Tipsheet

Chief Justice Roberts to Write Majority Opinion?

Yesterday, I reported on speculation that Justice Scalia would be writing the majority opinion regarding the D.C. gun ban (Heller).  The rationale for this is that Scalia is the only member who has not yet authored a majority opinion from this sitting.

But Nelson Lund, a professor at George Mason University, and a Second Amendment scholar, tells me not to be surprised if Chief Justice John Roberts writes the majority opinion, himself.  According to Lund:

"I would say that if he doesn't, it sounds like an unusually generous act by a Chief Justice."
Lund believes that it would be tempting for Roberts to want to write the majority opinion for such a high-profile case.  In addition, he notes that having the Chief Justice author the majority opinion might enhance the impact of the decision.  Stay tuned ...