Vacancy Leads Supreme Court to Accept Fewer Cases

Since the death of Justice Antonin Scalia in February, the Supreme Court has only accepted six cases, a much lower than average number. The cases are also notably un-notable. The Court is accepting much less controversial cases than in recent terms. The Constitutional Accountability Center’s panel of court experts examined the cases, and determined the Court was reluctant to take on ideologically divisive issues while it remains split 4-4 between conservative and liberal justices. “Having an extra member matters,” lawyer and Supreme Court specialist John P. Elwood told the Washington Post. They “have said essentially, ‘You can’t screw up by not taking a case, you can only screw up by taking a case.’”