The Upcoming SCOTUS Term: More of the Same

Howard Bashman offers a preview of the upcoming Supreme Court Term at Law.com. And based on the cases on the oral argument calendar so far, October Term 2006 isn’t looking terribly exciting. The more things change, the more they stay the same.
Here’s our irreverent digest of Bashman’s lengthier analysis:
Lopez v. Gonzales, Toledo-Flores v. United States: Question presented: What kind of drug crime can get a guy booted back to Mexico? (If this sounds familiar, it should; every Term the Court has some Latino-surnamed case raising a variant of this issue.)
Ornaski v. Belmontes: Question presented: How early in the Term can Judge Reinhardt get reversed?
MedImmune, Inc. v. Genentech, Inc. Question presented: In order for a patent licensee to litigate the validity of a patent, can they merely flip the patent holder the bird, or do they actually have to go ahead and breach the license agreement?
BP America Production Co. v. Watson: Question presented: Have you ever heard of the federal Mineral Leasing Act — and if so, do you care? (We didn’t think so.)
More case summaries, after the jump.


United States v. Resendiz-Ponce: Question presented: How many times can the Ninth Circuit get reversed in criminal cases in a single Supreme Court Term?
Global Crossing Telecommunications, Inc. v. Metrophones Telecommunications, Inc.: Question presented: Can Justice Thomas stay awake for an entire oral argument about FCC regulations governing compensation for coinless pay phone calls?
Norfolk Southern Railway Co. v. Sorrell: This has something to do with causation standards under the Federal Employers Liability Act in the railroad context. Where’s Mrs. Palsgraf?
Cunningham v. California: Question presented: Can the Supreme Court make its Blakely/Booker sentencing jurisprudence even more bewildering than it already is? (Here’s Professor Doug Berman’s take on Cunningham.)
Carey v. Musladin: Another Judge Reinhardt special. Question presented: see Ornaski, above.
The upshot: this Term is looking kinda boring. But it’s early, so perhaps some more exciting cases will be added to the docket once the justices return from their European vacations.
A Look Ahead to First Oral Arguments of New Supreme Court Term [Law.com]

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