On October 2, 2020, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) granted review in seven cases for a total of four hours of oral argument during its October Term for 2020-2021. The cases have not yet been scheduled for argument.
FCC v. Prometheus Radio Project (Consolidated with National Association of Broadcasters v. Prometheus Radio Project)
• The case FCC v. Prometheus Radio Project originated from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit and was consolidated with the case National Association of Broadcasters v. Prometheus Radio Project. The consolidated cases concern changes the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) made to media ownership rules and whether the FCC adequately considered the rule changes’ impact on women-owned and minority-owned media.
BP P.L.C. v. Mayor and City Council of Baltimore
• The case BP P.L.C. v. Mayor and City Council of Baltimore originated from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit. The case concerns the authority of a court of appeals to review issues in removal orders. Justice Samuel Alito recused himself from the case.
Barr v. Dai (Consolidated with Barr v. Alcaraz-Enriquez)
• The case Barr v. Dai originated from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit and was consolidated with the case Barr v. Alcaraz-Enriquez. The consolidated cases concern the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA), specifically relating to the credibility of an immigrant’s testimony before an immigration judge, the Board of Immigration Appeals, and U.S. Circuit Courts of Appeal.
Brnovich v. Democratic National Committee (Consolidated with Arizona Republican Party v. Democratic National Committee)
• The case Brnovich v. Democratic National Committee originated from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit and was consolidated with the case Arizona Republican Party v. Democratic National Committee. The cases concern voting policies in Arizona and Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act.
The Supreme Court began hearing cases for the term on October 5, 2020. The court’s yearly term begins on the first Monday in October and lasts until the first Monday in October the following year. The court generally releases the majority of its decisions in mid-June.
As of October 7, 2020, the court had agreed to hear 35 cases during its 2020-2021 term. Of those, 12 were originally scheduled for the 2019-2020 term but were delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
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