us-supreme-court
What is the significance of a SCOTUS order being unsigned?
<p>The Supreme Court today rejected Donald Trump’s request that the High Court block House Democrats from viewing his tax returns. T<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/orders/courtorders/112222zr_5i26.pdf" rel="nofollow noreferrer">he order was brief, unsigned and noted no dissents.</a></p>
<p>What is the significance of it being unsigned?</p>

<p>The court receives petitions for something like 8,000 cases annually, but it only hears something like 75 to 100 cases. There is not enough time or manpower to address each case that comes up, so the vast majority of the cases are simply rejected without comment.</p>
<p>There are some notable exceptions, but a review of the <a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/orders/courtorders/112122zor_7lhn.pdf" rel="noreferrer">order list</a> from the day before Trump's order might give you a better feel for the caseload the court is dealing with and how unremarkable it is for an order to be brief, unsigned, and with no noted dissents.</p>
<p>The only significance of the Court disposing of Trump's case this way is that it indicates none of the justices considered the issues he was raising to be serious enough to merit their attention.</p>

<p>Orders that are issued without an opinion are often unsigned, meaning that no one justice takes responsibility for them, and no Justice thinks it worth registering a dissent.</p>
<p>Short opinions are sometimes issued <em>per curiam</em> meaning &quot;by the court&quot;. This  means that no one Justice takes responsibility or credit for them, either. They are usually brief and non-controversial, perhaps procedural.</p>
