Ginsburg Temporarily Blocks The Chrysler Deal

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With minutes to go before a 4 p.m. deadline today, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg put a hold on the takeover by Fiat that Chryler needs to save it from collapse. The general expectation seems to be that the delay will be brief. Why does the Supreme Court need more time to consider it? At SCOTUS blog, veteran reporter Lyle Denniston speculates:

* Ginsburg may have decided to share the decision on what to do with her eight colleagues, and they needed more time to think or talk about it.

* Members of the Court may have decided that they wanted to give some explanation, or perhaps some may have decided to dissent and wanted a chance to prepare a statement saying so. In the meantime, it was her task, as the Circuit Justice, to impose a limited stay.

* Ginsburg or the Court may be waiting to see how the Second Circuit explains its decision to uphold the terms of the sale. The Circuit Court issued no opinion on Friday, indicating that such an explanation would come “in due course,” although the expectation was that one or more opinions would emerge from those judges on Monday.