The Supreme Court’s Newest Justices Produce Some Unexpected Results

In the term so far, including two major decisions on Thursday, the court’s expanded conservative majority is fractured and its liberals are often on the winning side.

WASHINGTON — The arrival of Justice Amy Coney Barrett in October seemed to create a 6-to-3 conservative juggernaut that would transform the Supreme Court. Instead, judging by the 39 signed decisions in argued cases so far this term, including two major rulings on Thursday, the right side of the court is badly fractured and its liberal members are having a surprisingly good run. That picture may change, as the court has yet to issue the term’s last 15 decisions. But some trends have already come into focus.