The U.S. Supreme Court’s recent 5 a.m. order in a Texas voting rights case was rare, but not unprecedented. And it was rare only because of a little-known effort by the court in the 1990s to curtail postmidnight motions and orders — a campaign whose impact is still being felt.
Two decades ago, death row appeals filed at the eleventh hour — literally — were taking their toll on justices and clerks, as well as everyone else involved, from prison guards to victims’ survivors and capital punishment protesters.
