Politics news and discussion on TalkFuse.
Full Court Denies DOJ Petition In California Election Case In About 7 Hours, No Reply Needed
The US Supreme Court denied the Justice Department’s emergency application in a California election law case on the same day it was filed, without asking California to respond. The rapid decision highlights the court’s ability to resolve emergency petitions quickly and suggests the application was seen as having little prospect of success.
The Solicitor General filed a brief of about 20 pages shortly before noon. The petition was referred to the full court shortly before 7pm and denied; the article says no reply was requested, sparing California from preparing a response. The author speculates that Justice Elena Kagan, the circuit justice handling the application, anticipated the outcome, but provides no evidence that she arranged the denial in advance.
In short
- The Supreme Court rejected the DOJ’s application within about seven hours.
- California was not asked to file a response.
- The author suggests Kagan expected the petition to fail.
Explained simply
The US Justice Department handles federal legal cases, with the Solicitor General arguing for the government before the Supreme Court. California sets rules for its own elections, subject to federal law and the US Constitution.
The Supreme Court is the country’s highest court, and its nine justices can consider urgent requests while a case is under way. Disputes over election rules can affect how voting is run and how state and federal powers are divided.
Americas Elections Politics World