In a highly partisan climate, the Supreme Court appears to have fallen victim to a growing group of critics accusing Supreme Court justices almost daily of some sort of legal or ethical misstep. From the discussion about the court's use of the "shadow docket" to questions about political leanings of the justices—the court finds itself in constant crossfire. The Supreme Court as one of the three pillars of U.S. democracy appears to be in peril and reporter Marcia Coyle's cover story takes an in-depth look at the court's legitimacy crisis.