Confessions at the Supreme Court

IF 0.8 Q2 LAW Journal of Law and Courts Pub Date : 2021-02-26 DOI:10.1086/714087
Jessica A. Schoenherr, Nicholas W. Waterbury
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Abstract

As the chief litigator for the US government, the solicitor general plays a crucial role in the Supreme Court decision-making process. The justices and solicitor general share a mutually beneficial relationship that is reinforced by the solicitor general’s willingness to provide legal advice when asked. In this article, we examine whether and how this relationship changes when the solicitor general files a formal “confession of error.” Using data on confessions filed between the 1979 and 2014 terms, we find the justices are significantly less likely to support the solicitor general’s position at multiple stages of the Court’s decision-making process if the solicitor general confesses error in light of a policy change. This punishment is harshest when the solicitor general provides advice as an amicus curiae participant, but it is only temporary. These results provide new insight into the scope and limitations of benefits allotted to the Court’s “tenth justice.”
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在最高法院的供词
作为美国政府的首席诉讼律师,副检察长在最高法院的决策过程中发挥着至关重要的作用。司法部长和副部长有着互惠互利的关系,副部长愿意在被要求时提供法律建议,这种关系得到了加强。在本文中,我们研究了当副检察长提交正式的“错误供认”时,这种关系是否以及如何改变。利用1979年至2014年期间提交的供词数据,我们发现,如果副检察长根据政策变化承认错误,大法官在法院决策过程的多个阶段支持副检察长立场的可能性要小得多。当副检察长作为法庭之友参与者提供建议时,这种惩罚是最严厉的,但这只是暂时的。这些结果对分配给最高法院“第十任大法官”的福利的范围和限制提供了新的见解。
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来源期刊
CiteScore
2.00
自引率
0.00%
发文量
16
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