Perhaps, but I'm a little more optimistic than that.
Think about it. They have ten petitions to consider. They're not going to hear all ten. They might consolidate two, but it's more likely they'll pick one. So, which one (or two) to hear and which to hold or deny? I can very much see...
I'd love to see that combination as well!
I agree with danb though. Look for more relists. The justices are going to do this careful negotiation on how to get through all ten petitions - which to hear, which ones to hold until a decision comes down in the case(s) they hear, and finally -...
Unsurprisingly, your assessment is logical, if not perhaps a little wishful. If the court did indeed seek to 'clear the decks' of gun cases, they'd do preciously as you posit. However, I'm not unconvinced that they won't deny cert on some of the petitions and save those issues for another...
This isn't totally a bad thing. Once NYC changed their rule, this case got messy and it didn't, in my opinion, have the potential for as far reaching decision as I'd like to see. So, they get punt a 2A decision to next term after the presidential election, which in the long run might be good...
As the new 'swing' justice, Roberts is even more likely to control opinion assignments because he'll almost always be in the majority. Also, I don't think opinion assignment is entirely about leveling the workload. It's also a matter of assigning the opinion to the justice who can write an...
Distributed for Conference of 01/10/2020. https://www.supremecourt.gov/search.aspx?filename=/docket/docketfiles/html/public/19-296.html
This will be interesting because a majority of the justices have signaled that they're open to reviewing Chevron (or Auer, etc.) They passed on Gundy last...
The Order List is updated after every conference and on an ad hoc basis when necessary. https://www.supremecourt.gov/orders/ordersofthecourt/19
Court watchers scour this list regularly to see which petitions get granted or denied. GVRs and other orders are also listed. Sometime they're...
100% Spot on!
Heller was as notable for what it didn't say as for what it did say, and that was deliberate. There's something in that decision that a judge can use to go anyway they want.* The federal judiciary was far from on board with the idea that the Second Amendment protects and...
And some strong analysis from you as well.
I had one final thought on how the mootness issue will play out. Having spent close to 10 years following the federal judiciary on 2A issues and participating in many cases, I've come to believe that judges and justices rarely go where they don't...
Your observations are thoughtful, but not conclusive. The Supreme Court's mootness jurisprudence is not straightforward - there's something here for both parties. The court's ruling on mootness will have more to do with where they want to go with the Second Amendment generally and this issue...