Federal Judiciary

January arguments, day by day

By Akin Gump Supreme Court Practice Group

The Supreme Court on Monday released the argument calendar (available here) for the session beginning Monday, Jan. 12.  There will be a total of ten arguments during that period; no hearings are set for Jan. 19, a legal holiday, and Jan. 20, presidential inauguration day.  Here are the scheduled arguments, with summaries of the issues:

Mon., Jan. 12

Coeur Alaska v. Southeast Alaska Conservation Council (07-984) and Alaska v. Southeast Alaska Conservation Council (07-990) — government authority to deposit dredged dirt in waterways

Ministry of Defense of Iran v. Elahi (07-615) — U.S. court’s power to seize assets of a foreign government to pay a debt

Harbison v. Bell (07-8521) — right to use federally funded lawyer to seek clemency in a capital or other criminal case

Tues., Jan. 13

Montejo v. Louisiana (07-1529) — obligation of a suspect to take action to prevent police from questioning him outside the presence of his lawyer

Vermont v. Brillon (08-88) — scope of the speedy trial right for a poor person being represented by a public defender

Knowles v. Mirzayance (07-1315) — defense lawyer’s duty not to withdraw the only defense available — here, an insanity plea

Wed., Jan. 14

Puckett v. U.S. (07-9712) — appeals court’s duty when prosecutors violate a plea bargain, when the violation was not challenged at trial

Boyle v. U.S. (07-1309) — proof required to show an enterprise under the RICO anti-racketeering law

No arguments Jan. 19 or 20

Wed., Jan. 21

Corley v. U.S. (07-10441) — suppression of a voluntary confession made after an arrest on federal charges but before appearing before a magistrate

Kansas v. Ventris (07-1356) — right to use a statement an individual gave to police to challenge testimony given at the trial, if the individual had not waived his right to a lawyer at the time of the statement

Full post as published by SCOTUSBLOG on November 03, 2008 (boomark / email).