( October 15, 2026, 3:27 PM EDT) -- WASHINGTON, D.C. — Arguing that the questions presented are meritless and were not properly preserved in the lower courts for U.S. Supreme Court review, federal judicial branch officials and administrators that were sued in their official capacities in a workplace harassment and discrimination case say the high court should deny a petition for a writ of certiorari filed by a former assistant federal public defender asking whether the judiciary’s internal employment dispute resolution (EDR) plan for handling workplace discrimination and harassment complaints complies with constitutional and legal protections....