SCOTUS extends filing deadlines because of coronavirus outbreak
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The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday extended filing deadlines for cert petitions because of the COVID-19 outbreak.
The court said in an order that the deadline is extended to 150 days, rather than the usual 90 days, report Bloomberg Law, Law360 and SCOTUSblog.
Motions to extend the time to file other documents “will ordinarily be granted by the clerk as a matter of course if the grounds for the application are difficulties relating to COVID-19 and if the length of the extension requested is reasonable under the circumstances,” the court’s order said.
The changes do not apply to cases in which certiorari has already been granted, the court said.
The announcement follows the Supreme Court’s decision to close the building to visitors and to postpone March session oral arguments.
The court previously postponed arguments because of the Spanish flu epidemic, pausing arguments for the start of its 1918-19 term for about a month.
