SCOTUS Gun Watch, Episode 5

Unlike last week, with the big news about the Court’s decision not to hear the Remington case arising from the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary, this week was quieter. But we did get an unusual letter from the Solicitor General about NYSRPA. In that letter, filed on Friday afternoon, the SG informed the Court that, although it had previously taken no position on the mootness question, it had since determined that “[i]n the United States’ view, respondents have not established that this case is moot.” It offered to file a brief to that effect, which the Supreme Court accepted—asking for a letter brief in the next few hours. The SG obliged, arguing that the potential for prospective relief kept the case alive, but rejecting most of petitioners’ broader alternative theories that the case was not moot. [Update: I originally said the SG gave two reasons the case was not moot, but on closer read the SG really appears to argue just one core avenue, though he hedged a bit on other reasons the petitioners gave; ultimately, he rejected most of those.] The Court gave each of the parties opportunity to respond by Wednesday, November 20th at 2pm (just in time for the Thanksgiving holiday).

Here’s where the rest of the cases, mostly unchanged since last week, stand: