Supreme Court Signals July End to Term as Trump Ruling Looms

The US Supreme Court signaled it will take the unusual step of extending its term into July as it finishes work on about a dozen cases, including Donald Trump’s bid for immunity from prosecution for attempting to overturn his 2020 election loss.

The court, which had already scheduled Wednesday as an opinion day this week, updated its website to show it will issue rulings on Thursday and Friday as well. Because Chief Justice John Roberts traditionally announces the last day of the term from the bench, the announcement indicates the Friday opinions won’t be the last ones.

In addition to the Trump case, the court will be ruling on abortion, regulatory power and social media in the coming days. Many of those decisions are likely to be deeply divisive, a factor that might be contributing to the delay.

The Trump immunity case, argued on April 25, was the last one the justices heard during the term. The court rebuffed Special Counsel Jack Smith’s requests for a faster schedule, making it unlikely the former president will go on trial before the November election.

The court heard arguments in only 61 cases this term — close to a modern low — but entered June with more than half of those cases yet to be decided. The court still has 14 cases to resolve, though overlapping topics mean the justices may issue as few as 12 rulings.

The court rarely extends its term into the week containing the Fourth of July holiday. The court issued its last opinions on June 30 in each of the last two years.