With some of the highest profile opinions yet to be released, the Supreme Court’s liberals have been frequently in the majority this term, Politico reported.
Conservative justices Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas and Neil Gorsuch have dissented the most, at ten times, nine times and seven times, respectively, according to Politico, which notes that this trend “has confounded the narrative of a court fully captured by the right.” Though some experts cautioned against drawing conclusions before significant cases on issues like affirmative action, student debt and a public accommodation law that compels religious business owners to provide services for same-sex weddings, others told the outlet it shows not all cases split along “right-left lines.”
“This term so far reinforces the point that not all cases — not even all important cases — split the justices along right-left lines,” said Ilya Somin, a law professor at George Mason University, told Politico. “In addition, the six-justice conservative majority has internal disagreements on some key issues, as cases like Milligan and Haaland demonstrate.”
Alito and Thomas dissented in Haaland v. Brackeen, where the majority rejected challenges to the Indian Child Welfare Act of 1978. Thomas, Gorsuch, Barrett and Alito dissented in Allen v. Milligan, where the majority struck down Alabama’s congressional map as a violation of the Voting Rights Act, while Justice Brett Kavanaugh and Chief Justice John Roberts joined the three liberal justices in the majority.
With 18 cases left, there have been zero decisions that split 6-3 along ideological lines, Supreme Court scholar and Empirical SCOTUS creator Adam Feldman noted last week. Last term, 14 decisions split along these lines, according to Feldman.
Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson has authored the most majority opinions to date, at six, followed by Justices Elena Kagan, Amy Coney Barrett and Neil Gorsuch, at five each, according to SCOTUSBlog statistics. Justice Sonia Sotomayor has found herself in the majority most, Politico reported, whereas in previous terms she was the most likely to dissent.
Case Western Reserve Law Professor Jonathan Adler wrote on Twitter this means Jackson is “likely done” with majority opinions for the term.
After the justices’ unanimous decision in Sackett v. EPA, which scaled back the government’s authority to regulate under the Clean Water Act, Democrats slammed the Supreme Court as “MAGA” and “extremist,” despite liberal justices concurring in judgement.
All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.
All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.
JOIN US @NewRightNetwork on our Telegram, Twitter, Facebook Page and Groups, and other social media for instant news updates!
New Right Network depends on your support as a patriot-ran American news network. Donate now