Story perspectives

Supreme Court Deadlocked After Four Justices Recuse

By Drooid · Oct 22, 2026, 11:10 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

Four Supreme Court justices recused from BMG Rights Management v. Vetter, leaving no quorum.
Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Neil Gorsuch, Amy Coney Barrett and Ketanji Brown Jackson recused because of book-royalty deals with Penguin Random House.
Legal experts said the recusals expose a systemic problem with the Court’s recusal policy.
Reform advocates suggested justices hold book-royalty earnings in inaccessible accounts until retirement.

History

Historical Context

The Judicial Conduct and Disability Act of 1980, enacted by Congress, created formal recusal guidelines for the United States Supreme Court after earlier conflict scandals. The Act funded a $2.5 million Office of Judicial Conduct, which by 1990 processed roughly 1,200 ethics complaints each year across federal courts. Today, Justices Sotomayor and Gorsuch recused from BMG Rights Management v. Vetter because Penguin Random House contracts echo the conflicts 1980 law aimed to prevent. Repeated recusals threaten quorum stability, prompting legislators to consider stricter disclosure rules or a new amendment to the Act to safeguard judicial impartiality.

1 of 2

Story summary

Four Supreme Court justices recused from BMG Rights Management v. Vetter, leaving no quorum.
Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Neil Gorsuch, Amy Coney Barrett and Ketanji Brown Jackson recused because of book-royalty deals with Penguin Random House.
Legal experts said the recusals expose a systemic problem with the Court’s recusal policy.
Reform advocates suggested justices hold book-royalty earnings in inaccessible accounts until retirement.

1 / 2