Supreme Court drops major announcement

The Supreme Court has announced its oral argument schedules for October and November, marking the start of its 2025 term. Knewz.com has learned that the docket includes cases on voting rights, free speech, criminal procedure and congressional redistricting, with several matters likely to draw significant public attention.

What’s on the docket

The term will open on October 6 with Villareal v. Texas, a case that asks whether a defendant’s right to counsel is violated when a court prevents the defendant and attorney from discussing testimony during an overnight recess. On the same day, the Court will hear Berk v. Choy, which will decide whether a state law requiring the dismissal of a complaint without an accompanying expert affidavit applies in federal court. Other cases scheduled for October include Chiles v. Salazar, Barrett v. United States, Bowe v. United States, Ellingburg v. United States, Bost v. Illinois Board of Elections, Postal Service v. Konan, Louisiana v. Callais, Robinson v. Callais and Case v. Montana.

Cases scheduled for November

The November calendar features additional cases that will address criminal law, federal statutes and business disputes. Among them are Rico v. United States, Hamm v. Smith, Coney Island Auto Parts, Inc. v. Burton and Fernandez v. United States.

Why these cases matter

Together, the October and November schedules reflect a wide range of issues the Court will address in its new term — from civil rights questions to the limits of state authority and federal procedural rules. In Chiles v. Salazar, the justices will review a Colorado law that prohibits licensed counselors from practicing conversion therapy on minors. The question is whether the ban infringes on free speech rights. The Court previously declined to review a similar challenge from Washington in 2023. In that instance, Justices Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas and Brett Kavanaugh voted to grant review, but the petition failed because four votes are required to proceed. Another high-profile case is Louisiana v. Callais, set for re-argument on October 15. The case centers on whether Louisiana’s congressional map is an unconstitutional racial gerrymander. The justices must weigh whether the design of majority-minority districts violates the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments.

The Supreme Court’s current composition

The Court will hear these arguments with its current nine-member bench: Chief Justice John Roberts and Associate Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, Amy Coney Barrett and Ketanji Brown Jackson. The 2025 term officially begins on October 6 when the Court reconvenes to hear its first round of arguments.

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