Source: http://live.scotusblog.com/Event/Live_blog_of_orders_and_opinions__January_22_2019
Timestamp: 2019-04-21 00:13:10+00:00

Document:
We live-blogged as the Supreme Court released orders from the January 18 conference and its opinion in Helsinn Healthcare S.A. v. Teva Pharmaceuticals USA Inc.
Good morning and welcome to the live blog. We will have orders from the January 18 conference in a few minutes.
Here's John Elwood's "Relist Watch," looking at cases relisted for this conference.
Hi, everyone. I am finally here. Headed into the press office to wait for orders. Back in just a second.
The justices considered some major cases at Friday's conference, including cases involving the administration's effort to end the DACA program, a challenge to Indiana's restrictive abortion law, a gun case from New York, the transgender military ban, and whether federal employment discrimination cases apply to LBQT people.
There is one new grant today, in the New York City gun rights case NY State Rifle and Pistol v. New York.
In the transgender-in-the-military ban cases, the Supreme Court granted a stay of the district court's ruling blocking the government from enforcing the ban but denied the government's petition for cert before judgment.
The justices also granted the application to file under seal in the grand jury case that is believed to be related to the Mueller investigation.
In the transgender ban cases, Justices Ginsburg, Breyer, Sotomayor, and Kagan indicated that they would have denied the stay -- that is, they would have not allowed the government to enforce the ban while the appeals are pending.
The justices denied review in the case of a high school football coach who was fired for praying on the field. Justice Alito wrote an opinion respecting the denial, which was joined by Justices Thomas, Gorsuch, and Kavanaugh.
In American Legion v. American Humanist Association the Court allowed argument time for the "acting Solicitor General." Is that a state official or has Noel Francisco stepped down?
@AmyHowe To be clear on the transgender military ban, the stay means the ban remains in effect while the courts sort things out?
The justices also finally denied review in a pair of cases out of Oklahoma in which two death row inmates sought to reopen challenges to their sentences based on a study suggesting racial bias in the state's capital sentencing scheme. The petitions were filed in November 2017 and had been repeatedly rescheduled before finally being denied today.
Might the fact that today's cert grant was not made Friday indicate that the Justices are pretty much done with grants for cases to be heard this term? (An extra weekend to prepare would be irrelevant to an October argument, but a Friday grant would have given the parties and the court an extra few days to prepare for an argument this term).
Breaking news: Mark Walsh reports that the RBG documentary was nominated for best documentary in the just-released list of Oscar nominations. Finally, at least I know I have seen at least one of the movies nominated.
Any clue what could be happening to the Maui and Kinder Morgan Clean Water Act cases? Both were listed for the 1/18 conference, but no action today.
Any thoughts on the Chief not joining Justice Alito’s opinion about the football coach? Is he simply hesitant to admonish the Ninth Circuit?
Did the court deny cert for the abortion case?
In Kennedy v. Bremerton School District, 4 Justices write re: the denial of cert. Yet it takes only 4 Justices to grant cert. do you have any thoughts about why the 4 didn’t simply vote to grant cert?
Just had the five-minute buzzer for opinions.
With the transgender military ban cases, it seems like the injunction in Stone v. Trump (Maryland case) still stands. Doesn't that mean the ban still cannot go forward?
No action on Malvo (the DC sniper's habeas appeal). Seems to have been relisted or reschedules many times... Wonder what's happening.
Headed in to wait for opinions . . . .
We have just one opinion for today, from Justice Thomas. It is Helsinn Healthcare v. Teva.
The decision of the Federal Circuit is affirmed, and it is unanimous.
The issue in this case is whether the sale of an invention to a third party who is contractually obligated to keep the invention confidential places the invention "on sale" within the meaning of the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act, which bars someone from getting a patent on an invention that was on sale before the filing date.
The court holds that a sale to a third party who is required to keep the invention confidential may place the invention on sale.
This opinion barely makes it onto page 9.
By the way, this is Justice Thomas's third opinion of the term -- he already had an October and November opinion, and this was his December opinion.
Seems like a retreat from capital punishment issues this term. Any sense why?
What is the status of the LGBT employment cases?
Any funding issues affecting the SCOTUS operations in the near term?
Did anyone write in the Orus Berkley v FERC pipeline cert petition denial?
When is a decision on the Republic of Sudan v. Harrison expected?
What's going on with Katherine McKee v. William Cosby? The case has been rescheduled 11 times, maybe 12 after supposedly being considered at last week's conference. What does this indicate?
Okay, I am going to get to work. Thanks so much for joining us today, and see you in February!

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