Legal Definitions - circuit justice

A circuit justice is a Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court who is individually assigned to oversee one or more of the thirteen federal judicial circuits. While all Supreme Court Justices participate in decisions made by the full Court, each circuit justice also has specific responsibilities for their assigned circuit.

In this individual capacity, a circuit justice primarily handles emergency applications and requests for relief that originate from their assigned circuit and require immediate attention, often because they cannot wait for the full Supreme Court to convene. These requests can include applications for stays of lower court orders, injunctions, extensions of time to file documents, or other urgent procedural matters. The circuit justice acts as an initial reviewer, deciding whether to grant the request, refer it to the full Supreme Court for consideration, or deny it.

• Example 1: A federal appeals court in the Ninth Circuit upholds a lower court's decision to allow a controversial new state law, which restricts certain voting rights, to take effect immediately. Opponents of the law believe it is unconstitutional and will cause irreparable harm if implemented. They would file an emergency application for an injunction or a stay of the lower court's ruling with the circuit justice assigned to the Ninth Circuit. The circuit justice would then review the application and decide whether to temporarily block the law's implementation until the full Supreme Court can consider the merits of the case.

  Explanation: This example demonstrates a circuit justice's role in addressing urgent requests for relief (an injunction or stay) that arise from their assigned circuit and require a swift decision to prevent immediate, potentially irreversible consequences.

• Example 2: A major technology company loses a significant patent infringement case in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit and is ordered to pay substantial damages and cease production of a key product within 30 days. The company intends to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court but needs more time to prepare its complex petition for a writ of certiorari. They would submit an application for an extension of time to file their petition to the circuit justice assigned to the Federal Circuit. The circuit justice would evaluate the request and decide whether to grant the company additional time to prepare its appeal to the Supreme Court.

  Explanation: This illustrates a circuit justice handling a procedural request (an extension of time) that originates from their assigned circuit, allowing for individual consideration of a party's need for more time before a full Supreme Court review.

• Example 3: A state prisoner in the Eleventh Circuit, facing execution in a matter of days, has exhausted all appeals in state and lower federal courts. His legal team uncovers new evidence that they believe fundamentally undermines his conviction but has no time to file a full appeal to the Supreme Court. They would submit an emergency application for a stay of execution to the circuit justice assigned to the Eleventh Circuit. The circuit justice would then quickly review the new evidence and the legal arguments to decide whether to temporarily halt the execution, allowing the full Supreme Court to potentially consider the case.

  Explanation: This scenario highlights the critical, time-sensitive nature of a circuit justice's duties, particularly in capital cases, where their individual decision can literally be a matter of life or death, pending full Supreme Court review.