U.S. Supreme Court

Man who threatened Supreme Court justices avoids prison time

An Alaska man who sent hundreds of messages threatening the U.S. Supreme Court justices was sentenced to three years of supervised release, avoiding prison time.

Oct 9, 2026 9:34 AM CDT

Chief Justice Roberts moves oldest active federal judge’s fitness investigation to 11th Circuit

Judge Pauline Newman of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has long argued that the investigation into her fitness should be handled by a neutral circuit, rather than her colleagues.

Oct 7, 2026 11:57 AM CDT

Justice Sotomayor criticizes judge who ordered juror’s arrest in front of jury pool

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor on Monday rebuked an Alabama judge who had a prospective juror arrested for being late to court, warning that doing so could scare other members of the pool and make them less effective if chosen.

Oct 6, 2026 11:58 AM CDT

Lawyer for defendant seen shackled outside courtroom should have sought mistrial, Oregon Supreme Court says

The Oregon Supreme Court has found that an attorney representing a man whom jurors saw shackled outside a courtroom during his criminal trial should have sought a mistrial.

Oct 6, 2026 10:38 AM CDT

Justice Alito says he considers retirement each year

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito said in excerpts of an interview released Friday he “thought about” retiring at the end the high court’s last term, but he decided to continue in his role because he thought that he was making “a valuable contribution.”

Oct 5, 2026 9:49 AM CDT

Supreme Court begins new term on a quieter note than last, but that could change

The new U.S. Supreme Court term opens next week with a lower-temperature docket compared with last term, which saw blockbuster rulings on voting rights, immigration, transgender participation in school sports and President Donald Trump’s policies on tariffs, birthright citizenship, and the removal of federal officers.

Oct 1, 2026 12:48 PM CDT

Alito says recusal in climate case is ‘prudent’ but not required

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito said his withdrawal from a high-stakes climate change case involving the oil and gas industry was a “difficult judgment call” he made even after the court’s legal office said he didn’t have to disqualify himself.

Oct 1, 2026 9:39 AM CDT

Chemerinsky: Guns, religion, environment among potential blockbusters for Supreme Court’s new term

When the U.S. Supreme Court returns to hear the first oral arguments of the term Monday, it will be with the same nine justices as it has had the past five years. What are some of the likely most important cases?

Sep 30, 2026 10:38 AM CDT

Justice Alito makes last-minute decision to sit out climate change case

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito announced Monday that he is stepping back from a major climate dispute just a week before the high court is scheduled to hear arguments in the case.

Sep 29, 2026 9:29 AM CDT

Government can use Social Security data to identify noncitizen voters, Supreme Court rules

The Trump administration can use a wide-ranging government database that includes Social Security information to help state officials identify noncitizens on their voter lists, the Supreme Court said on Friday.

Sep 25, 2026 12:54 PM CDT

Justice Jackson criticizes frequent use of SCOTUS emergency docket orders

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson on Thursday said the high court’s heavy reliance on emergency docket orders allows the federal government unfair access to the justices’ time and attention.

Sep 25, 2026 10:03 AM CDT

SCOTUSblog founder Tom Goldstein will remain in prison as appeal continues

SCOTUSblog co-founder Tom Goldstein will remain in prison as he continues to fight his felony convictions, the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals at Richmond, Virginia, ruled late Wednesday, according to Law360.

Sep 24, 2026 11:16 AM CDT

Kagan declines appeal from surrogate mother who refused to get abortion

Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan on Tuesday declined an emergency appeal from a surrogate who gave birth to a child with a serious heart defect against the wishes of the biological parents, who wanted her to have an abortion.

Sep 23, 2026 12:18 PM CDT

It takes courage to disagree with colleagues, Justice Sotomayor says

Hearing appeals with her colleagues is like a “perpetual en banc,” U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor told a Tulsa, Oklahoma, audience on Wednesday.

Sep 18, 2026 8:22 AM CDT

Trump slams his own Supreme Court appointees over mail ballot ruling

President Donald Trump on Tuesday blasted the Supreme Court justices he appointed after they ruled against him on mail ballots, tariffs and birthright citizenship, portraying their decisions as a personal betrayal.

Sep 15, 2026 11:09 AM CDT