe that a government’s most consequential action must be administered fairly and proportionately.

Alabama's strongly conservative governor commuted his sentence to life. That's the right move, except that he should really be paroled. He is ailing and was not directly involved in the actual killing. He has already served more than enough for his crime. 

Burton wasn't even there when it happened. It was a particularly poor usage of the "felony murder rule."  I appreciate her principled pro-capital punishment statement. Yes, I can grant that.

Alabama has not had a great run in recent years executing people, especially respecting the procedure, which led them to shift to nitrogen gas. Give credit where it's due and all that, all the same. 

The victim's daughter opposed the execution. That happens, though some seem to think honoring the victims is a one-way ratchet. Still, executions are in the name of the public, not private parties. 

The actual killer was sentenced to death. His sentence was overturned on appeal. The government eventually sentenced him to LWOP. He died in prison.  

Burton's lawyers removed their final appeal as moot.

Cedric Ricks Execution

Cedric Ricks was sentenced to death for the May 2013 killings of 30-year-old Roxann Sanchez [girlfriend] and her son Anthony Figueroa at their apartment in Bedford, a suburb in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Sanchez’s 12-year-old son, Marcus Figueroa, was injured during the attack.

His attorneys had asked the Supreme Court to stay his execution, arguing that prosecutors violated Ricks’ constitutional rights by eliminating potential jurors on the basis of race. 

Previous appeals by Ricks that alleged ineffective counsel and called for the suppression of evidence in the case have been denied.

A horrible domestic violence crime like this warrants serious punishment. It is not, in my view, the "worst of the worst" type murder that warrants the death penalty.

(Texas has executed a handful of people annually in recent years. It is a form of lottery to execute him.) 

One more death will not stop the cycle of violence involved. I don't know if the due process concerns flagged tainted the conviction. 

They probably are not "cert worthy" since they are most likely singular, not the special class warranting SCOTUS review. The justices should still not have denied without comment. 

Justice Joe would provide a brief statement explaining my denial, noting that the taking of a life (especially given my overall constitutional concern about the death penalty) warrants a special exception to the usual "no comment" cert denial policy. 

He was executed, providing an apology in his final statement. Media coverage continues to provide the public with information about such final moments. 

The almost thirteen-year lag time would have been notable back in the day. It's relatively quick, FWIW, as things go now. COVID probably helped add a few more years that might not have been there otherwise. 

Upcoming 

I noticed that a media advisory I missed flagged that there will be limited seating for the upcoming birthright citizenship oral argument. 

There is an execution scheduled on the 17th. There might be a final order to dispose of like the ones above.

The next scheduled thing is a special event honoring Justice O'Connor (next Thursday) with a livestream. Various Trump officials will take part. 

The justices will officially return next Friday. They probably (there is a notice they "may") will hand down one or more opinions. They will also have a conference to consider pending matters. 

Other News 

Oyez did not have last term's opinion announcements. 

The delay led Fix the Court to reach out and obtain them (in a raw form that is harder to access and contains other audio mixed in). 

Oyez now has (some) of the opinion announcements up. They are easier to access, but not complete yet. 

Senator Tuberville's Bigotry

On X, Tuberville reposted an image of Mamdani next to a photo of the deadly 9/11 terror attacks in New York City along with the words "the enemy is inside the gates."

Definitely one of the top idiots in the Senate. Largely crickets from Republicans. Not the only example of anti-Muslim bigotry.