The Roberts Court already ‘abandons its duty’ — and the term’s just getting started

The Supreme Court's first two-week hearing session of the term has ended with a concerning trend of erosion of landmark legislation, including the Voting Rights Act. The court's refusal to address what it deemed an "obvious injustice" in a death penalty case suggests that its duty as guardians of the law is being slowly abandoned.

In the recent case involving Alex Jones, the Infowars host who was ordered to pay $1.4 billion in damages for defamation, the court declined to hear his appeal without comment. This decision serves as a stark reminder that the court's silence can be just as damaging as its words. As Justice Sonia Sotomayor noted in her dissenting opinion, "the Court denies review instead, allowing a death sentence tainted by a single juror's extraordinary misconduct to stand."

The court's refusal to intervene in this case highlights the stark contrast between the conservative and liberal justices on the bench. While the three GOP appointees joined together to deny review for procedural reasons, they failed to provide any meaningful commentary or justification for their decision.

This lack of action is particularly concerning given the importance of addressing issues related to parental rights and schools supporting students' gender transitions without parental knowledge or consent. In a case involving parents who appealed a school's policy on allowing transgender students to use the bathroom of their choice, Justice Samuel Alito wrote a statement that highlighted the "troubling — and tragic — allegations" in the case.

However, unlike some of his colleagues, Alito did not offer any alternative solutions or justification for the court's denial of review. Instead, he seemed content to leave the issue unresolved, highlighting the need for more critical analysis from the justices.

The erosion of the Voting Rights Act is another pressing concern that requires urgent attention. In a pivotal case involving congressional Republicans' redistricting efforts in Louisiana, Justice Brett Kavanaugh expressed his view that race-based remedies must have some sort of time limit. This position seems to foreshadow the court's latest weakening of the law.

The implications of this ruling are far-reaching and could resurrect the Fifteenth Amendment as a mere "parchment promise." As Janai Nelson, lawyer for the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, put it, "any further neutering" of Section 2 "would be catastrophic."

As we head into the weekend, the Trump administration is seeking to deploy the National Guard in Chicago, despite lower courts blocking the effort. While this case may not directly relate to the Supreme Court's recent decisions, its significance underscores the need for the justices to stay engaged and provide critical oversight.

In conclusion, the Roberts Court's actions have raised serious concerns about its ability to uphold landmark legislation and protect the rights of all Americans. As we move forward into the term, it is essential that the justices remain vigilant in their duties and provide meaningful commentary on the cases before them.

man this is super depressing the supreme court is basically just a bunch of old guys with their own agendas they're slowly eroding all these landmark laws like the voting rights act what's next gonna be the abolition of social security or something? alex jones gets to appeal his defamation case and the court just does nothing about it, that's some shady stuff.

I'm getting super anxious about the direction this court is heading The lack of action on these landmark issues is making me worried we're losing some of our most basic rights The Voting Rights Act being eroded is a huge concern, especially with those Republicans trying to limit race-based remedies It's not just about the specific cases, but the precedent that's being set for future decisions The fact that they're not providing alternative solutions or justification for their denials is concerning, imo I just hope we have some justices who are willing to speak up and fight for what's right

This is super worrying . It feels like they're just letting politics get in the way of justice. I mean, what's up with these conservative justices not wanting to weigh in on some of these really important issues? The Voting Rights Act stuff, parental rights... it all seems so urgent and yet they're just basically saying "we don't have time for this". And the Alex Jones case, that was a big one . It's like they're more interested in protecting their own ideologies than actually doing what's right.

I'm also kinda annoyed that Justice Alito didn't offer any real solutions to the problems he highlighted. I get that he's just trying to uphold the law and all, but some of these cases require a lot more nuance and critical thinking. It feels like the court is just phoning it in at this point.

I'm getting a little worried about what might happen to our democracy if they keep eroding landmark legislation like this . We need the Supreme Court to be checking in on all these issues, not just letting them slide because it's inconvenient. I guess we'll have to wait and see how this term plays out...

Can't believe what's going down at the Supreme Court . Eroding our rights one case at a time? The lack of action from some justices is seriously concerning . It's like they're just along for the ride, not actually doing their job as guardians of the law. And don't even get me started on Alex Jones getting away with defaming people and the court not saying boo . We need critical analysis from those justices, not just some half-hearted commentary . The Voting Rights Act is a huge issue that needs to be addressed ASAP , and it's disheartening to see the court weakening our laws instead of strengthening them .

ugh i was gonna comment on this like a week ago but life got busy anyway gotta say im really worried about the voting rights act getting watered down its like we cant take our democracy for granted anymore these conservative justices are just making it easier for politicians to gerrymander and suppress votes without consequences

The Supreme Court is kinda losing touch with reality, if you ask me . I mean, come on, a death penalty case where one juror's "extraordinary misconduct" is all it takes to sentence someone to death? That's just not right . And what about the Voting Rights Act? It's like they're just letting those redistricting efforts slide . I'm worried we're gonna see a lot more of these landmark laws get chipped away at . We need some real leadership from the justices, not just a bunch of silence . Can't wait to see what the next two weeks bring #SupremeCourtProblems #LandmarkLaws #JusticeForAll

I don’t usually comment but this Supreme Court thingy is really getting me worried . They're basically just letting politicians push their agendas without any real checks and balances. It's like they're more interested in being friends with the GOP appointees than doing what's right for the country. And the lack of commentary on these cases? Unacceptable! What's the point of even having a Supreme Court if they're not going to weigh in on the really important stuff? It feels like they're just rubber-stamping whatever comes across their desk without thinking about the long-term consequences.