But what many court watchers expect to see added over the coming months could make this a year of landmark significance.

Some court watchers said capital punishment supporters had reason to be concerned about the court as it is now.

Mr. Deaver did not take the witness stand, a strategy that some court watchers questioned.

He left no paper trail of books or articles for reporters or court watchers to trace.

As for Mrs. Plavsic, her guilty plea took most court watchers by surprise.

But court watchers said they do not expect her to shift the court significantly from its centrist position on most issues.

Lawyers, litigants and court watchers were also played by actors.

The public broadcasting of the court's business struck some court watchers as extraordinary.

Traxler votes so often with the conservative majority that court watchers forget he's a Democratic appointee.

Many court watchers expect at least one retirement within the next few years.