As the Supreme Court inches toward the end of its term in late June with fourteen cases still undecided, court-watchers are now surging toward Twitter and SCOTUSblog every Monday and Thursday morning at 10 a.m. EST in anticipation of history-making rulings on same-sex marriage, voting rights, and affirmative action in higher education. No one outside of the Court knows what and how many opinions are issued on any given day–and we did not in fact get any of the aforementioned “marquee” decisions today, which only adds to the tension for Thursday–but waiting is half the fun, right?
Here’s a roundup of today’s action in tweet form, showing our collective breath being held, held, held and then released over the span of 30 long minutes (thus freeing everyone up with time to spare for the Edward Snowden Q&A). In all, #SCOTUS handed down five opinions today, including a couple of important criminal procedure decisions and an Arizona voter registration ruling that saw Chief Justice Roberts and Justice Scalia siding with the liberal wing of the Court against the state’s proof-of-citizenship requirement. It also agreed to hear oral argument in four more cases for its next term. We begin with the one and only SCOTUSblog, the definitive source for everything Court-related:
And it begins. The #scotus liveblog is up: http://t.co/36NVFe4Qhq
— SCOTUSblog (@SCOTUSblog) June 17, 2013
Good morning from the Supreme Court of the United States. #SCOTUS (dog & CJ Marshall) pic.twitter.com/TQPVrI3ne6
— Michelle Olsen (@AppellateDaily) June 17, 2013
Current score: @SCOTUSblog: 1, Productivity: 0
— Elizabeth H Finley (@lizziefin) June 17, 2013
Apparently the Supreme Court doesn't want me to get any work done this month. Is today the day? #Equality #History #SCOTUS
— Michael Hanisco (@michaelhanisco) June 17, 2013
#SCOTUS grants cert for Mt. Holly case. Must plaintiffs prove intentional racial housing discrimination to win a Fair Housing Act case?
— Anthony Michael Kreis (@AnthonyMKreis) June 17, 2013
https://twitter.com/CaptainSemantic/status/346621336346583041
SCOTUS grants review in Mount Holly fair housing case. Looks like the Roberts Court is intent on gutting disparate impact analysis.
— Jessica Mason Pieklo (@Hegemommy) June 17, 2013
https://twitter.com/ben_mccall/status/346628902707417089
#SCOTUS #haiku
Salinas v. Texas (June 17, 2013)
Failure to answer
Before Miranda invoked
May use at trialhttp://t.co/UnttXoAvBy— Supreme Court Haiku (@SupremeHaiku) June 17, 2013
The Salinas case is actually a reasonably important 5th Amendment case.
— Sean T at RCP (@SeanTrende) June 17, 2013
https://twitter.com/CBSAndrew/status/346629167443480577
https://twitter.com/feddog/status/346687368755027969
https://twitter.com/CU_Health/status/346659487769296896
It's like Christmas for us geek lawyers – #Patent and #Antitrust in a single #SCOTUS case. #FTC v. Actavis http://t.co/BQG8lQBahr
— Sean Connolly (@ConnollyIP) June 17, 2013
Prof. Hemphill on #actavis #scotus case: "The usual rules of competition still apply, to drug makers just like everybody else."
— Columbia Law School (@ColumbiaLaw) June 17, 2013
https://twitter.com/bradagreenberg/status/346674223080669187
https://twitter.com/ryanjreilly/status/346630143483187200
https://twitter.com/briansrants/status/346667416614469632
Thomas points to “historic role of the jury as an intermediary between the State and criminal defendants” in Alleyne: http://t.co/rdaZ5FBElJ
— Damon Root (@damonroot) June 17, 2013
4th Cir judgment vacated & case remanded in Alleyne. #SCOTUS. Any fact that increases mandatory min sentence must go to jury.
— U.S. Law Week (@BBNAUSLawWeek) June 17, 2013
https://twitter.com/khjEsq/status/346705366123438081
Justice Alito Writes A Three-Page Long Footnote, Including A Blank Page: This extended footnote in Alleyne v. … http://t.co/55FwgwGUrK
— Josh Blackman (@JoshMBlackman) June 17, 2013
Fourth decision today is a 5-4 decision by Kennedy in Maracich v. Spears, about attorney solicitation of clients.
— Chris “Law Dork” Geidner (@chrisgeidner) June 17, 2013
So far some pretty lame wedding gifts from SCOTUS to @ryanjreilly
— David Weigel (@daveweigel) June 17, 2013
"Oh yeah, Maracich v. Spears, that one!" – No one.
— Michael Roston (@michaelroston) June 17, 2013
Maracich v. Spears: The Privacy Case Where Every Justice Switched Sides http://t.co/ix7is3nJCs http://t.co/WhBHYYA4E0
— Longhorn Ironworks (@DallasGunSales) June 17, 2013
Car dealers vs lawyers. Difficult to know which group to cheer for #scotus
— Dan Stewart (@thatdanstewart) June 17, 2013
When the Chief annd that Kennedy would have the next opn, there was a collective "Here we go on Fisher." Alas, drivers' licenses. #SCOTUS
— Michelle Olsen (@AppellateDaily) June 17, 2013
https://twitter.com/ishapiro/status/346635203642527745
Human sacrifice, dogs and cats living together, mass hysteria: Thomas on Alleyne and Scalia on Maracich #SCOTUS
— CNOW (@NOWChicago) June 17, 2013
there is one more opinion coming. EEK. #SCOTUS #MightVomit
— Jeremy Hooper 🥨 (@goodasyou) June 17, 2013
https://twitter.com/Nagler/status/346632712490205186
https://twitter.com/julierheinstrom/status/346632980514631680
https://twitter.com/sahilkapur/status/346633327219990528
#SCOTUS last opn of day looks like a 7-2 ruling that Arizona cannot check IDs to register to vote. Preempted by federal law
— Josh Gerstein (@joshgerstein) June 17, 2013
Man, Hollywood could take a hint from #SCOTUS in how to build suspense.
— Jeremy Jacobs (@JeremyJacobsSB) June 17, 2013
https://twitter.com/Nagler/status/346640304616640512
Scalia saying a state can't do something is much bigger news than the right/left politics of the issue.
— Elie Mystal (@ElieNYC) June 17, 2013
Important win in Arizona voting case, & a surprise from Scalia, since he seemed hostile in argument. But he did leave open future challenge
— Elizabeth Wydra (@ElizabethWydra) June 17, 2013
MT @irmafernandez: "Reached the nerdiest level when you follow @SCOTUSblog & eagerly await #scotus decisions?" No, when you work here.
— SCOTUSblog (@SCOTUSblog) June 17, 2013
https://twitter.com/ishapiro/status/346632388203401216
https://twitter.com/Profepps/status/346674687289487360
MT @michellespiker: "So people from other countries can vote without being a citizen? I need to investigate @SCOTUSblog." No & no you don't.
— SCOTUSblog (@SCOTUSblog) June 17, 2013
https://twitter.com/pourmecoffee/status/346634276667793408
Nation Closes SCOTUSblog Tab
— Stefan Becket (@becket) June 17, 2013
Family is less than pleased that our departure for vacation was delayed because "Daddy has to watch SCOTUS blog first." #lawnerd
— Judge Stephen Dillard (@JudgeDillard) June 17, 2013
Can't believe still no ruling from #scotus on DOMA. This wait is agonizing.
— Brett Davidson (@brettdav) June 17, 2013
There are 14 #scotus decisions left to go, and at least 3 decision days left. Next is this Thursday. After that, next Monday.
— SCOTUSblog (@SCOTUSblog) June 17, 2013
Ugh SCOTUS, you little tease
— Nicole Bueno (@itsmorebueno) June 17, 2013
Press room on Opinion day at SCOTUS = high anxiety, like those :10 you're waiting to find out if you're next MissAmerica (answer was NO : )
— Shannon Bream (@ShannonBream) June 17, 2013
"They really are aware of the drama" says @NoahRFeldman on the #SCOTUS decision day watching and waiting. "They like the limelight."
— The Brian Lehrer Show and A Daily Politics Podcast (@BrianLehrer) June 17, 2013
Small world: winning lawyers in Arizona voting case are Obama's confirmed DC Circuit judge Sri Srinivasan and nominee Patricia Millett.
— Robert Barnes (@robert_a_barnes) June 17, 2013
The wait for #SCOTUS decisions – one of the only suspenseful events that remain in an era of leaks and Twitter.
— Chris Donovan (@chrisdonovan) June 17, 2013