R&I – FS
The opening term of the most conservative Supreme Court in a generation was supposed to bring an eruption of pent-up ideological rage. Instead, it’s closing with astonishing bonhomie.
The rushed confirmation of Justice Amy Coney Barrett in October, which solidified the court’s 6-3 majority of Republican-appointees, raised hopes on the right and fears on left of an imminent blow to Obamacare, rollback of abortion rights and downgrade of LGBTQ equality in the name of religious freedom.
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An ABC News analysis found 67% of the court’s opinions in cases argued during the term that ends this month have been unanimous or near-unanimous with just one justice dissenting.
That compares to just 46% of unanimous or near-unanimous decisions during the 2019 term and the 48% average unanimous decision rate of the past decade, according to SCOTUSblog.
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“There’s no question in my mind that the justices have worked very hard to issue unanimous or near-unanimous rulings this term,” said former Supreme Court clerk and Cardozo law professor Kate Shaw, who is also an ABC News contributor. “The justices pride themselves on standing outside of the world of politics, and they’re well aware that the court was the subject of a great deal of political attention over the last year.”
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