A tired, testy and fractured Supreme Court prepares for more drama

As Supreme Court justices try to resolve more than a dozen major cases over the next month, including whether Donald Trump must stand trial for election subversion, they appear mired in antagonism and distrust.

Liberals have been bluntly exposing their differences with the conservative majority and asserting that it is changing the law in America simply because, with new justices, it can. Conservatives, who indeed hold the upper hand on the 6-3 court, nonetheless spike their writing and remarks with derision for the left.

And the court faces an increasingly disapproving public amid a series of self-inflicted controversies over ethics and perceived conflicts of interest – the latest from flags flown at homes owned by Justice Samuel Alito that are often associated with Trump supporters and the January 6, 2021, US Capitol attack.

During their last wo weeks of oral arguments, the anger among justices on both sides of the bench was obvious to lawyers and others who regularly attend.