US' divided Supreme Court starts new session with gun rights, Trump's prez dreams and more on docket

The United States Supreme Court begins its new term on Monday, with many hot-button cases on the docket — Gun rights, free speech, Donald Trump's presidential dreams, and more.

A divided court

The top court, as per AFP, is divided one of two ways, 6-3 or 3-3.

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It has a conservative majority with three justices appointed by former president Trump — Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh and Amy Coney Barrett.

The other two — Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito, are Republican appointees, designated by Republican presidents George HW Bush and George W Bush.

Chief Justice John Roberts usually aligns with the right wing.

The remaining three — Elena Kagan, Sonia Sotomayor and Ketanji Brown Jackson, are liberals appointed by Democratic presidents.

Speaking to AFP, David Cole, legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), said the upcoming US Supreme Court session may reveal just how much further to the right the top court will tilt.

"This term will give us more evidence to try to assess what kind of court this is," he said.

"Is it a six-to-three divided court?"

"Or is it, as many have suggested, a three-three-three court with the three Democratic appointees, three very extreme conservatives in Alito, Thomas and Gorsuch, and three sort of in the middle who determine results -- Roberts, Kavanaugh and Barrett?"

Items on docket

One of the first cases, as per AFP, may affect the control of the US House of Representatives. Currently, Republicans hold a slim majority of 221-212.

The case concerns a congressional map drawn up in South Carolina. Critics claim that the map unconstitutionally discriminates against African American voters, who tend to overwhelmingly vote Democratic.

A high-stakes political battle may decide if Trump will once again reside in the White House. Several states have initiated legal efforts to keep him off the presidential balloton the grounds that he violated his oath of office by provoking the January 6, 2021 attack on Congress.

In November, the court will address a challenge to a law that prohibits people with a domestic violence order from possessing a firearm.

A high-profile online free speech case concerning popular social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and others is also on the agenda.

The case will hear challenges against Republican-led states, Texas and Florida laws that would restrict the freedom of these social media websites to moderate content.

Another free speech case concerns California lawyerSteve Elster's attempt to trademark the phrase "Trump too small". A trademark of the phrase that was to be used to mock the former president was rejected by the US Patent and Trademark Office over concerns that Elster doesn't have Trump's written consent to use his name.

Other cases that may make the docket are the review of restrictions on a widely used abortion pill and transgender rights.