Two More Southern States to Redraw Maps

[pat_k]

7. This is confusing to me.

It sounds like there is a difference between how quickly the lower court from which the case was appealed can act (only after the "mandate" comes down) but the decision is otherwise binding on all other lower courts immediately -- and presumably applicable to whatever comes before them from that date?

In other words, further action on Louisiana v. Callais by the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana (from which it was appealed to SCOTUS) must await the "mandate," generally issued in 30 days, but otherwise, the decision is binding precedent that other parties in other states can move forward based on?? Or am I reading things wrong??

FWIW, here is AI's (Gemini's) answer to "Are SCOTUS decisions binding as precedent for other cases immediately upon release?"

Yes, U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS) decisions are binding on all other federal and state courts immediately upon release, according to 1.1.2 and 1.3.2. Once an opinion is published electronically on the Court’s website, it acts as mandatory authority that lower courts must follow 1.2.3 and 1.2.8.

Here is a breakdown of the binding nature of SCOTUS decisions:

Immediate Effect: The decisions are considered effective upon release, even though official publication in the United States Reports occurs much later 1.5.1.

Vertical Stare Decisis: As the highest court, SCOTUS holds the absolute authority in the judicial hierarchy, meaning all lower federal and state courts are obligated to follow their precedent 1.1.2 and 1.2.2.

Finality: A decision acts as final law, though for the parties involved, formal "judgments" may not be issued until the mandate comes down, which often happens later 1.4.2.