Advisory Opinions Insular Cases | Interview: Chief Judge Jeff Sutton and Neil Weare
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Sep 10, 2026 
Chief Judge Jeff Sutton, a federalism scholar and author, and Neil Weare, a territorial-law attorney raised in Guam, explore America’s complicated territorial legacy. They unpack the racial foundations of the Insular Cases, congressional power, Puerto Rico’s oversight board, and the unsettled status of American Samoa. The conversation also examines Trump v. Barbara and the stakes for birthright citizenship.
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Missouri Faces Conflicting Congressional Maps
- Missouri faces conflicting congressional maps after state and federal courts reached opposite conclusions.
- The federal ruling currently requires the primary districts for the general election, pending Eighth Circuit review.
The Montana Juror Who Needed A Jacket
- Territorial judges appointed from Washington often misunderstood local conditions and frustrated residents.
- One Montana judge sent a juror home for a jacket, unaware that he lived 40 miles away by horseback.
The Northwest Ordinance Banned Slavery Early
- The Northwest Ordinance banned slavery in six future states before the Constitution’s racist compromises were fully entrenched.
- That prohibition became part of Ohio and neighboring states’ antislavery origin story.
