Source: http://live.scotusblog.com/Event/Live_blog_of_opinions__March_30_2016
Timestamp: 2019-04-21 00:44:50+00:00

Document:
Good morning, everyone! Welcome to our live blog. Thanks to United WiFi, I am joining you from somewhere over Nevada. I won't have access to a phone, so Kevin Russell has kindly agreed to man the Lyle Line.
Given how comparatively fast Friedrichs was handed down (only argued~2 months ago), do you think the court will start dishing out the 4-4 cases more rapidly and have the decided cases saved for the end of the term?
As is almost always the case, we don't know what opinions we will be getting today -- all we know is that we are expecting one or more opinions in argued cases. Yesterday was a big day, with the 4-4 affirmance by an equally divided Court in Friedrichs and then (later) the supplemental briefing in Zubik v. Burwell.
Amy is over Area 51 with the UFOs?
Could the request yesterday from the Court for comment on the ACA birth control mandate indicate they are 4-4, but there is room for negotiation to get a majority?
Does anyone know where you could listen to the oral arguments today live?
Is there a reason they have the same pomp and circumstance for a 4-4 decision without opinion? You would think those could be issued as miscellaneous orders, wouldn't you?
If we get more 4-4 splits, is there any idea why the Court is staggering them out rather than one big release?
Why did the Court set a page limit difference (and such a small one, 20 and 25 pages) for the new briefs in Zubik?
So, Dahlia Lithwick suggested (I think jokingly) that Merrick Garland should just act like he's been confirmed. How would the Court resolve a challenge to the Advice and Consent Clause in that regards? That would be fun!
Twice this term the government has abandoned in its merits briefs positions it took in its cert oppositions. How happy can the Court be with that?
How many votes does it take to order additional briefing in a case like Zubik?
Regarding the lengths, it is in line with the original briefs, which was 2- 20,000 word plaintiffs briefs, versus 1- 22,500 word response from the government.
Five minutes to decision time. Just one box today.
Does the Court announce when they will announce opinions in advance? Not indicate which opinions they will announce but that they will announce at least one opinion on a certain day.
Who wants to bet we'll get a 4-4 affirmance in the Fisher case today?
There are too many opinions outstanding to try to game the possible decisions for today. From October, there is Ocasio v. US; there are several (including Spokeo v. Robins, Foster v. Chatman, Torres v. Lynch, and Luis v. US) from Novembere.
When they announce opinions on non-argument days, does Lyle still have to go to the press room? Or are they less formal in the courtroom?
We have the first and only opinion, 14-419, Luis v. US.
Judgment vacated and case is remanded to 11th Cir.
concludes that pretrial restraint of legitimate untainted assets needed to retain counsel of choice violates the 6th Amendment.
Kennedy dissents jointed by Alito.
Kagan dissents alone. So 5-3 vote on the judgment.
I haven't seen the opinion yet, but I am not sure that Kagan has ever dissented alone before.
Not the split you would expect!
Kagan's solo dissent is apparently because she thinks the case is controlled by Monsanto v. United States, a case that she thinks was wrongly decided, but that the petitioner did not ask to overrule.
So the line up is: Breyer, joined by the Chief, Ginsburg and Sotomayor form the plurality; Thomas provides the fifth vote through his concurrence in the judgment; Kennedy dissents, joined by Alito; and Kagan also dissents in a lone opinion.
Okay, I am going to get started reading this opinion. Hopefully I can get through it before my laptop battery dies. Thanks again for joining us, and thanks also to Kevin and Tejinder for pitching in.
is it convention that the opinion with the most justices announces the judgment?
If Fisher is decided 4-3, will that set the same binding nationwide precedent that a 5-3 decision would?
Is the Kagen dissent inviting a case to overrule Monsanto entirely?
Is it really a rule that the Court can't overrule a case without being asked to do so by one side? It seems odd that the lawyers control what logic the Court uses to decide a case.
Thank you very much everyone for joining us today. If the Court releases opinions next week, we'll be back.

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