Topline
The Supreme Court will issue a slew of major rulings in the coming days before its term wraps up, with opinions set to come out as soon as Wednesday on issues including emergency abortion care, how much power federal agencies have and whether former President Donald Trump has immunity from criminal charges.
The Supreme Court will issue some of its biggest rulings in the coming days before its term ends.
Key Facts
Trump Immunity: Trump has asked the Supreme Court to dismiss his federal charges for trying to overturn the election, arguing he has “presidential immunity” from criminal charges for official acts he took while in office.
Abortion Rights: In a dispute over Idaho’s abortion ban, justices will decide whether hospitals must provide abortions in emergency situations under federal law, even in states with abortion bans in place that don’t allow doing so.
Social Media ‘Censorship’: The court is considering the tech lobby’s lawsuits against policies in Texas and Florida that would punish social media companies who ban or discriminate against users—as conservatives have claimed platforms are biased against them—as well as a separate case challenging the Biden administration’s contacts with social media companies asking them to remove misinformation, which GOP-led states argued also led to silencing conservatives.
Federal Agencies: Herring fishermen could bring about one of the most consequential rulings of this term, as a dispute over carrying federal monitors on their vessels seeks to overturn a landmark ruling giving wide power to federal agencies to enact policies—which could have far-reaching consequences on how the federal government operates.
Sackler Family: Justices will decide whether to uphold a bankruptcy settlement for Purdue Pharma, the manufacturer of Oxycontin, in which members of the Sackler family would pay out $6 billion to victims of the opioid crisis—and be shielded from liability from civil lawsuits going forward.
Homelessness: The court will decide whether a ban on “public camping” that’s been used to punish homeless residents is constitutional, which could have broad consequences for how cities handle their rising homeless populations.
January 6 Rioter: Joseph Fischer, who was arrested for his participation in the January 6 riot, wants the Supreme Court to overturn his federal charges for obstruction, which could affect hundreds of rioters—and potentially Trump—if the court agrees.
What To Watch For
The Supreme Court is set to issue opinions this week on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. There is no way to know in advance which opinions will be released on which days, though all cases will be decided by the time the court’s term ends. It remains to be seen whether the court will release all of its opinions by Friday, or if its term could stretch into July with more rulings next week. The court typically announces when its final opinion day of the term will be during its second-to-last day of rulings.
Big Number
39%. That’s the share of Americans who said they have a “great deal” or “fair amount” of trust in the Supreme Court’s justices, according to a Politico/Ipsos poll conducted in June—ranking below citizens serving on juries, state and federal judges, defense attorneys and prosecutors. Public trust in the Supreme Court has dropped in recent years in the wake of ethics scandals and controversial rulings by the 6-3 conservative court, including overturning Roe v. Wade, striking down the Biden administration’s student debt relief plan and loosening restrictions on guns.
Key Background
The Supreme Court has already issued several major rulings this term ahead of its busy final days. Justices declined to restrict abortion drug mifepristone on June 13, ruling a group of anti-abortion challengers did not have standing to bring the case and sending it back to a lower court—where GOP-led states could restart the litigation. The court also ruled 6-3 on June 14 to lift the federal ban on “bump stocks,” which allow semi-automatic weapons to fire rapidly like a machine gun, after the devices were initially banned following the 2017 Las Vegas mass shooting. An 8-1 majority of justices did narrow the scope of when people can challenge gun restrictions going forward, however, as the court upheld a ban on domestic abusers possessing firearms. In upholding the ban, the court clarified their 2022 ruling in a major gun rights case that declared any firearms restrictions must reflect historical laws governing guns—saying the historical precedent has to be similar, but not an exact analogue, to the modern-day restrictions.
