A 2-3-4 wild card court; and Blanche v. Lau made easy

The analysis provided offers a nuanced perspective on the current composition of the Supreme Court and suggests an approach to understanding its decision-making process. Here's a summary of the key points:

1. Court Composition Analysis

• The author argues that while the court can be simplified as having two conservative justices (Clarence Thomas and Neil Gorsuch) and three liberal justices (Elena Kagan, Sonia Sotomayor, and Ketanji Brown Jackson), there are four "wild card" justices: Chief Justice John Roberts, Samuel Alito, Brett Kavanaugh, and Amy Coney Barrett.
• These wild cards can swing votes in specific cases, making the court's decisions more unpredictable than a simple 2-3 split might suggest.

2. Blanche v. Lau Case Analysis

• The case involves Mr. Muk Choi Lau, who was granted lawful permanent resident (LPR) status and later indicted for felony trademark counterfeiting.
• At JFK airport upon his return from China, an immigration officer found the indictment in an FBI database and decided to parole him into the country rather than admit him as a regular LPR due to the pending criminal charge.
• The question presented is whether the government must have "clear and

Read the full article at SCOTUSblog

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