1 00:00:03,160 --> 00:00:07,960 Speaker 1: This is Bloomberg Law with June Brasso from Bloomberg Radio. 2 00:00:09,160 --> 00:00:12,840 Speaker 1: In a death penalty case, Arizona did end runs around 3 00:00:12,880 --> 00:00:17,319 Speaker 1: Supreme Court precedent, creating a procedural maze that blocked a 4 00:00:17,400 --> 00:00:21,840 Speaker 1: death row inmates relief at every turn, reminding Justice Elana 5 00:00:22,000 --> 00:00:25,400 Speaker 1: Kagan of the works of Kafka. I think Kafka would 6 00:00:25,440 --> 00:00:29,960 Speaker 1: have loved this um. Cruiz loses to Simmons claims on 7 00:00:30,040 --> 00:00:34,400 Speaker 1: direct appeal because the Arizona courts save point blank, Simmons 8 00:00:34,440 --> 00:00:37,920 Speaker 1: has never applied in Arizona. And then he loses the 9 00:00:37,960 --> 00:00:41,640 Speaker 1: next time around because the Arizona's courts say Simmons always 10 00:00:41,640 --> 00:00:45,240 Speaker 1: applied in California. I mean, tails you win as I lose. 11 00:00:45,280 --> 00:00:49,479 Speaker 1: Whatever that expressionists, I mean, how how can you run 12 00:00:50,120 --> 00:00:54,000 Speaker 1: a railroad that way? For decades, Arizona refused to follow 13 00:00:54,040 --> 00:00:59,160 Speaker 1: Supreme Court precedent established in the Simmons case, which gave 14 00:00:59,240 --> 00:01:02,080 Speaker 1: defendants face seeing the death penalty the right to tell 15 00:01:02,160 --> 00:01:05,200 Speaker 1: juries that if they spared them from the death penalty, 16 00:01:05,240 --> 00:01:09,080 Speaker 1: they would never be eligible for parole. So in sixteen, 17 00:01:09,240 --> 00:01:14,000 Speaker 1: the Supreme Court specifically instructed Arizona to follow that law, 18 00:01:14,400 --> 00:01:18,360 Speaker 1: but Arizona denied John Cruz that instruction at his trial, 19 00:01:18,680 --> 00:01:21,760 Speaker 1: and then used a state procedural law to stop him 20 00:01:21,800 --> 00:01:25,080 Speaker 1: from seeking reversal of his death sentence. Many of the 21 00:01:25,240 --> 00:01:29,840 Speaker 1: justices seemed troubled by Arizona flouting the Supreme Court. Here's 22 00:01:29,920 --> 00:01:33,640 Speaker 1: Justice Katangi Brown Jackson Simmons made clear that this is 23 00:01:33,680 --> 00:01:36,880 Speaker 1: what the law was. So many times Arizona said, we're 24 00:01:36,880 --> 00:01:39,160 Speaker 1: not following it, and we had to have lynch in 25 00:01:39,280 --> 00:01:42,440 Speaker 1: order to really sinch the deal. One thing I'm a 26 00:01:42,440 --> 00:01:45,160 Speaker 1: little worried about is that if we rule in your 27 00:01:45,160 --> 00:01:48,240 Speaker 1: favor in this case, that it will be giving other 28 00:01:48,320 --> 00:01:53,880 Speaker 1: states essentially a roadmap um for defying this Court's criminal 29 00:01:53,960 --> 00:01:58,160 Speaker 1: law decisions. Joining me, as Jordan Reuben Bloomberg law reporter, 30 00:01:58,800 --> 00:02:03,280 Speaker 1: this appeal not about the defendants guilt, but about his sentence. 31 00:02:03,400 --> 00:02:05,960 Speaker 1: Tell us a little about the case and what happened 32 00:02:06,040 --> 00:02:09,680 Speaker 1: during the penalty phase. Sure so, John Cruz was convicted 33 00:02:09,680 --> 00:02:13,480 Speaker 1: in Arizona State Court a first degree murder for shooting 34 00:02:13,480 --> 00:02:17,280 Speaker 1: Tucson police officer Patrick Hardisty in two thousand three. But 35 00:02:17,320 --> 00:02:20,360 Speaker 1: it wasn't cruizes guilt but his sentence that prompted the 36 00:02:20,440 --> 00:02:23,440 Speaker 1: issue at the Supreme Court. So at the sentencing phase. 37 00:02:23,800 --> 00:02:26,520 Speaker 1: Crews wanted the jury to know that he would have 38 00:02:26,560 --> 00:02:29,200 Speaker 1: been ineligible for parole if he was sentenced to life 39 00:02:29,240 --> 00:02:31,600 Speaker 1: instead of death, and that actually wounds up being a 40 00:02:31,639 --> 00:02:35,000 Speaker 1: really important issue because we know that the jury foreman 41 00:02:35,080 --> 00:02:37,400 Speaker 1: actually later said that they were looking for a reason 42 00:02:37,440 --> 00:02:41,080 Speaker 1: to be lenient, but Arizona didn't allow that at the time. 43 00:02:41,520 --> 00:02:44,840 Speaker 1: And that was despite an earlier U. S. Supreme Court 44 00:02:44,840 --> 00:02:49,320 Speaker 1: precedent from called Simmons, which said that defendants have the 45 00:02:49,440 --> 00:02:53,240 Speaker 1: right to inform juries of their parole ineligibility in that 46 00:02:53,320 --> 00:02:57,120 Speaker 1: situation when their future danger is an issue. So for decades, 47 00:02:57,200 --> 00:03:00,840 Speaker 1: Arizona refuses to follow that Supreme Court rule. So then 48 00:03:00,880 --> 00:03:05,240 Speaker 1: the court basically tells Arizona directly, this is the rule. 49 00:03:05,440 --> 00:03:09,079 Speaker 1: You have to follow it. That's right. So the Simmons 50 00:03:09,080 --> 00:03:12,920 Speaker 1: case happened at the Supreme Court in nine. Cruz was 51 00:03:12,960 --> 00:03:16,800 Speaker 1: prosecuted in Arizona after that, But then there was an 52 00:03:16,840 --> 00:03:19,880 Speaker 1: Arizona case that went to the Supreme Court after Cruz 53 00:03:19,960 --> 00:03:23,480 Speaker 1: was sentenced, called Lynch against Arizona, in where the U. S. 54 00:03:23,480 --> 00:03:26,320 Speaker 1: Supreme Court basically told Arizona you have to apply this 55 00:03:26,400 --> 00:03:30,799 Speaker 1: precedent Simmons, And so Cruz had previously raised a challenge 56 00:03:30,919 --> 00:03:33,800 Speaker 1: before the Lynch case, trying to argue that he should 57 00:03:33,800 --> 00:03:35,920 Speaker 1: have been able to tell the jury about his parole 58 00:03:36,280 --> 00:03:40,360 Speaker 1: in eligibility status based on Simmons. Then after Lynch, after 59 00:03:40,400 --> 00:03:43,520 Speaker 1: the Supreme Court told Arizona, you have to apply our precedent, 60 00:03:43,720 --> 00:03:46,880 Speaker 1: Cruz tried again, but he was rejected again in state court. 61 00:03:46,960 --> 00:03:49,920 Speaker 1: And that's what prompted this U. S. Supreme Court appeal, 62 00:03:49,960 --> 00:03:52,680 Speaker 1: This kind of ping ponging back and forth and Cruises 63 00:03:52,720 --> 00:03:56,200 Speaker 1: repeated attempts and repeated rejections to try and get the 64 00:03:56,200 --> 00:03:58,960 Speaker 1: benefit of this U. S. Supreme Court precedent in the 65 00:03:59,000 --> 00:04:02,480 Speaker 1: Simmons case. So that's why Justice Elena Kagan said Cosco 66 00:04:02,520 --> 00:04:06,000 Speaker 1: would have loved this case exactly. So the way she 67 00:04:06,120 --> 00:04:09,160 Speaker 1: put it, she says Cosco would have loved this because 68 00:04:09,240 --> 00:04:12,840 Speaker 1: Cruz loses his Simmons claim undirect appeal in the first 69 00:04:12,880 --> 00:04:15,760 Speaker 1: instance before the Lynch case, and then he tries again. 70 00:04:16,080 --> 00:04:18,359 Speaker 1: And the reason he loses, according to the state, is 71 00:04:18,400 --> 00:04:21,360 Speaker 1: because no Simmons has actually always applied. It was just 72 00:04:21,440 --> 00:04:24,840 Speaker 1: that Lynch told Arizona that it had to then apply 73 00:04:25,040 --> 00:04:28,159 Speaker 1: the law, so it wasn't what's called a significant change 74 00:04:28,240 --> 00:04:31,560 Speaker 1: in the law according to Arizona, and that's super important 75 00:04:31,600 --> 00:04:33,680 Speaker 1: for this case because it all comes down to this 76 00:04:34,160 --> 00:04:37,839 Speaker 1: state procedural rule which says that on post conviction like 77 00:04:37,920 --> 00:04:40,640 Speaker 1: what Cruz was trying to raise, he can only get 78 00:04:40,680 --> 00:04:43,640 Speaker 1: the benefit if there was a significant change in law, 79 00:04:44,000 --> 00:04:47,920 Speaker 1: and according to Arizona, the Lynch holding wasn't a significant change. 80 00:04:48,480 --> 00:04:50,520 Speaker 1: I thought it was odd that the state was still 81 00:04:50,640 --> 00:04:54,600 Speaker 1: arguing in its briefs that Simmons and Lynch were wrongly 82 00:04:54,720 --> 00:04:59,400 Speaker 1: decided by the court, and Justice Kagan told Arizona's attorney, 83 00:04:59,720 --> 00:05:03,640 Speaker 1: Joe so Kane Field that she found that shocking and 84 00:05:03,680 --> 00:05:07,040 Speaker 1: perhaps a bit insulting. In this case, you're still saying 85 00:05:07,839 --> 00:05:11,039 Speaker 1: like Lynch has wrongly decided, Simmons is wrongly decided. We 86 00:05:11,120 --> 00:05:14,440 Speaker 1: can't really we just really hate all this stuff. It 87 00:05:14,520 --> 00:05:18,279 Speaker 1: sounds like you're thumbing your nose at us. Justice Kegan. 88 00:05:18,279 --> 00:05:21,599 Speaker 1: There is absolutely no disrespect was intended by that footnote 89 00:05:21,600 --> 00:05:23,599 Speaker 1: to the court, and I apologize that that that's the 90 00:05:23,600 --> 00:05:27,719 Speaker 1: way it came across tell us about Arizona's arguments. So 91 00:05:27,920 --> 00:05:31,720 Speaker 1: Arizona takes this sort of hyper technical reading. They're saying 92 00:05:31,720 --> 00:05:34,080 Speaker 1: it's just a state issue that in the first instance, 93 00:05:34,160 --> 00:05:36,479 Speaker 1: it shouldn't even get to the U. S. Supreme Court 94 00:05:36,560 --> 00:05:40,360 Speaker 1: because it's a state court dealing with the state procedural rule. 95 00:05:40,720 --> 00:05:43,120 Speaker 1: And so there is this kind of threshold issue at 96 00:05:43,120 --> 00:05:46,440 Speaker 1: the U. S. Supreme Court of whether the justices can 97 00:05:46,480 --> 00:05:48,440 Speaker 1: even really take a look at this because it's a 98 00:05:48,480 --> 00:05:51,559 Speaker 1: state issue. And so there's this initial argument of whether 99 00:05:51,600 --> 00:05:54,719 Speaker 1: we're even getting into the territory of dealing with the 100 00:05:54,760 --> 00:05:56,880 Speaker 1: type of federal issue that the U. S. Supreme Court 101 00:05:56,920 --> 00:06:00,120 Speaker 1: can grapple with. And so that's one of Arizona's arguments 102 00:06:00,160 --> 00:06:02,680 Speaker 1: that the U. S. Supreme Court really shouldn't even be 103 00:06:02,800 --> 00:06:06,760 Speaker 1: getting involved. That's part of it. Another part is, according 104 00:06:06,800 --> 00:06:09,479 Speaker 1: to this state procedural rule, they're saying it wasn't a 105 00:06:09,520 --> 00:06:13,679 Speaker 1: significant change in law, despite how much that might seem 106 00:06:13,760 --> 00:06:16,680 Speaker 1: to fly in the face of common sense. As Justice 107 00:06:16,760 --> 00:06:19,680 Speaker 1: Kegan was pointing out during the argument, they're saying, it's 108 00:06:19,720 --> 00:06:22,960 Speaker 1: not a significant change, it's just now an application of 109 00:06:23,000 --> 00:06:25,479 Speaker 1: the law. And so that's what brings up this situation 110 00:06:25,480 --> 00:06:28,240 Speaker 1: where Kegan is pointing out the cruises blocked in this 111 00:06:28,360 --> 00:06:32,120 Speaker 1: procedural maze, no matter in which direction he turns. It 112 00:06:32,200 --> 00:06:35,840 Speaker 1: seemed like several of the Conservative justices were hanging on 113 00:06:35,920 --> 00:06:40,600 Speaker 1: that threshold procedural issue for sure. And so Justice Thomas's 114 00:06:40,680 --> 00:06:44,200 Speaker 1: first question to Neil cat y'all, who is representing Cruz, 115 00:06:44,279 --> 00:06:46,599 Speaker 1: was how do we get to this federal issue? So 116 00:06:46,640 --> 00:06:50,799 Speaker 1: it's that threshold matter where if you buy what Justice 117 00:06:50,800 --> 00:06:53,359 Speaker 1: Thomas was alluding to, if he has a majority that 118 00:06:53,440 --> 00:06:56,000 Speaker 1: agrees with him, then it could be that the Court 119 00:06:56,120 --> 00:06:59,360 Speaker 1: isn't even going to delve into some of the more 120 00:06:59,400 --> 00:07:03,239 Speaker 1: detail of out how this procedural rule works. And so 121 00:07:03,440 --> 00:07:06,400 Speaker 1: that's one issue that could be bad news her Cruise 122 00:07:06,440 --> 00:07:10,040 Speaker 1: if there is a majority that agrees with Justice Thomas, 123 00:07:10,080 --> 00:07:12,600 Speaker 1: if his question did in fact indicate that that's where 124 00:07:12,880 --> 00:07:15,760 Speaker 1: the Justice is heading. During the arguments, it seemed like 125 00:07:15,920 --> 00:07:18,840 Speaker 1: you had the justices on the far left and the 126 00:07:18,880 --> 00:07:22,440 Speaker 1: far right. What about the justices that might turn out 127 00:07:22,480 --> 00:07:26,440 Speaker 1: to be key here, Justices Amy Coney Barrett and Brett Kavanaugh. 128 00:07:26,960 --> 00:07:29,480 Speaker 1: So they each made a couple of interesting comments that 129 00:07:29,680 --> 00:07:33,240 Speaker 1: might suggest that they might be inclined to vote with Cruise, 130 00:07:33,280 --> 00:07:37,480 Speaker 1: although I'm not entirely sure. Justice Barrett, she raised the 131 00:07:37,640 --> 00:07:40,440 Speaker 1: point of question that was almost similar to what Justice 132 00:07:40,480 --> 00:07:42,520 Speaker 1: Kagan was saying. Barrett didn't go so far as to 133 00:07:42,600 --> 00:07:45,320 Speaker 1: call it coska esque, but she called the state's position 134 00:07:45,480 --> 00:07:48,880 Speaker 1: kind of artificial. She said it was hair splitting. So Barrett, 135 00:07:48,920 --> 00:07:51,080 Speaker 1: even if she wasn't going as far as Kagan, she 136 00:07:51,240 --> 00:07:54,160 Speaker 1: was in that similar type of mold and that she 137 00:07:54,280 --> 00:07:57,440 Speaker 1: was questioning at a very basic level the position that 138 00:07:57,520 --> 00:08:01,240 Speaker 1: Arizona took. So that could be a potential fourth vote 139 00:08:01,240 --> 00:08:04,720 Speaker 1: if you're counting the three Democratic appointees plus Barrett. I'm 140 00:08:04,760 --> 00:08:07,560 Speaker 1: not totally convinced, but that could be. And then you 141 00:08:07,680 --> 00:08:10,640 Speaker 1: have Justice Kavanaugh. He made a comment later in the 142 00:08:10,720 --> 00:08:13,320 Speaker 1: argument which I don't think was really as strong as 143 00:08:13,400 --> 00:08:16,400 Speaker 1: Barretts against the state. The Kavanaugh noted that there wasn't 144 00:08:16,440 --> 00:08:19,600 Speaker 1: other states supporting Arizona like you might see in some 145 00:08:19,720 --> 00:08:22,600 Speaker 1: of these state cases where even if a state isn't 146 00:08:22,640 --> 00:08:25,440 Speaker 1: directly at issue, it'll file a friend of the Court 147 00:08:25,440 --> 00:08:27,920 Speaker 1: brief at the Supreme Court. We sometimes see these huge 148 00:08:28,080 --> 00:08:31,960 Speaker 1: coalitions of states that are supporting another state because they're 149 00:08:32,000 --> 00:08:34,280 Speaker 1: worried about how this is going to impact their criminal 150 00:08:34,320 --> 00:08:36,440 Speaker 1: justice system. And so there wasn't any of that in 151 00:08:36,480 --> 00:08:39,520 Speaker 1: this case, and Kavanaugh sort of casually brought that up. 152 00:08:39,520 --> 00:08:42,680 Speaker 1: So I didn't hear Kavanaugh as strongly against the state 153 00:08:42,679 --> 00:08:46,480 Speaker 1: as Barrett and Kavana Also, I have found plays Devil's 154 00:08:46,480 --> 00:08:49,360 Speaker 1: advocate more than any other justice, so I haven't found 155 00:08:49,600 --> 00:08:52,440 Speaker 1: his comments at oral argument to be super helpful in 156 00:08:52,520 --> 00:08:54,640 Speaker 1: terms of finding where he'll land. And so I do 157 00:08:54,760 --> 00:08:57,760 Speaker 1: think it's possible that Crews could still win this given 158 00:08:57,840 --> 00:09:00,760 Speaker 1: what Kagan is putting at the Kaska esque nature of it. 159 00:09:00,840 --> 00:09:03,360 Speaker 1: But still at this court, I think you're facing an 160 00:09:03,400 --> 00:09:05,920 Speaker 1: uphill battle when you're bringing a claim from death row. 161 00:09:06,240 --> 00:09:09,319 Speaker 1: No matter what the particulars are of the case. How 162 00:09:09,320 --> 00:09:13,000 Speaker 1: many of the justices were concerned that Arizona just didn't 163 00:09:13,000 --> 00:09:15,000 Speaker 1: follow the rules they set out. So I think you 164 00:09:15,000 --> 00:09:18,240 Speaker 1: could definitely read that concern into at least Kagan, and 165 00:09:18,400 --> 00:09:20,600 Speaker 1: so do my oors questioning. I do think the Chief 166 00:09:20,640 --> 00:09:24,440 Speaker 1: Justice Roberts also over the years has displayed that type 167 00:09:24,440 --> 00:09:27,280 Speaker 1: of concern when states are in the extreme sort of 168 00:09:27,320 --> 00:09:30,600 Speaker 1: thumbing its nose to use Kagan's word in this case 169 00:09:30,800 --> 00:09:33,240 Speaker 1: at the court, So I do think there is that 170 00:09:33,440 --> 00:09:36,680 Speaker 1: concern that's president. Again, the Supreme Court took the rare 171 00:09:36,760 --> 00:09:40,679 Speaker 1: step of reversing in that Lynch case in and so 172 00:09:40,760 --> 00:09:45,400 Speaker 1: obviously the Court knows that Arizona is sort of troublemaker 173 00:09:45,400 --> 00:09:47,680 Speaker 1: in this regard, sort of like Texas has been in 174 00:09:47,720 --> 00:09:50,880 Speaker 1: some other death penalty cases where Texas has been reversed 175 00:09:50,880 --> 00:09:53,480 Speaker 1: its state top court. So I see a similarity there 176 00:09:53,520 --> 00:09:56,560 Speaker 1: between what's going on. No one has came out and 177 00:09:56,960 --> 00:10:00,199 Speaker 1: as strongly said that as Jackson did, but I think 178 00:10:00,240 --> 00:10:03,240 Speaker 1: that concern was working in the background. I just don't 179 00:10:03,240 --> 00:10:04,920 Speaker 1: know at the end of the day whether that's going 180 00:10:04,960 --> 00:10:07,599 Speaker 1: to carry the day for cruise by a majority of 181 00:10:07,640 --> 00:10:10,880 Speaker 1: the court. And did it seem as if Thomas, Alito, 182 00:10:11,040 --> 00:10:15,920 Speaker 1: Gorsage and the chief were against the defendant getting a 183 00:10:15,960 --> 00:10:19,079 Speaker 1: new trial. I think that's fair to say. Roberts might 184 00:10:19,080 --> 00:10:21,960 Speaker 1: have gone both ways a little bit, But I think 185 00:10:22,000 --> 00:10:24,400 Speaker 1: that's true. As to the first three, this could be 186 00:10:24,520 --> 00:10:27,640 Speaker 1: again because Arizona has been kind of smacked down by 187 00:10:27,640 --> 00:10:29,640 Speaker 1: the court before. And I should point out that in 188 00:10:29,679 --> 00:10:33,079 Speaker 1: that Lynch case fromen this is over des sent by 189 00:10:33,120 --> 00:10:37,360 Speaker 1: Thomas and Alito, and so that was before Gorstch was 190 00:10:37,559 --> 00:10:40,440 Speaker 1: on the court. So still it's not a majority of 191 00:10:40,480 --> 00:10:44,160 Speaker 1: the current court that might agree with Thomas and Alito there, 192 00:10:44,240 --> 00:10:46,679 Speaker 1: but they might have more of a coalition than they 193 00:10:46,720 --> 00:10:51,040 Speaker 1: did in and so I do think that it's possible 194 00:10:51,040 --> 00:10:52,960 Speaker 1: for Cruise to win, and I don't always say that 195 00:10:53,040 --> 00:10:56,160 Speaker 1: coming out of every death penalty type argument, so that 196 00:10:56,240 --> 00:10:58,400 Speaker 1: bodes well for him. But still I'm not going to 197 00:10:58,480 --> 00:11:02,280 Speaker 1: be comfortable staying until I see that opinion actually cementing 198 00:11:02,320 --> 00:11:04,559 Speaker 1: the type of view that Kagan raised, until I can 199 00:11:04,600 --> 00:11:07,800 Speaker 1: believe it. Yeah, with this court, you have to see 200 00:11:07,800 --> 00:11:12,480 Speaker 1: it to believe it. And this case is important to 201 00:11:12,520 --> 00:11:15,479 Speaker 1: some of the other inmates on death row in Arizona 202 00:11:15,760 --> 00:11:19,320 Speaker 1: who are in the same situation. Neil Caccio, who, as 203 00:11:19,320 --> 00:11:23,240 Speaker 1: you said, represented Crews, said at least twelve inmates on 204 00:11:23,360 --> 00:11:28,440 Speaker 1: death row had their appeals under Simmons rejected like Cruise, 205 00:11:28,960 --> 00:11:33,120 Speaker 1: So this could open up a can of worms, oh 206 00:11:33,120 --> 00:11:35,079 Speaker 1: for sure. And I've seen the number put it as 207 00:11:35,120 --> 00:11:38,080 Speaker 1: high as thirty inmates in Arizona who could be affected 208 00:11:38,080 --> 00:11:40,000 Speaker 1: by this issue. So even if it does wind up 209 00:11:40,040 --> 00:11:44,160 Speaker 1: being just an Arizona specific issue, it's hugely important even 210 00:11:44,200 --> 00:11:46,560 Speaker 1: on just the state level. Thanks so much for being 211 00:11:46,600 --> 00:11:50,319 Speaker 1: on the show. Jordan's that's Jordan Reuben Bloomberg Law Reporter, 212 00:11:50,679 --> 00:11:53,000 Speaker 1: And that's it for the edition of The Bloomberg Law Show. 213 00:11:53,400 --> 00:11:55,719 Speaker 1: Remember you can always get the latest legal news by 214 00:11:55,760 --> 00:11:58,760 Speaker 1: listening to our Bloomberg Law podcast. You can find them 215 00:11:58,760 --> 00:12:03,320 Speaker 1: on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and at www dot Bloomberg dot 216 00:12:03,360 --> 00:12:07,160 Speaker 1: com slash podcast Slash Law. I'm June Grosso, and you're 217 00:12:07,200 --> 00:12:12,080 Speaker 1: listening to Bloomberg. For almost as long as affirmative action 218 00:12:12,200 --> 00:12:15,360 Speaker 1: policies have been used in college admissions, there have been 219 00:12:15,440 --> 00:12:18,800 Speaker 1: legal battles over whether they should be allowed. Now, more 220 00:12:18,840 --> 00:12:22,199 Speaker 1: than forty years after the Supreme Court first considered the matter, 221 00:12:22,360 --> 00:12:26,040 Speaker 1: the conservative justices appeared to be ready to eliminate racial 222 00:12:26,040 --> 00:12:30,400 Speaker 1: considerations in shaping a student body. Joining me is Audrey Anderson, 223 00:12:30,440 --> 00:12:34,800 Speaker 1: who heads the higher education practice at Bassbarian SIMS. So 224 00:12:34,880 --> 00:12:38,079 Speaker 1: let me ask you the big question first coming into 225 00:12:38,120 --> 00:12:44,320 Speaker 1: this argument, most legal experts thought that affirmative action was 226 00:12:44,480 --> 00:12:48,600 Speaker 1: on the cutting block. Did anything in the oral arguments 227 00:12:48,800 --> 00:12:55,080 Speaker 1: indicate otherwise? No? Not really. The only little asterisk I 228 00:12:55,200 --> 00:12:57,520 Speaker 1: put on that, if you know, there were a lot 229 00:12:57,559 --> 00:13:03,120 Speaker 1: of questions June about this twenty five year deadline of 230 00:13:03,200 --> 00:13:08,600 Speaker 1: sorts language in the Grutter case, where Justice O'Connor, who 231 00:13:08,600 --> 00:13:12,160 Speaker 1: wrote the majority opinion, said that it was the court's 232 00:13:12,320 --> 00:13:17,480 Speaker 1: expectation that affirmative action would not be necessary in twenty 233 00:13:17,559 --> 00:13:20,280 Speaker 1: five years, and there were a lot of questions to 234 00:13:20,679 --> 00:13:23,120 Speaker 1: both sides about what does that mean, what should we 235 00:13:23,160 --> 00:13:27,240 Speaker 1: make of that? And at one point Justice Barrett said, well, 236 00:13:27,800 --> 00:13:30,679 Speaker 1: you know it's not twenty five years yet. That was 237 00:13:30,720 --> 00:13:33,920 Speaker 1: a kind of only ray of sunshine. I thought if 238 00:13:34,000 --> 00:13:37,400 Speaker 1: you were a supporter of affirmative action that maybe she 239 00:13:37,600 --> 00:13:40,040 Speaker 1: would think about, well, we should let it hang in 240 00:13:40,080 --> 00:13:42,600 Speaker 1: there for a few more years. The Grutter decision with 241 00:13:42,679 --> 00:13:45,400 Speaker 1: two thousand three, so that would get you till two 242 00:13:45,400 --> 00:13:49,520 Speaker 1: thousand eight. But I just say that mostly as a 243 00:13:49,720 --> 00:13:52,679 Speaker 1: you never know. Other than that, I didn't hear anything 244 00:13:52,880 --> 00:13:55,920 Speaker 1: made me think that will get any decision other than 245 00:13:55,960 --> 00:13:58,560 Speaker 1: an overruling of Grutter. I mean, there was a lot 246 00:13:58,600 --> 00:14:02,200 Speaker 1: of discussion about, you know, how important is diversity. Justice 247 00:14:02,280 --> 00:14:07,439 Speaker 1: Clarence Thomas said he didn't have a clue what diversity means. Well, 248 00:14:07,480 --> 00:14:09,360 Speaker 1: I think what you heard June was, you know, Justice 249 00:14:09,360 --> 00:14:13,040 Speaker 1: Thomas has never read he didn't agree with Grutter, and 250 00:14:13,040 --> 00:14:16,080 Speaker 1: he hasn't. He's made a point of dissenting from all 251 00:14:16,120 --> 00:14:19,160 Speaker 1: of the affirmative action cases. So I think he was 252 00:14:19,200 --> 00:14:22,360 Speaker 1: just trying to make his point again that he doesn't 253 00:14:22,400 --> 00:14:27,920 Speaker 1: believe in this diversity nonsense um from his perspective, and 254 00:14:28,000 --> 00:14:31,240 Speaker 1: so he was just giving every advocate of uh AN 255 00:14:31,240 --> 00:14:34,840 Speaker 1: ability to change his mind, which I don't think was changed. 256 00:14:35,360 --> 00:14:37,320 Speaker 1: Um in the least. You got the same kind of 257 00:14:37,440 --> 00:14:42,160 Speaker 1: questions out of Justice Courseuch. This is his first chance 258 00:14:42,280 --> 00:14:45,000 Speaker 1: to think about this kind of thing. But his questioning 259 00:14:45,240 --> 00:14:49,360 Speaker 1: was about how can we really do diversity without taking 260 00:14:49,440 --> 00:14:53,040 Speaker 1: numbers into account? And that's been kind of the rock 261 00:14:53,120 --> 00:14:55,240 Speaker 1: and a hard place you're in that the Court has 262 00:14:55,240 --> 00:14:58,440 Speaker 1: said you can't have a quota, but you have to 263 00:14:58,480 --> 00:15:01,320 Speaker 1: have some kind of a goal you have that you're 264 00:15:01,320 --> 00:15:04,440 Speaker 1: trying to get. So how do you have a diversity 265 00:15:04,720 --> 00:15:09,760 Speaker 1: goal that you can narrowly tailor too without having a 266 00:15:09,920 --> 00:15:12,760 Speaker 1: number that looks like a quota? So we got that 267 00:15:12,840 --> 00:15:15,560 Speaker 1: kind of questioning from Justice course which and then you 268 00:15:15,640 --> 00:15:19,600 Speaker 1: had questioning from Justice Alito, who's been against these kind 269 00:15:19,640 --> 00:15:23,320 Speaker 1: of programs and has dissented from them, on the lines 270 00:15:23,680 --> 00:15:26,960 Speaker 1: of how can you put together all the kinds of 271 00:15:27,000 --> 00:15:29,960 Speaker 1: people you're putting together in the category of Asian American? 272 00:15:30,280 --> 00:15:33,240 Speaker 1: How can you put together people from Afghanistan and people 273 00:15:33,320 --> 00:15:36,400 Speaker 1: from China or Japan all in the same category, And 274 00:15:36,440 --> 00:15:41,080 Speaker 1: doesn't that make this just all suspect and unconstitutional? So 275 00:15:41,200 --> 00:15:43,680 Speaker 1: you had those kinds of questions from people on the 276 00:15:43,840 --> 00:15:47,320 Speaker 1: right who you would expect to say that this is 277 00:15:48,040 --> 00:15:53,360 Speaker 1: against the constitution. Justice Jackson spoke a great deal. What 278 00:15:53,440 --> 00:15:56,360 Speaker 1: did you get from her comments? Any of the Justice 279 00:15:56,400 --> 00:16:01,160 Speaker 1: Jackson had some really very very interesting ments. You know, 280 00:16:01,320 --> 00:16:04,120 Speaker 1: a lot of what the court talked about was not 281 00:16:04,520 --> 00:16:09,480 Speaker 1: whether we should overturn Gruttter, but what will happen when 282 00:16:10,000 --> 00:16:13,800 Speaker 1: so if we overturned Gruttter, what will universities be able 283 00:16:13,840 --> 00:16:16,520 Speaker 1: to do? How at all will they be able to 284 00:16:16,560 --> 00:16:19,400 Speaker 1: consider race? And so in that line up, we got 285 00:16:19,440 --> 00:16:22,359 Speaker 1: some of the other justices saying, well, if an applicant 286 00:16:22,440 --> 00:16:26,320 Speaker 1: wrote about race on her application and wrote about how 287 00:16:26,440 --> 00:16:31,440 Speaker 1: she was Hispanic and she had overcome some discrimination, of 288 00:16:31,480 --> 00:16:34,560 Speaker 1: course the university could consider that. And it seemed like 289 00:16:34,680 --> 00:16:37,160 Speaker 1: everybody was kind of on board with that. And I 290 00:16:37,200 --> 00:16:41,160 Speaker 1: think that Justice Jackson came forwards the very interesting hypothetical 291 00:16:41,240 --> 00:16:44,280 Speaker 1: to say, well, you're all saying that the minority applicant 292 00:16:44,320 --> 00:16:48,960 Speaker 1: can have overcoming discrimination taking account of but what if 293 00:16:49,000 --> 00:16:53,040 Speaker 1: you have an applicant who's just saying, look, I'm a 294 00:16:53,120 --> 00:16:56,760 Speaker 1: black applicant. I've lived in North Carolina all my life, 295 00:16:57,000 --> 00:16:59,280 Speaker 1: and none of my family has ever been able to 296 00:16:59,320 --> 00:17:02,320 Speaker 1: go to the unit earcity in North Carolina, partly because 297 00:17:02,360 --> 00:17:06,360 Speaker 1: I come from slaves and my people have not been 298 00:17:06,359 --> 00:17:09,879 Speaker 1: allowed into your university. And it's really important for me 299 00:17:09,960 --> 00:17:11,919 Speaker 1: to be able to get in because to show that 300 00:17:12,000 --> 00:17:14,280 Speaker 1: I finally have this kind of an opportunity, I want 301 00:17:14,280 --> 00:17:17,959 Speaker 1: to honor my family's legacy. Could you consider that in 302 00:17:18,000 --> 00:17:20,280 Speaker 1: the same way that if a white student wrote in 303 00:17:20,400 --> 00:17:23,399 Speaker 1: and said, my family has lived in North Carolina for 304 00:17:23,520 --> 00:17:26,679 Speaker 1: hundreds of years and I've have this long legacy of 305 00:17:27,119 --> 00:17:30,080 Speaker 1: family members of all attendant un seen, It's really important 306 00:17:30,119 --> 00:17:34,080 Speaker 1: for me to honor that legacy. University would be able 307 00:17:34,119 --> 00:17:38,399 Speaker 1: to consider that in terms of admissions, But they wouldn't 308 00:17:38,440 --> 00:17:42,200 Speaker 1: be able to consider the black student family history because 309 00:17:42,240 --> 00:17:46,240 Speaker 1: it would be considering something based on race, And the 310 00:17:46,320 --> 00:17:48,760 Speaker 1: advocate said, yeah, you're right, they wouldn't be able to. 311 00:17:49,480 --> 00:17:54,760 Speaker 1: At one point, Justice Neil Gorsage suggested that universities might 312 00:17:54,800 --> 00:17:59,879 Speaker 1: be able to improve diversity by eliminating preferences given to athletes. 313 00:18:00,040 --> 00:18:03,680 Speaker 1: You mentioned squash and the children of alumni and big 314 00:18:03,720 --> 00:18:08,080 Speaker 1: money donors if they come out against affirmative action here, 315 00:18:08,640 --> 00:18:12,920 Speaker 1: Does that mean that universities can consider all those other things, 316 00:18:13,600 --> 00:18:16,520 Speaker 1: but not race. And of course you have to look 317 00:18:16,560 --> 00:18:19,720 Speaker 1: at race differently because there is something in the Constitution 318 00:18:19,960 --> 00:18:23,600 Speaker 1: about it. And regardless of what the Court decides out 319 00:18:23,600 --> 00:18:26,879 Speaker 1: of the arguments today, universities will still be able to 320 00:18:26,920 --> 00:18:31,040 Speaker 1: consider whether somebody play squash or the tuba when they're 321 00:18:32,080 --> 00:18:35,080 Speaker 1: allowing people into their entering class. And there's always going 322 00:18:35,119 --> 00:18:39,720 Speaker 1: to be on particular needs that universities have that they're 323 00:18:39,760 --> 00:18:42,480 Speaker 1: going to pick people for, and race does have to 324 00:18:42,520 --> 00:18:45,119 Speaker 1: be different. But then you do get kind of to 325 00:18:45,160 --> 00:18:48,560 Speaker 1: the question. And I think that Justice Kagan said, you 326 00:18:48,600 --> 00:18:50,720 Speaker 1: know what, if there is a point in time where 327 00:18:50,880 --> 00:18:55,840 Speaker 1: university found that it was only getting men in its 328 00:18:55,920 --> 00:19:01,240 Speaker 1: class using gender neutral criteria, so it decided it needed 329 00:19:01,280 --> 00:19:04,000 Speaker 1: to be more aware of gender so that it got 330 00:19:04,000 --> 00:19:07,800 Speaker 1: closer to fifty, you could then have a situation where 331 00:19:07,840 --> 00:19:10,560 Speaker 1: white men were getting a thumb on the scale and 332 00:19:10,800 --> 00:19:14,160 Speaker 1: people of color were not. Now, of course, the advocate said, well, 333 00:19:14,480 --> 00:19:16,560 Speaker 1: it wouldn't be white men, it would be all men. 334 00:19:16,680 --> 00:19:19,520 Speaker 1: And she's like, well, yeah, but white men too, you 335 00:19:20,359 --> 00:19:23,000 Speaker 1: would be getting a thumb on the scale. And you 336 00:19:23,080 --> 00:19:25,480 Speaker 1: know that's true. And I think that what I was 337 00:19:25,520 --> 00:19:29,160 Speaker 1: actually a little bit encouraged frankly to hear so many 338 00:19:29,200 --> 00:19:34,840 Speaker 1: members of the court agreen that if Barter's overruled, universities 339 00:19:34,880 --> 00:19:38,879 Speaker 1: could take into account race if an applicant brought it 340 00:19:38,960 --> 00:19:42,280 Speaker 1: up in their essay. I've been very afraid that the 341 00:19:42,359 --> 00:19:45,520 Speaker 1: next step that students for Fair Admissions and others like 342 00:19:45,680 --> 00:19:49,320 Speaker 1: them would take would be to say that color blind 343 00:19:49,520 --> 00:19:53,760 Speaker 1: means color blind. If somebody talks about rape, the university 344 00:19:53,840 --> 00:19:57,919 Speaker 1: really cannot consider it at all. Almost like you'd have 345 00:19:58,000 --> 00:20:00,959 Speaker 1: to first have a clean team goes through the applications 346 00:20:01,200 --> 00:20:05,080 Speaker 1: and redact anything that had race in it. And I'm 347 00:20:05,080 --> 00:20:08,080 Speaker 1: so not sure we won't see that if Grutter's overturned. 348 00:20:08,119 --> 00:20:10,520 Speaker 1: But you know, the court here was saying, well, no, 349 00:20:10,640 --> 00:20:13,440 Speaker 1: it's not going to be that crazy. What we're saying 350 00:20:13,560 --> 00:20:16,399 Speaker 1: is not that crazy, everybody. I think that's where they 351 00:20:16,400 --> 00:20:19,680 Speaker 1: were going with these questions. There was a lot of 352 00:20:19,720 --> 00:20:24,879 Speaker 1: talk about the box on the Common Application where you 353 00:20:24,920 --> 00:20:28,000 Speaker 1: can check and disclose your race. Do you think that 354 00:20:28,000 --> 00:20:31,439 Speaker 1: that will be gone after this decision? And when it 355 00:20:31,520 --> 00:20:34,040 Speaker 1: wasn't even the university that requires it's on the darned 356 00:20:34,119 --> 00:20:36,720 Speaker 1: Common Application. I don't know that they'll take it off 357 00:20:36,720 --> 00:20:40,560 Speaker 1: the Common Application because the federal government also asked universities 358 00:20:40,600 --> 00:20:45,080 Speaker 1: to report on the racial composition of their classes. Now 359 00:20:45,119 --> 00:20:48,160 Speaker 1: that's not information that they get off the Common Application. 360 00:20:48,720 --> 00:20:50,800 Speaker 1: I think they get that in another way from their 361 00:20:50,800 --> 00:20:54,439 Speaker 1: students when they actually enroll. But you know that that 362 00:20:54,560 --> 00:20:59,320 Speaker 1: they're so worked up about checking a box on forms, 363 00:20:59,560 --> 00:21:03,560 Speaker 1: Well that eo C tells employers that you're supposed to 364 00:21:03,640 --> 00:21:07,639 Speaker 1: ask your employees to check that same set of boxes. 365 00:21:07,920 --> 00:21:11,040 Speaker 1: Now you don't have to, but they ask you to 366 00:21:11,240 --> 00:21:13,879 Speaker 1: check those same set of boxes. The same set of 367 00:21:13,920 --> 00:21:17,320 Speaker 1: boxes were asked to check when we fill out the census. 368 00:21:17,359 --> 00:21:22,919 Speaker 1: So the obsession with it's some horrible thing to be 369 00:21:23,080 --> 00:21:27,760 Speaker 1: asked to check those categories kind of ignores a whole 370 00:21:27,760 --> 00:21:30,359 Speaker 1: lot of their places where we're asked to check the categories. 371 00:21:30,359 --> 00:21:32,720 Speaker 1: Whether they'll get rid of in the Common Application or not, 372 00:21:32,960 --> 00:21:37,000 Speaker 1: you know, I don't know right now. Universities are allowed 373 00:21:37,040 --> 00:21:41,840 Speaker 1: to consider race as a factor correct and as long 374 00:21:41,880 --> 00:21:46,040 Speaker 1: as as part of a holistic application process where race 375 00:21:46,160 --> 00:21:48,800 Speaker 1: is only one factor and the use of race is 376 00:21:48,920 --> 00:21:54,320 Speaker 1: narrowly tailored, that they're compelling interest in educational diversity. Is 377 00:21:54,320 --> 00:21:57,600 Speaker 1: this the first affirmative action case where the challengers are 378 00:21:57,920 --> 00:22:02,200 Speaker 1: swinging for the fences. They want no reference to race 379 00:22:02,240 --> 00:22:06,040 Speaker 1: at all in college admissions. Well, that's where it's interesting. 380 00:22:06,080 --> 00:22:11,000 Speaker 1: They want they want college admission systems to be color blind, 381 00:22:11,280 --> 00:22:14,240 Speaker 1: not race conscious. What you just said is what I 382 00:22:14,359 --> 00:22:17,320 Speaker 1: thought they might be doing. But the questions today were 383 00:22:18,080 --> 00:22:22,119 Speaker 1: applicants still can reference their race. If they want to 384 00:22:22,160 --> 00:22:25,480 Speaker 1: talk about their race being an important part of who 385 00:22:25,520 --> 00:22:28,920 Speaker 1: they are, they could still do that in their application, 386 00:22:29,680 --> 00:22:32,760 Speaker 1: and the college could consider how they talk about that 387 00:22:32,840 --> 00:22:36,960 Speaker 1: in context. They just can't have a system that says, 388 00:22:37,000 --> 00:22:40,960 Speaker 1: and you get a plus for your racial identity, which 389 00:22:41,000 --> 00:22:43,080 Speaker 1: is what it is now. Now you can get a 390 00:22:43,200 --> 00:22:47,040 Speaker 1: plus for your racial identity. It seems like the trials 391 00:22:47,040 --> 00:22:49,240 Speaker 1: in these cases were a waste of time. If they're 392 00:22:49,240 --> 00:22:53,880 Speaker 1: now going to change up the system and eliminate race 393 00:22:54,040 --> 00:22:57,800 Speaker 1: as a factor, yes, yes, And that's it's really pretty 394 00:22:57,800 --> 00:23:00,680 Speaker 1: studying at you. At one point this lest, the General 395 00:23:01,400 --> 00:23:05,240 Speaker 1: mentioned that the courts their usual rule that where a 396 00:23:05,280 --> 00:23:08,919 Speaker 1: district court finds facts at a trial and then they 397 00:23:08,960 --> 00:23:12,399 Speaker 1: are affirmed by the Court of Appeals, the Supreme Court 398 00:23:12,520 --> 00:23:17,080 Speaker 1: really doesn't review those facts. Again. For them to then 399 00:23:17,320 --> 00:23:19,919 Speaker 1: look at those facts and say, oh, there's something wrong 400 00:23:20,160 --> 00:23:23,400 Speaker 1: is really really extraordinary. But a lot of the questions 401 00:23:23,440 --> 00:23:27,320 Speaker 1: that were being asked today. Justice Thomas's questions in particular, 402 00:23:27,400 --> 00:23:31,159 Speaker 1: and some of the other questions as well of the 403 00:23:31,359 --> 00:23:35,119 Speaker 1: advocates in both cases showed that the conservative members of 404 00:23:35,200 --> 00:23:39,280 Speaker 1: the Court were very willing to ignore that usual practice 405 00:23:39,320 --> 00:23:42,439 Speaker 1: they have and to second guess the fact finding by 406 00:23:42,480 --> 00:23:45,879 Speaker 1: these judges who each wrote, you know, very lengthy opinions 407 00:23:45,960 --> 00:23:50,119 Speaker 1: based on voluminous records at trial, and they're they're willing 408 00:23:50,160 --> 00:23:52,719 Speaker 1: to say, no, I don't agree with your facts. I 409 00:23:52,760 --> 00:23:56,920 Speaker 1: think that the tables that are in this these two 410 00:23:56,920 --> 00:24:00,240 Speaker 1: pages of the brief show that there's discrimination with don't 411 00:24:00,240 --> 00:24:03,199 Speaker 1: need to know anything else other than the tables on 412 00:24:03,240 --> 00:24:06,240 Speaker 1: these pages of the brief of my pellate brief. Is 413 00:24:06,240 --> 00:24:08,639 Speaker 1: there any difference in the Harvard case as opposed to 414 00:24:08,640 --> 00:24:13,320 Speaker 1: the u n C case. You know that the wild card, right, 415 00:24:13,440 --> 00:24:17,760 Speaker 1: is that Justice Jackson as part of the court for 416 00:24:18,000 --> 00:24:20,840 Speaker 1: the u n C case, and she has recused herself 417 00:24:20,840 --> 00:24:24,359 Speaker 1: from the Harvard case, so she won't be writing anything 418 00:24:24,359 --> 00:24:26,199 Speaker 1: in the Harvard case. I don't think that that's going 419 00:24:26,200 --> 00:24:29,480 Speaker 1: to make a difference to the outcome. And if either 420 00:24:29,600 --> 00:24:32,760 Speaker 1: the cases they have enough votes to over re grutter, 421 00:24:33,160 --> 00:24:36,359 Speaker 1: it's done, so that's why I think it won't really matter, 422 00:24:36,800 --> 00:24:39,320 Speaker 1: but you could get some differences in the opinions. The 423 00:24:39,359 --> 00:24:42,960 Speaker 1: other thing that Justice Jackson seemed a little bit interested 424 00:24:43,000 --> 00:24:46,840 Speaker 1: in was whether the plaintiffs in the UNC case have standing. 425 00:24:47,200 --> 00:24:49,400 Speaker 1: She brought that up more than once, so we may 426 00:24:49,400 --> 00:24:52,240 Speaker 1: get something from her on standing in U n C. 427 00:24:52,640 --> 00:24:54,560 Speaker 1: And I think we'll get a lot of different opinions 428 00:24:54,560 --> 00:24:58,119 Speaker 1: in these cases. I think it will be complicated. We 429 00:24:58,200 --> 00:25:01,160 Speaker 1: will find out in June. Thanks so much, Audrey. That's 430 00:25:01,200 --> 00:25:04,560 Speaker 1: Audrey Anderson. She's head of the higher education practice at 431 00:25:04,600 --> 00:25:07,560 Speaker 1: Bass Variant SIMS. And that's it for this edition of 432 00:25:07,600 --> 00:25:10,280 Speaker 1: the Bloomberg Law Show. Remember you can always get the 433 00:25:10,359 --> 00:25:13,560 Speaker 1: latest legal news on our Bloomberg Law Podcast. You can 434 00:25:13,600 --> 00:25:17,840 Speaker 1: find them on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and at www dot 435 00:25:17,840 --> 00:25:21,960 Speaker 1: Bloomberg dot com, slash podcast, Slash Law, and remember to 436 00:25:22,040 --> 00:25:24,880 Speaker 1: tune into The Bloomberg Law Show every week night at 437 00:25:24,920 --> 00:25:28,400 Speaker 1: ten pm Wall Street Time. I'm June Grosso, and you're 438 00:25:28,480 --> 00:25:29,719 Speaker 1: listening to Bloomberg