Source: http://live.scotusblog.com/Event/Live_blog_of_opinions__April_24_2018
Timestamp: 2019-04-21 00:11:54+00:00

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This live blog features discussion of the opinions in three argued cases that were released today -- Jesner v. Arab Bank, Oil States Energy Services v. Greene's Energy Group and SAS Institute Inc. v. Iancu.
Good morning, everyone! Welcome to our live blog. It's a relatively busy day at the Court today, because the justices are hearing oral arguments in (among others) the big Texas redistricting cases. But on the other hand, it's the calm before tomorrow's travel ban storm.
What cases are outstanding? Which case is the oldest outstanding?
As is normally the case, we don't know which cases we are getting today. The smart money in the courtroom (which, as far as I know, is based just on speculation) is that we could get the opinion in Epic Systems, the arbitration case. It was argued on the first day.
I noticed a week or so ago that a 9th-Circuit opinion authored by Stephen Reinhardt came out after his death. My understanding is that the Supreme Court, by contrast, discards late Justices' votes and unreleased opinions even if the writing was completed. Is it up to each court how to handle this situation?
Any thoughts of the Gorsuch vote on Dimaya?
There are still three opinions outstanding from October: Epic Systems, Gill v. Whitford, and Jesner v. Arab Bank (Alien Tort Statute).
If the assumption is that Kennedy is writing Gill v. Whitford, then the Chief Justice and Gorsuch are sharing Epic and Jesner. If so, the corporations should be optimistic.
Quick question - When do the justices rule on the cases? For example, did they vote on the 6 cases heard last week at last Friday's conference, or do they wait till this week's conference and vote on all 12 cases from April then?
Do the issues in Gil overlap at all with those in Abbot?
Possibility of NJ Sports Gambling case?
Lydia Wheeler of The Hill reports two boxes today.
For those of you who might be new around here, the number of boxes is a rough proxy for the number of opinions that we might get. It's a topic of conversation for the roughly five minutes (and the five-minute buzzer just sounded here in the press room), at which point they actually start to hand out the opinions and it becomes a moot point.
Hi -- any thoughts on when Oil States might come out?
Any chance we get Jesner today? I have to review ATS litigation for an exam coming up soon.
Five opinions outstanding from December: Masterpiece Cakeshop, Christie, Carpenter, SAS, and Oil States. NG, SGB, SS, EK, and RBG have already written opinions from that sitting, leaving CJR, CT, AMK, and SAA. Seems like AMK has Masterpiece, CJR has Carpenter, and the other two split the remainder (Oil States & SAS by same justice).
When will the NJ vs NCAA gambling case will have to be decided by?
Okay, headed in to wait for opinions. Talk to you soon.
Are Ginsburg's almost 25 years (until Dimaya) the longest any Justice has sat on the Court without assigning a majority opinion?
If Kennedy does indeed write the opinion in Masterpiece, and this is based solely on the oral argument and my own personal thinking, is it possible we get a narrow opinion not really favoring either side? The Roberts court does want, I believe, to shed the appearance of partisanship, so perhaps they'd write as narrow as possible - get more than a 5-4? Thoughts?
WE have the first decision and it is Oil States v. Greene's. By Thomas.
The Court holds that inter partes review does not violate Article III of the Constitution or the 7th Amendment.
The decision of the Federal Circuit is affirmed.
It appears to be 7-2; Gorsuch dissents, joined by the Chief Justice. Breyer had a concurring opinion joined by Sotomayor and Ginsburg.
There will be more, but not from any of the justices junior to Thomas. So we are only likely to hear from Thomas again, Kennedy or the Chief. Interesting!
Had the Court come out the other way in Oil States, that would have been a major disruption in patent practice. This basically just maintains the status quo.
Thomas's opinion is 17 pages.
Breyer has a one paragraph opinion. "But the Court's opinion should not be read to say that matters involving private rights may never be adjudicated other than by Article III courts, say, sometimes by agencies."
Never mind about opinion authors. Gorsuch has the opinion in SAS Institute v. Iancu -- the thinking in the press room is that it wouldn't make sense unless they did Oil States first.
The decision of the Federal Circuit is reversed and remanded. The Court holds that, when the patent office institutes an inter partes review, it must decide the patentability of all of the claims the petitioner has challenged.
This is 5-4; Gorsuch joined by Roberts, Kennedy, Thomas, and Alito. Ginsburg has dissenting opinion joined by Breyer, Sotomayor, and Kagan; Breyer has a dissenting opinion joined by Ginsburg and Sotomayor in full and Kagan for most of it.
To elaborate on my earlier comment, the decision in this case (SAS Institute) wouldn't make sense until the Court announced (or alternatively would give away the result in) the Oil States case, involving whether inter partes review is constitutional.
We have the opinion in Jesner, and it's by Kennedy. I am all kinds of off today.
It is, as one of my colleagues says, a novel.
Kennedy writing Jesner suggests he is NOT writing Gill -- either the Chief or (less likely) Gorsuch is.
From the syllabus: "The Court holds that foreign corporations may not be defendants in suits brought under" the Alien Tort Statute.
This was a lawsuit brought by victims of terrorism against the Arab Bank, alleging that the bank had helped to finance attacks and maintain bank accounts for terrorists.
There are multiple parts to the opinions, and the court is splintered.
Kennedy not writing Gil would be bad for the plaintiffs, right?
I am headed upstairs for oral arguments now. I will have more on Jesner later today. Thanks, all!
There's a very small universe of people (me included) who are fascinated by the departure from the usual reverse-seniority order, and they're ALL on this Liveblog.
Have all opinions been released for the day?
How did Kennedy suggest he is not writing Gil?
Even if Kennedy isn't writing Gill, couldn't that just mean that the Court is consolidating Gill and Benisek for one opinion?
This might be a silly question, but how does the press know when opinions are likely to come out? It seems at though everyone in the SCOTUS reporting world knows when to be there for opinions, but the court only announces when orders and arguments will happen.
What’s the deal with NJ and PASPA for sports betting? This being decided today?
What's Jesner v. Arab Bank opinion? Affirmed? Reversed and remanded?
Is this possibility too farfetched? In Gill, Kennedy is the fifth vote for the majority, and the Chief is in dissent. So, as the most senior justice in the majority, Kennedy assigns the decision, maybe to himself. That would mean one justice, either the Chief or Gorsuch, get no opinion to write in October?
re: Rosenstein, do certain members of Justice and state's equivalents get automatic access to SCOTUS bar by virtue of the office, or do they get barred as normal as needed?
Hi all, that's all for us today -- thanks so much for joining us!

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