Elliotte
Ultimate Member
The hearing might not even be until next Jan or Feb at this point. I'd have to look at the docket. Cases accepted now are probably mid to late term next year.
Best case is probably a ruling next June.
Like Kharn said, the cases that are perceived to be the most controversial, the ruling is often held and released near or at the end of the court term. It is possible for a case to be argued on the first day of arguments for a term and the ruling not released until the last day of the term. In addition to all the public spectacle of it all, it allows the justices and their staff more time to refine their arguments, time for drafts to be passed back and forth (allowing all sides to incorporate the other's arguments and address/counter them), and in theory scour the court records for any trace of related case law that might be impacted or influencing that the sides may not have mentioned.