Analysis  The Supreme Court, in a four-sentence order without explanation, and a few comments in an opinion in another case, has set off a sharp dispute about whether it has put an end to the two-year courthouse battle over Congress' preferred method for civilian review of military detention decisions.  The questions now arise: is the D.C. Circuit Court's hard-fought ruling in Bismullah v. Gates...

Due to reader interest in Salim Ahmed Hamdan, the military detainee who has admitted to formerly serving as a driver for Osama bin Laden, this post will provide links to coverage from designated major media outlets of his ongoing military commission trial from Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Going forward, readers can access this post by clicking the SCOTUSblog logo at the top of the right sidebar. _________...

The state of Louisiana on Monday asked the Supreme Court to reconsider its ruling a month ago striking down the death penalty for the crime of child rape. The rehearing petition, citing an omission in the Court's opinion of any mention of a federal law on that issue, was filed late Monday afternoon. The petition in Kennedy v. Louisiana (07-343) can be found here. Noting that the Court "almost never...

NOTE: The Supreme Court has agreed to hear, with argument this Fall, perhaps in November, an appeal by the Federal Communications Commission seeking to regain the power to ban the use of any single vulgar word on radio and TV broadcasts (FCC v. Fox Television, et al., 07-582). The potential impact of that case may have increased on Monday, with a ruling by a federal appeals court blocking an FCC...

UPDATE 3:10 p.m.  The Attorney General's proposals drew three prompt responses. Chief Judge Royce C. Lambert of U.S. District Court, where the habeas cases are now, said in a statement that guidance from Congress was "always welcome," but said that his Court was "on a fast track" so guidance would be better sooner rather than later. Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy, Vermont Demo...