Court Watch with Alex Swoyer
The 'Court Watch' podcast with Washington Times legal affairs reporter Alex Swoyer breaks down the Supreme Court's major cases and top news stories about the justices, federal courts and perplexing legal battles with key insight from court watchers from both sides of the aisle.
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Recent Stories
Supreme Court term saw more ideological divides; Justice Jackson furthest to the left
The number of 6-3 ideologically split decisions at the Supreme Court rose this term with rulings on transgender athletes, the Voting Rights Act, campaign finance and several immigration decisions all being won by the conservative majority, according to a prominent court scholar.
Republicans flood Congress with bills to confront Supreme Court on birthright citizenship
The Supreme Court may have crushed President Trump's plans to restrict birthright citizenship, but congressional Republicans are seeking legislative alternatives that could restrict it in certain cases.
Supreme Court to decide if Alaska man's $95,000 fine for a six-pack of Budweiser was fair
Alaska doesn't mess around when it comes to illegal alcohol, authorizing severe penalties for anyone who allows it to be brought into communities where it's banned.
WATCH: By the numbers, how the justices lined up this term
Dr. Adam Feldman, Supreme Court scholar and statistics keeper with Legalytics, joins Court Watch with Alex Swoyer to break down where the justices aligned, where they split, and what the numbers reveal.
Supreme Court ruling puts torpedo in administrative state
The Supreme Court has gutted one of the load-bearing walls of the deep state, returning power to the people and likely making life much more affordable in the long run.
WATCH: Supreme Court delivers a mixed verdict on Trump's biggest fights this term
Alex Swoyer and former Trump DOJ attorney Abhishek Kambli break down what the justices got right, what they got wrong, and what it means heading into the next term.
E. Jean Carroll is paid $5.6 million in Trump sex abuse and defamation case
The writer E. Jean Carroll has collected over $5.6 million that a jury awarded in her sexual abuse and defamation lawsuit against President Donald Trump, court records and her lawyers said.
Trump claimed some big wins at Supreme Court, former DOJ lawyer says
Despite some high-profile setbacks, President Trump had a largely successful year at the Supreme Court, a former Justice Department civil litigation expert said, pointing to major victories for the White House on executive power and immigration enforcement.
Justices say they're trying to control 'shadow' docket better
The Supreme Court has made a concerted effort to do more to explain decisions on its interim or "shadow" docket, justices told Congress on Tuesday, saying they're responding to public demands for more transparency.
Supreme Court justices detail sicko threats, ask Congress for more security money
Supreme Court justices detailed growing and disturbing threats to their safety as they asked Congress on Tuesday to increase their security budgets.
Conservative groups seek Justice Elena Kagan's recusal from 'climate lawfare' case
Nearly two dozen conservative groups asked the Senate Judiciary Committee on Monday to look into why Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan has not recused herself from an upcoming case involving "climate lawfare."
Could birthright citizenship be the next Roe v. Wade?
It took nearly 50 years for conservatives to see Roe v. Wade overturned. They're hoping it won't take that long to nix Trump v. Barbara, last month's decision on birthright citizenship.
Unsealed letter reveals Scalia's fierce defense of landmark religious liberty decision
Justice Antonin Scalia usually let his opinions speak for themselves, but he was so irked by criticism of one of his religious liberty rulings that he wrote a private defense of his reasoning, according to an unsealed court document obtained by "Seen, Heard & Whispered."
Judge orders E. Jean Carroll be paid $5.8M in Trump sex abuse and defamation case; Trump appeals
The writer E. Jean Carroll can collect $5.8 million held in escrow since a jury found that President Donald Trump sexually abused and defamed her, a federal judge ruled Wednesday. Trump's lawyers immediately appealed but were denied an emergency order to block the payment from being made.
Trump moves to force Supreme Court do-over on birthright citizenship
President Trump will take the unusual step of asking the Supreme Court to reconsider its decision on birthright citizenship after the high court last week struck down his executive order restricting it.
Asian parents ask U.S. Supreme Court to revisit 'racial balancing' in Montgomery County STEM program
Asian parents in Montgomery County are asking the Supreme Court to hear their argument that the public schools system's "racial balancing" policy illegally excludes their high-performing children from middle school STEM programs.
Wisconsin Supreme Court refuses to release voter records sought by conservative activist
The Wisconsin Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected an attempt by a conservative activist to obtain guardianship records in an effort to find ineligible voters in the presidential battleground state.
NPR retracts Alito retirement story within minutes
NPR's Nina Totenberg sent a letter this week apologizing to Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. for wrongly reporting that he had announced his retirement.
Supreme Court won't hear challenges to age limits on gun purchasing
The Supreme Court announced on its final day of the term that it won't be hearing disputes related to age limits for buying guns.
Supreme Court declines to halt $800-a-day fine for ex-Fox News reporter refusing to divulge sources
The Supreme Court on Thursday declined to intervene after a judge ordered an $800-a-day fine for a former Fox News reporter if she refuses to reveal her confidential source for stories about a Chinese American scientist who was investigated by the FBI but never charged.
New audio brings America's boldest revolutionary women back to life
The Washington Times launches a new audio series, NPR's Nina Totenberg issues a mea culpa over a botched Supreme Court retirement report, and Helios Media adds a new show to its roster.
Roberts court rebuffs Trump -- gently
Nobody was more obsessed with President Trump's win-loss record at the Supreme Court last month than the president himself, who kept score on social media.
WATCH: Democratic lawmakers hail the Supreme Court's decision to uphold birthright citizenship
Democratic lawmakers celebrated the Supreme Court's decision to uphold birthright citizenship, delivering a blow to President Donald Trump's attempted restrictions.
Democrats show no sign of budging on transgender athletes, despite Supreme Court loss
The Supreme Court may have obliterated the Title IX case for transgender athletes in female sports, but don't be surprised if biological males continue to show up on girls' varsity volleyball, soccer and basketball teams.
Supreme Court's fatal mail-in ballot ruling
The Supreme Court's decision in Watson v. Republican National Committee is not bad -- it is awful.
Trump administration plans crackdown on 'birth tourism' after Supreme Court ruling
The Supreme Court may have settled the legal issues on birthright citizenship but the Trump administration says it leaves room to find ways to prevent pregnant women -- particularly "birth tourists" -- from reaching U.S. soil to take advantage of it.
Trump says China is the winner in Supreme Court's birthright citizenship ruling
President Trump on Tuesday congratulated China on its "massive ... win" after the Supreme Court shot down his executive order trying to restrict birthright citizenship in the U.S.
NPR retracts article incorrectly reporting Justice Alito's retirement, citing 'misunderstanding'
On the final day of the Supreme Court's session, National Public Radio quickly retracted an article Tuesday that incorrectly reported that Justice Samuel Alito was retiring, blaming the error on "a misunderstanding."
Supreme Court to review Apple's contempt finding in Epic Games battle
The Supreme Court announced Tuesday it will hear Apple's challenge to a massive civil contempt order the firm faces in an antitrust lawsuit involving Epic Games, the maker of "Fortnite."
Supreme Court to decide whether states can ban AR-15 rifles
The Supreme Court said Tuesday it will hear cases challenging states' bans on semiautomatic "assault weapons" such as the popular AR-15.
Supreme Court strikes down limits on campaign coordination between political parties and candidates
The Supreme Court gave approval Tuesday for political parties to coordinate their spending with their candidates, saying a long-standing bar on coordination violates core First Amendment speech rights.
Supreme Court shuts down Trump's attempt to change birthright citizenship
The Supreme Court forcefully affirmed America's guarantee of automatic citizenship to persons born on U.S. soil, ruling Tuesday against President Trump's attempt to unilaterally rewrite the bedrock birthright.
Supreme Court upholds Idaho, West Virginia laws protecting girls' sports
States can bar transgender women from competing in women's sports leagues, the Supreme Court ruled Tuesday, as the justices continued to shy away from making major constitutional pronouncements about transgender rights.
Mother wins appeals-court ruling against N.Y. school for concealing daughter's gender switch
A federal appeals court on Thursday revived a lawsuit against a New York school district for socially transitioning a student behind her mother's back, citing the Supreme Court's recent decision in favor of California parents.
Supreme Court must end birthright citizenship
Can any serious legal scholar argue with a straight face that the authors of the 14th Amendment to the Constitution intended for almost anyone born on U.S. soil to automatically gain U.S. citizenship?
Bayer wins in Roundup cancer case in the Supreme Court
The Supreme Court ruled in favor of Bayer on Thursday in its fight against lawsuits accusing the company of not warning of the cancer risks of the weedkiller Roundup and its chemical glyphosate.
Supreme Court rejects 'racist' claims against Trump, allows him to shut down deportation amnesty
The Supreme Court cleared the way Thursday for the Department of Homeland Security to wind down a deportation amnesty for hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants, ruling that President Trump's decision to end temporary protected status was not motivated by racism.
Supreme Court says U.S. border doesn't include Mexico
Migrants who are still in Mexico but near the U.S. border don't enjoy the same rights as those who have already crossed into America, the Supreme Court ruled Thursday in a decision reaffirming the primacy of international boundaries.
Supreme Court strikes down Hawaii law curtailing gun carrying on private property
The Supreme Court on Thursday sided with gun rights activists in a challenge to Hawaii's law attempting to ban concealed carry permit holders from carrying a firearm on private property -- open to the public -- without written consent from the owner.
Supreme Court gives administration more leeway to deport migrant criminals
Immigrants facing criminal charges who leave and then come back to the U.S. can be left in a legal limbo upon their return, the Supreme Court ruled Tuesday.
Supreme Court sides with Trump administration on immigration case dealing with green card holders
The Supreme Court sided with the Trump administration Tuesday in an immigration case dealing with the government's power over green card holders.
Supreme Court rules Rastafari man can't sue Louisiana prison officials who cut his dreadlocks
The Supreme Court on Tuesday barred a former Louisiana inmate from suing prison officials who cut off his dreadlocks in violation of his Rastafari religious beliefs.
Supreme Court reinstates murder conviction in case of Etan Patz, missing New York City boy
The Supreme Court on Monday reinstated a murder conviction in the 1979 disappearance of 6-year-old Etan Patz.
Conservatives push DOJ to prosecute justices' harassers before statute of limitations expires
Conservatives are prodding the Justice Department to file charges against protesters who harassed Supreme Court justices after the 2022 leak of the draft opinion in the Dobbs abortion rights case, which would go on to overturn Roe v. Wade.
Supreme Court undercuts law barring occasional drug users from owning guns
The Supreme Court ruled Thursday in favor of an occasional marijuana user, saying the government went too far in prosecuting him as a habitual drug addict who faces a lifetime ban on possessing a gun.
Supreme Court sides with a Texas man who says it's not a crime for marijuana users to have guns
The Supreme Court sided Thursday with a Texas marijuana user who wants to legally own a gun, the latest in a line of firearm cases from a court that has expanded gun rights.
Georgia Republicans decline governor's request to redistrict
Georgia Republicans on Wednesday rejected Gov. Brian Kemp's calls to redraw the state's congressional and legislative maps, holding off due to the Supreme Court's landmark decision that restricts states' use of the federal Voting Rights Act to add more minority districts.
Democrats weigh options for rigging the Supreme Court
As they eye a return to power in Washington, Democrats are conspiring to control the third branch of government by forcing conservative Supreme Court justices off the bench and diluting their vote by packing the court.
Supreme Court declines to hear Carter Page case against FBI officials
The Supreme Court on Monday declined to take up Carter Page's case against former FBI officials who oversaw what the government now concedes was an ill-advised attempt to surveil his activities during the 2016 campaign.
