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US Supreme Court Begins Blockbuster Term With LGBTQ Rights Case

Masood Farivar

   WASHINGTON - The U.S. Supreme Court is headed for another blockbuster
   year, starting a busy new term Monday with hot-button cases that will
   be decided in the midst of a contentious presidential election
   campaign.

   Led by Chief Justice John Roberts, who has been unusually vocal about
   protecting the high court's reputation, the nine justices on the bench
   will likely seek a low profile, as they did last term following the
   raucous confirmation hearing of conservative Justice Brett Kavanaugh.

   But with a string of cases involving socially divisive issues, from
   abortion to LGBTQ rights, on the docket, court watchers are bracing for
   as many ideologically split decisions that could be exploited by
   presidential and congressional candidates for political gain.

   "It would probably be a mistake to expect that many of the high-profile
   cases will be unanimous or nearly unanimous; more likely is a series of
   angry 5-to-4 decisions," said Garrett Epps, a professor of law at the
   University of Baltimore.

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