Staff Reports
In a unanimous and welcome decision, the Supreme Court ruled that federal firearm offenses can have concurrent sentences. This decision puts the law back on the side of common sense. Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson authored the opinion, but some are speculating she will not be writing many more in the near future.
Case Western University Law School professor Jonathan Adler pointed out that although Justice Amy Coney Barrett, Justice Neil Gorsuch, and Justice Elena Kagan had authored five majority opinions each, Justice Jackson had written six. The Supreme Court seeks to equalize case assignments among its members, so it would be normal if Justice Jackson’s recent decision had been the last.
While four of Justice Jackson’s six opinions were for unanimous decisions, which means that they don’t tell us very much about her jurisprudence. However, Jackson has written some dissents which may be more illuminating. For example, she protested a ruling which allowed a company to sue a union for property damage caused during a labor dispute. Jackson stated that workers are not to be treated as slaves or forced to work.
Justice Jackson leads the pack on #SCOTUS with six majority opinions so far this term. (Three justices–ACB, NG, EK– have written five.) She's likely done with majority ops for the term too.
— Jonathan H. Adler (@jadler1969) June 16, 2023
Additionally, Jackson spoke up more than any other justice since her appointment. A study found that she engaged in discourse with counsel more than anyone else in 2022. Jackson has been an asset to the court thus far, but it remains to be seen what the future holds for her.
Source: Conservative Institute
