SCOTUS Hit by Bombshell Leak of Secret ‘Shadow Docket’ Memos

https://www.thedailybeast.com/scotus-hit-by-bombshell-leak-of-secret-shadow-docket-memos/

30 Comments

  1. stevenmoreso on

    Further proof that the conservative justices are the activist wing of the court, not the liberals.

    I hope this story gains traction.

  2. So we can’t have climate protections because Roberts decided we can’t have climate protection as it would be too costly? Overruling Obama with the stroke of a pen. Using that same “self granted power” to prop up 20 of Trump’s unconstitutional orders? At what cost? Absolute hypocrisy?

    So Roberts and the SC are POTUS and they have that job for life? Ha. No kings? Seems like Roberts is king of America.

  3. Lower courts need to start ignoring unsigned Supreme Court rulings. If the justices aren’t signing off on them, they’re not rulings.

  4. How much does this matter?

    It should, don’t mistake my feelings about that, but it won’t because it’s too complex to break through and a significant number of Americans LIKE this sort of thing

    “Beating the libs”

    That’s all this is

  5. Own-Librarian-9699 on

    If enough jurors brought this article to jury summons as evidence why they reject the status quo of corrupted courts something might change. As long as citizens legitimize corruption by doing our part then nothing will change.

    I did this once in Los Angeles. The judge laughed. The prosecutor immediately dismissed me. The other jurors were baffled.

  6. eschewthefat on

    Thomas Clarence is suing for a three wheel gold wing and a helicopter tour of plantation farms

  7. The_Pandalorian on

    Impeach these fucks.

    I mean, I *know,* but put in the work, still. Immortalize these motherfuckers and memorialize the corruption.

  8. siouxbee1434 on

    Roberts was part of the Brooks Bros rebellion which gave us W. Beer O’Clock, Roberts, Gorsuch and Amy all clerked for conservative justices. Amy has the least experience of all the justices. Between these 4 and the POS that are alito & thomas there is no seriousness and they have worked to destroy the constitution through 1000 cuts

  9. I still don’t fully understand what a “shadow docket” even is

    Are these justices just making rulings without having public hearings? How the F is that even legal???

  10. I kinda feel like we all knew all of this already, but it’s nice to have our suspicions confirmed.

  11. GeorgeWNorris on

    The abuse of the shadow docket allows the GOP justices to greatly expand Trump’s power without creating a precedent for a future Democratic president. A future Democratic POTUS won’t have an opinion to rely upon when he/she aggressively exercises executive power. That allows the GOP justices to limit the power of the presidency when a Democrat is in the White House. It’s pretty cynical.

  12. Here’s a [gift link](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/18/us/politics/supreme-court-shadow-docket.html?unlocked_article_code=1.b1A.D1v-.1yLSMchz1zgB&smid=nytcore-ios-share) to the actual NYT article that is the basis for this Daily Beast post.

    Worth reading the original:

    >The papers expose what critics have called the weakness at the heart of the shadow docket: an absence of the kind of rigorous debate that the justices devote to their normal cases.

    >Rulings with no explanation or reasoning, like the sparse paragraph from that February night, have become routine. The emergency docket is now a central legacy of the court led by Chief Justice Roberts.

  13. Ahh yes.

    It makes sense.

    Huge companies devise a plan to neuter congress. Nothing really passes. Consensus is rare as hell. And it’s impossible to impeach (and prosecute) a president. Making congress useless.

    Which enables the executive branch to govern by EO and judges to block or allow.

    It’s time for a change. We need to institute a parliamentary system.

  14. youknowhattodo on

    I’m glad these leaks are exposing the corrupt justices but how does this keep happening? They got a wire somewhere?

  15. newmanification on

    There shouldn’t be a single thing “secret” about the fucking Supreme Court.

  16. The courts republican justices should face charges for crimes against humanity. They are exterminating their constituents.

    The science has been clear for decades.

  17. ILoveTheAtomicBomb on

    If we win midterms, every effort needs to go into impeaching and investigating corruption across the entire board. We can’t continue living like this, watching our future be looted because of some backward ass Conservatives/MAGA inbreds. This shit needs to stop

  18. aNauticalDisaster on

    “Absent a stay, the Clean Power Plan will cause (and is causing) substantial and irreversible reordering of the domestic power sector before this court has an opportunity to review its legality,” he wrote.

    Have to wonder how in the world this view would not apply to, gee I don’t know, some president that decides to assert a novel tariff authority to implement the largest tax increase on American people and companies in many decades and single-handedly cause a substantial re-ordering of not only domestic but global trade. Totally cool to keep that policy in place for a year and slow walk the decision but god forbid a power company loses $1 they might not be legally required to lose.

  19. Agentkeenan78 on

    It’s so insane to me that we’re living in a time where there are powerful people who 100% know how serious the climate stuff is, and are choosing to fuck future generations for profit, knowing full well they’ll be villianized in posterity. There isn’t a drop of altruism or selflessness between them. I would have a bit more care for my legacy.

  20. “The first deadline for power plants to reduce their emissions was six years away; full compliance was not required until 2030.”

    And yet Justice Roberts felt the pressing need to make a brash decision immediately.

  21. Entire government is a kangaroo court full of goddanm jesters. Republican voters have doomed generations but have such inflated selfish egos that they’ll go kicking and screaming to their graves shirking their responsibility.

  22. Wayofchinchilla on

    Just remember that they gave a president right to do whatever he wants as long as it’s framed as protecting the country I don’t see why a Democrat can’t have Roberts removed as a threat to this country put a 20 year old Democrat in his place and then we can redo the case.