The fine print: Why implementing a Supreme Court ruling can sometimes take longer than you think
Usually the arcane process that unfolds after a Supreme Court opinion is handed down doesn’t matter to most Americans. Occasionally it has real world impacts.
- Supreme Court opinions change the law immediately, but not always what’s happening on the ground.
- Sometimes people affected by a ruling must wait for the court to issue a judgment.
- Supreme Court opinions are also subject to revision, though such changes are usually small.
WASHINGTON – To quote Katy Perry, when it comes to Supreme Court opinions, just because it’s over doesn’t mean it’s really over.
A series of major decisions from the nation’s highest court – on abortion, guns and immigration – has underscored the importance of the somewhat arcane process that unfolds once the justices hand down their highly anticipated rulings.