A House of Representatives subcommittee is conducting an inquiry into the U.S. Supreme Court’s practice of issuing unassigned decisions with no explanation. “Shadow docket” describes the rulings on emergency petitions issued more frequently during the Trump administration. The docket has been used on issues ranging from abortion and religious gatherings during the pandemic to death row executions. (Courthouse News Service, February 18, 2021, by Jack Rodgers)
Docket cases are decided without arguments or full briefings and issued without authored opinions and vote tallies. Trump often asked for emergency orders on his executive orders and was successful in getting the conservative court’s acquiescence. (Slate, February 18, 2021, by Mark Joseph Stern)