Lots of criminal justice action as SCOTUS gets back into action

This morning, the Supreme Court begins hearing arguments in its December sitting with two habeas cases Wall v. Kholi, which concerns a statute of limitations issue, and Walker v. Martin, which concerns a state procedural default issue.  These cases serve as a kind of prelude to these two big sentencing-related cases to be heard later in the sitting:

• On Tuesday, November 30, the Justices will hear the California prison overcrowding case Schwarzenegger v. Plata (SCOTUSblog review here).  Here is a local press report about the case via the Mercury News.  How Appealing also has links here to other Plata preview pieces.

• On Monday, December 6, the Justices will hear the federal resentencing case Pepper v. United States (SCOTUSblog review here).  Here is a local press report about the case via the Des Moines Register.

Both Pepper and Plata have the potential to be blockbuster rulings.  But in part because the defendants seem to have a good shot at victory in both cases, I will not be at all surprised if we get relatively "minimalist" rulings in Pepper and Plata.