On April 13, the U.S. Supreme Court put out this announcement.  It will hear ten particular cases from the group of cases that had been set for March and April, but which had been indefinitely postponed.  Ordinarily the Court does not hear cases in May.  It uses May to write opinions from cases that had been argued earlier.

Among the ten privileged cases are the two cases on presidential electors, and also the case on President Trump’s tax returns.  But the Court did not choose Carney v Adams to be heard in May.  Carney v Adams is the Delaware case over whether the state can ban independent and minor party members from being considered for a judicial position.

The Court did not say what it will do about scheduling Carney v Adams and the other cases that had been postponed, and which are not among the special ten cases.

The dates in May for the ten special cases are May 4,5,6,11,12, and 13.  They will be held remotely; the justices will not be in the same room with the attorneys or with each other.

On April 12, Mark Cuban, owner of the Dallas Mavericks basketball team, was interviewed by Chris Wallace.  At the very end of the interview Wallace referred to an earlier statement by Cuban that he might possibly run for president as an independent.  Wallace said “the deadline has already passed in some states” and said, “You’re aren’t serious, are you?”

Cuban said “You just never know.  I’m not gonna say ‘no’.  I’m leaving the door open.”  Here is a link to the interview.  The part about running for president is at the very end.

Wallace is mistaken.  Every state has some means for someone running for president outside the major parties to get on the ballot, in the period May through September.  Furthermore, the U.S. Supreme Court said in Anderson v Celebrezze in 1983 that it violates the First Amendment for any state to have an early deadline for a candidate to file for the general election as a presidential candidate.  John B. Anderson in 1980 didn’t declare as an independent until April 24, but he got on the ballot in every jurisdiction.

In 1924, Robert La Follette didn’t declare as an independent until July 4, and he got on the ballot in every state except Louisiana, and the Louisiana problem had nothing to do with an early deadline.  Thanks to Ken Bush for the link.

According to this story, Connecticut won’t hold a presidential primary if all the candidates withdraw.  However, so far, Bernie Sanders seems to want to remain on the ballot for that primary.  Also, so far, Elizabeth Warren and Tulsi Gabbard haven’t withdrawn from the Democratic primary either.

Also, Rocky De La Fuente hasn’t withdrawn from the Republican primary.

The non-presidential primary in Connecticut is August 11.