Midterm

I had been planning to take a midterm look at CAAF this weekend, but then I remembered that this is a truncated 11-month term. So the midterm point actually arrived just about St. Patrick's Day.

CAAF has 65 oral arguments scheduled for this term. So far it has issued opinions in just over half of all the cases it will hear this year -- 34. (The court has yet to hear four oral arguments, so it's decided about 56% of the cases it has heard thus far.)

CAAF has issued opinions (or, in the case of Martinez, No. 07-0028/MC, a summary disposition order) in every case it heard in October. It has decided every case it heard in November except for United States v. Larson, No. 07-0263/AF, in which it ordered additional briefing on 29 November. It has decided 7 of the 10 cases it heard in December, 5 of the 11 cases it heard in January, and 1 of the 10 cases it heard in February.

Every judge on the court has authored two opinions except Judge Baker, who has authored three. Two cases were decided by per curiam opinions (Wright, No. 07-0412/AR, and Perez, No. 08-5002/AF) and one by a brief summary disposition order (Martinez).

There have been very few dissents -- just 4 of the 34 resolutions (about 12%) were dissented from. But separate opinions have been more common. Only 22 of the 34 opinions (or, in the case of Martinez, order) (about 65%), did not feature a separate concurring, concurring in the result, dubitante, or dissenting opinion.