On this day in history, the Supreme Court began hearing arguments in Reynolds v. United States in 1878, addressing whether a federal law banning bigamy violated the First Amendment’s free exercise clause. The Court ultimately concluded that it did not violate the clause.
As the Supreme Court wrapped up its November sitting this week, significant developments unfolded across various cases on the interim docket:
- The Trump administration withdrew its request for a pause on a district court ruling that required full funding of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) for November, leaving the case moot. The law ending the recent government shutdown effectively funded SNAP through the end of the fiscal year. More details can be found in the case documents.
- The Court denied requests for stays of execution in two cases and a mandate requiring a young girl in Texas to be returned to Venezuela to be reunited with her father, as outlined in the case specifics.
- Today, the justices are set to convene for a private conference where they will consider cases and review petitions for review.
- On Monday, an order list will be released in which the Court might announce additional cases to be heard this term.
- In another legal update, a federal judge has allowed Democratic-led states to pursue a lawsuit over the Trump administration’s anti-DEI grant policy. This continues despite a Supreme Court ruling allowing fund termination; the lawsuit highlights claims of overreach by the Department of Education.
In a notable criminal law update, hours after the Supreme Court denied Tremane Wood’s request for a stay of execution, Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt spared Wood’s life by commuting his sentence to life without parole. This decision arrived just before Wood was set for execution by lethal injection, according to a report by the Associated Press.
Regarding intellectual contributions from the judiciary, Justice Neil Gorsuch announced his upcoming co-authored children’s book about the Declaration of Independence, timed to reflect the 250th anniversary of the document, as shared in an interview with CNN.
The legal discourse continues as Adam Crews explores complexities in class-action lawsuits post CASA. Interested readers are encouraged to read his analysis on SCOTUSblog.