SCOTUS Predictions Based on Lower Court Judges

One of the best ways to forecast future events is through past trends.  The U.S. Supreme Court hears the majority of its cases after a decision is rendered by one of the 13 federal courts of appeals.  Since there are 13 circuits and the Supreme Court takes somewhere between 60 and 70 cases each term…

A Tale of Two Constitutional Holdings

The Supreme Court held two state statutes unconstitutional during the the 2015 term*: portions of Florida’s death penalty law in Hurst v. Florida and Texas’ abortion statute in Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt. While lower court rulings relate to the specific statute(s) dealt with in a case, these decisions have nationwide implications. The Court’s decisions have constitutional…