High Court Adds More To Its Docket
Beyond refusing to reconsider its decision from this summer over the use of the death penalty in child rape cases, the high court yesterday granted cert. in 10 cases out of the approximately 2,000 that had accumulated over the summer recess, including two cases addressing environmental cleanup expenses under the 1980 Superfund law, and a case involving the proposed sale of nearly a third of the land in Hawaii, which was challenged by Native Hawaiians. The court also granted cert. in several criminal cases, including the right to a speedy trial for an indigent defendant, a case involving prosecutorial violations of plea bargains, issues of proof under RICO, and several questions relating to self incrimination and police questioning. More on those cases is available on Scotusblog.