When the Supreme Court began releasing opinions Thursday, June 12, there were 27 cases pending. Justices delivered six decisions in about 20 minutes.
First up was Rivers v. Guerrero, with Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson writing the unanimous decision. The Court holds that once a district court enters a judgment regarding a petition for habeas corpus, any further application is, in fact, a separate application - which makes it subject to "stringent gatekeeping requirements." This ruling affirms the Fifth Circuit's decision.
Next came Commissioner of Internal Revenue v. Zuch. Can the tax court hear an appeal once the possibility of a levy to collect unpaid taxes is no longer possible? According to the US Supreme Court, no, it can't. The taxpayer in this case disputed the debt that led to the IRS to seek a levy. And, since she had overpaid while her appeal was pending, she wanted a refund. The High Court ruled 8-1 with Justice Neil Gorsuch dissenting that the taxpayer can't appeal.
Justice Gorsuch then delivered the unanimous opinion in Martin v. United States. In 2017, the FBI raided the wrong house Atlanta, storming a quiet family home occupied by a couple and their seven-year-old girl. The family sued for damages under the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA). The district court granted summary judgment to the government, and the Eleventh Circuit affirmed it. The Supreme Court, however, ruled that the family’s lawsuit can go forward, and the case is returned to the Eleventh Circuit.
The fourth opinion for the day was delivered by Justice Sonia Sotomayor. In Parrish v. United States, the court ruled 8-1 (with Gorsuch dissenting) that someone who files a notice of appeal after the initial appeal deadline has passed but before the court grants a motion to reopen judgement does not need to file a second notice. Gorsuch didn't dissent necessarily because he disagreed, but because he said he would have rather dismissed the case as improvidently granted.
Opinion number five, another unanimous one, was delivered by Justice Clarence Thomas. In Soto v. United States, the court ruled that veterans who receive combat-related special compensation payments can settle such claims.
The sixth and final opinion was for AJT v. Osseo Area Schools. In yet another unanimous ruling, the Supreme Court holds that parents of a student who brought a disability discrimination case against the school district are not required to show the school officials acted with "bad faith or gross misjudgment," as determined by the lower court. Rather, students bringing claims under the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Rehabilitation Act must only meet the same standards that apply in any other discrimination contexts.
That's four unanimous rulings and two 8-1 with Justice Gorsuch dissenting. Tune in next week to see what the Supreme Court has in store. The exact day has yet to be announced, but it will probably be Tuesday or Wednesday (most likely the latter), as next Thursday will be Juneteenth.
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At Liberty Nation News, we believe in presenting the facts. As such, we publish the opinions discussed here for you to READ IN FULL:
Rivers v. Guerrero
Commissioner of Internal Revenue v. Zuch
Martin v. United States
Parrish v. United States
Soto v. United States
AJT v. Osseo Area Schools
