Divided US Supreme Court cautious on taking new cases

The US Supreme Court is observed to be taking caution in hearing cases since the late Justice Antonin Scalia died on February. The Supreme Court is making a move to avoid 4-4 deadlocks in voting for cases they're handling.

According to Yahoo, the US Supreme Court is accepting fewer cases and seeking compromises to evade a possible 4-4 deadlock voting in sensitive issues such as abortion, birth control and immigration. There are observations that the court is reluctant in taking new cases since there are still no replacement for the seat left by Justice Scalia. Since his death, the court only placed three cases on its calendar which include a patent dispute and two criminal appeals.

It is notable that in the previous five years, the court took up an average of eight cases per term which is extending from February to April and a high number of 11 in 2013.

The court's approach signifies that the justices, headed by Chief Justice John Roberts, are trying to avoid the appearance and deadlock voting that could happen due to one vacant seat. Reuters wrote that the justices have agreed to take eight cases for the next term which runs from October 2016 to June 2017. This number includes five cases which they've agreed to take on January, when Scalia was still part of the team. The court is averaging at least 70 cases a term and this 8 cases fall below average of the Supreme Court.

Philly Voice reported that recently, the Supreme Court justices seem to seek compromise in birth control cases filed before them. The divided US Supreme Court tried to make a ruling to the dispute between faith-based groups and the Obama administration's birth control law after a 4-4 tie happened. The court has set an April 20 deadline which suggests that the justices want to end the case by late June.

John Elwood, a lawyer at Vinson and Elkins said "It is beginning to look like the court is being especially selective in choosing which cases to grant." President Barack Obama has nominated a replacement for Scalia with Merrick Garland but the seat may remain empty in an indefinite time.

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Supreme Court, john elwood, justices, Antonio Scalia, Barack Obama, US Supreme Court, division, Republican, Democrat, Merrick Garland, US, SCOTUS

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