Washington-Although the Rehnquist Court has come to an end, a new and historic Supreme Court term is about to begin, one already filled with challenges-such as abortions for minors, religion, assisted suicide, and the death penalty and innocence-that have ignited public debate and sharply divided the justices in recent years.
The justices await Senate confirmation of a new chief justice, most likely to be John Roberts, a former clerk to the chief he hopes to succeed and currently a judge on the U.S. Circuit Court for the District of Columbia. And they will work through the uncertainty and complications surrounding a second vacancy created by the retirement plans of Justice Sandra Day O’Connor.
