During his long confirmation process, Gorsuch told the Senate that he would not allow his personal beliefs to persuade his judicial interpretation.
SCOTUS Blog explained that the MSPB has claimed that it does not have "the authority to rule on an employee's claim because the employer can not appeal the allegedly wrongful action, but the employee also alleges that she has been the victim of discrimination - a so-called "mixed case'".
Chris Landau tried to convince the court that his client's case should go to the district court. They declined to hear the long-shot appeal of a New Mexico lawyer who sued Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) over his refusal to even grant a hearing to Merrick Garland - the judge who might have sat where Gorsuch now sits had the election turned out differently.
While many of Gorsuch's rulings show he too is a clear adherent to textualism, perhaps nowhere is his dedication to unearthing the meaning of a law as "the words on the paper say" more noticeable than in one 2015 decision in which he used "plain old grade school grammar" to determine the legal penalties imposed on defendants accused of using a firearm "during and in relation to any crime of violence or drug trafficking crime".
"I think I am maybe emphatically agreeing with you and.", Landau said. Gorsuch asked government lawyer Brian Fletcher in the employment case.
Throughout the day, Gorsuch made numerous references to the "plain text" of laws, and he quizzed the attorneys as to why the law wasn't written exactly the way they were arguing it was supposed to be interpreted. The New York Times had a similarly positive review.+. Katyal, who served as acting solicitor general in Democratic former President Barack Obama's Justice Department, represented the town. Katyal, who has an active practice before the Supreme Court, testified on Gorsuch's behalf at the judge's Senate confirmation hearing and was frequently invoked by Gorsuch's supporters because of a New York Times op-ed he wrote titled "Why Liberals Should Back Neil Gorsuch".
There was also much speculation into how Gorsuch would interact with his fellow justices.
Great Falls families attend annual city Easter egg hunt
Kids sat on the grass, opening the eggs and eating their spoils, as Silento's Watch Me (Whip/Nae Nae) played on the loudspeaker. This past Saturday the Douglas Dispatch, along with other businesses in our community, hosted its annual Easter egg hunt.
The court does not have any "rules on when or if a justice must recuse himself".
Overall, the rookie justice was poised, respectful and unafraid to leave a mark on his first day.
The justices, with the exception of the usually silent Clarence Thomas, are known for their aggressive questioning, and Gorsuch showed no qualms about jumping right in.
He did not, though Gorsuch was notably silent during Katyal's 20-minute argument. Unlike during the Senate hearings on his nomination, Gorsuch was not shy about injecting himself into the various cases and controversies before him.
One interesting aspect of Gorsuch's first day came during Town of Chester v. Laroe Estates.
Gorsuch sparred with a lawyer for a developer hoping to build on the land but did not directly engage with Katyal.
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