It certainly looks as though the United States constituted as a federation of sovereign States is slowly de-facto transitioning to a centralized bureaucratic empire. I don't believe that's happened yet, but using the institutions of the old order to institute the new one is a very old trick, just look at the Roman Principate. So if and when that transition does occur[1] I wouldn't be surprised if the courts will be part of the fig leaf used to hide it.

[1] Perhaps it already has, the average Roman had no idea he no longer lived in a Republic.