Federal Judiciary

The Week Ahead

By Akin Gump Supreme Court Practice Group

No oral arguments are scheduled and no non-capital orders are expected to be issued from the Court this week.

On Monday at 10:30 a.m., U.S. District Judge Richard J. Leon is expected to announce his decision on how to define “enemy combatant” for purposes of the Guantanamo Bay habeas cases pending in his Court.  The Judge held a hearing on the issue last Thursday (discussed here).

On Friday, the Justices are scheduled to hold a private conference, orders from which are expected to be released the following Monday. To view our list of petitions to watch at Friday’s conference, click here.

Also on Friday, lawyers for 17 Chinese Muslim Uighurs who are detained at Guantanamo Bay are to file a brief in the D.C. Circuit Court on the question of their plea to be released and allowed to live, at least temporarily, in the United States.  The Justice Department filed its opening brief on that issue on Friday; the lead case is Kiyemba v. Bush, 08-5424.

No merits briefs for petitioners are due this week. Merits briefs for respondents are due Monday in Ashcroft v. Iqbal (07-1015) and Friday in Cone v. Bell (07-1114).

Full post as published by SCOTUSBLOG on October 26, 2008 (boomark / email).