But then two justices - Justice Stevens and Justice Kennedy - said, we're not going to agree to take this case right now, but there may come a day when we decide to take this case.
The most conservative Justices, like Chief Justice William Rehnquist and Justices Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas, who may be least warmly inclined toward this particular President, have been the most philosophically committed to a strong presidency.
Circuit has served as a warmup box for Justices including Chief Justice John Roberts.
FORBES: Opinion, Or Manifesto? Judge Slams High Court's Economic "Surrender"
That suggested at least five justices Justice Kennedy plus the court's four liberals might be ready to strike down the law.
The justices accepted the Justice Department appeal of a case dealing with a tape showing pit bull dogs attacking other animals and one another in staged confrontations.
CNN: Free speech vs. animal cruelty videos in high-court case
Only three justices--Chief Justice William Rehnquist , Justice Antonin Scalia , and Justice Clarence Thomas --concluded that the recount order itself violated the Article II of the Constitution, which grants authority to state legislatures, or other provisions of federal law.
That line of questioning was continued by various other conservative Justices, including Chief Justice Roberts, who wondered if upholding the constitutionality of the mandate would give rise to the government being permitted to require all Americans to purchase cell phones to better facilitate the fire and emergency services operations.
FORBES: Early SCOTUS Report: Individual Mandate May Be In Big Trouble
In this criminal case, Justice Kennedy wrote the majority opinion, with Justices Kagan and Ginsburg penning one dissent, and Justice Scalia another.
FORBES: Colorful Scalia Opinions Emphasize Bedrock Rule of Law Principles
Nearly the last thing Adams did before leaving office was to persuade the lame-duck Federalist Congress to pass the 1801 Judiciary Act, reducing the number of Supreme Court Justices to five which would have prevented Jefferson from naming a Justice to the bench until two Justices left.
Joining Alito and the majority were Chief Justice Roberts and Justices Scalia, Kennedy and Thomas.
For the last four justices -- that includes Justice Ginsburg, Justice Breyer, Justice Roberts, and Justice Alito -- that has been 54 days.
Why is it, he asked, that those who "consider it 'ideological' and somehow reprehensible" that Chief Justice Roberts and Justices Samuel Alito, Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas tend to vote together still consider it "principled and admirable" that Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, Stephen Breyer and Ruth Bader Ginsburg tend to vote together?
He was supported by Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito.
CNN: Justices: Gitmo detainees can challenge detention in U.S. courts
Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Clarence Thomas, Stephen Breyer and Samuel Alito joined the majority.
There are nine justices, led by the Chief Justice of the United States (that's the official title).
Chief Justice William Rehnquist and justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen Breyer, David Souter and Clarence Thomas agreed with O'Connor.
Justice Kennedy read the majority opinion on behalf of Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sonia Sotomayor.
The decision included extensive and sometimes bitter dissents by the court's more conservative block, which includes Chief Justice William Rehnquist and Justices Antonin Scalia, Clarence Thomas and Anthony Kennedy.
Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote the majority opinion for the case, joined by Chief Justice John Roberts and justices Antonin Scalia, Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito--all of whom generally vote conservatively and in favor of business interests.
When I took the medical-marijuana case to the Supreme Court in 2004, I got zero votes from the left side of the court while garnering the votes of Chief Justice William Rehnquist and Justices Clarence Thomas and Sandra Day O'Connor.
WSJ: Randy Barnett: The Mistake That Is the Libertarian Party
"The government of the United States has broad, undoubted power over the subject of immigration and the status of aliens, " Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote for a majority including Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen Breyer and Sonia Sotomayor.
Mr. Obama's Justice Department is offering the Justices another legal off-ramp at least for California and the seven other states that have created civil unions for gays.
Other justices - Kennedy, Alito and Chief Justice Roberts - expressed skepticism about various sections of the millionaire's provision, meaning some or all parts of the law may well be struck down.
That is aimed at meeting the high court's written conflict of interest standards, contained in a statement signed by Justice Scalia and six other justices who have spouses, children or other close relatives who are lawyers.
Justice Kagan and the two justices who joined her concurrence considered a trained drug-detection dog to be a device not in general public use, and on those grounds would have found its use unconstitutional in light of Kyllo.
FORBES: Supreme Court Finds The Use Of A Drug-Sniffing Dog To Investigate A Home Unconstitutional
While the Justice Department has urged the justices not to take the case, citing the recent criminal indictment as evidence the issue is moot, Padilla's attorneys said they should hear it due to the important constitutional issues involved.
And the typical 5-4 split between conservative and liberal justices may not rule the day: Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, a former civil procedure professor, is a class-action skeptic who has previously voted to rein in cases on behalf of asbestos claimants and insurance customers.
FORBES: Class-Action Foes Have Trifecta Before Supreme Court
Three Justices on the Court offered a dissent: Justice Ginsburg, Justice Breyer and Justice Kagan.
FORBES: Supreme Court Finds Tax Crimes Are Grounds for Deportation
The skepticism of Justice Scalia and the other conservative justices brought home the possibility that the insurance mandate could be overturned.
WSJ: Conservative Justices Challenge Government Over Health Law
In a concurrence, however, Justice Anthony Kennedy, joined by Justices Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas and Sonia Sotomayor warned that future cases may force the court to make a stricter definition of when companies can end all litigation by declaring they have dropped their claims.
应用推荐