Skip to: Content
Skip to: Site Navigation
Skip to: Search

September 6, 2008 1:40:31 AM CDT

Learn about Newser Points »

« Back to the grid | Next story »

Supreme Court Expands Margins

Posted May 23, 08 2:35 PM CDT in Crime & Courts,  US 

(Newser) – The Supreme Court divisions expected after Samuel Alito replaced Sandra Day O’Connor materialized last term but have since disappeared in a tide of consensus. Only one of 35 cases this term has been decided 5 to 4. Linda Greenhouse of the New York Times looks at a once-predictable panel that seems to be emphasizing concessions over confrontations.

Conservatives held sway in cases that addressed lethal injection, voter ID, and child pornography, but liberals have crafted enough compromises to avoid a flood of one-vote margins. One expert points to the calendar and speculates that the justices "probably don’t want to provoke controversy, or become an issue, during the election—especially an election with a highly uncertain outcome.”

Source New York Times

0 comments | Print E-mail | Digg Seed this on Newsvine Add this link to Del.icio.us StumbleUpon

Related Newser Stories

  • Court Readies Term's Testiest Decisions

    Jun 9, 08 8:49 AM CDT
    Court Readies Term's Testiest Decisions The Supreme Court is poised to begin unveiling decisions today in some of the year's most heated cases, reports USA Today. As the term winds down, the 26 final opinions will be released on select days in June, and include clashes over Guantanamo detainees, DC's handgun ban, and the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill. More »

  • Lethal Injection Ruling Will Spur Executions, Lawsuits

    Apr 17, 08 10:42 AM CDT
    Lethal Injection Ruling Will Spur Executions, Lawsuits Executions will resume in the United States, thanks to the Supreme Court’s ruling on lethal injection yesterday, but so will lawsuits, the New York Times reports. By condoning methods “substantially similar” to Kentucky’s, the court has invited more challenges. “We have left the states with nothing resembling a bright-line rule,” said Clarence Thomas. “Today’s decision is sure to engender more litigation.” More »

  • Supreme Court Overturns La. Death Sentence

    Mar 20, 08 5:09 AM CDT
    Supreme Court Overturns La. Death Sentence The Supreme Court has ordered a new trial for a former Marine awaiting execution on Louisiana's death row. Allen Snyder, an African-American, was convicted of fatally stabbing his estranged wife and her boyfriend, but the court ruled 7-2 that prosecutors acted improperly by using its challenges to seat an all-white jury, reports the Washington Post. More »

  • Justice Is Blind, Not Disenfranchised

    Feb 12, 08 11:35 AM CST
    Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Antonin Scalia always exercise their right to vote, and John Roberts goes to the polls only for general elections, the Washington Post reports. Six of the nine Supreme Court justices—five in Virginia, one in DC—are eligible to participate in today’s primaries, and the chief justice is likely qualified in Maryland. More »

  • Court Skeptical of Challenge to Lethal Injection

    Jan 7, 08 2:49 PM CST
    Court Skeptical of Challenge to Lethal Injection As the Supreme Court opened its hearing on lethal injection today, justices expressed serious doubts that the method amounts to cruel and unusual punishment, the LA Times reports. Most of the panel, including Chief Justice John Roberts, seemed unconvinced that the three-chemical cocktail results in a painful death, or that a better option exists. A national moratorium is in place while the high court weighs the issue. More »

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, left, gives the thumbs up sign to the remarks of his colleague Justice John Paul Stevens.   (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
In this June 15, 2006 file photo, Associate Justice John Paul Stevens smiles as he chats with Chief Justice John G. Roberts.   (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)
U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John G. Roberts, Jr., reacts as he listens to a speaker.   (AP Photo/Stephan Savoia)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
Our editors also recommend:

Threads (1 of 2)

Tags

US Supreme Court  • John Roberts  • lethal injection  • child pornography  • Antonin Scalia  • voter ID laws  • consensus


Loading...

Premium Articles from HighBeam

Find more articles like this

Today's Most Popular


Other US Stories

What is Newser?

2008 Codie Finalist

Newser gives you more news in less time. We search for the best and most important stories all over the web, read them for you, and deliver concise and sharp summaries—along with links to the full text. Newser provides a way to stay on top of an ever-expanding horizon of news and opinion—politics, sports, business, trends, technology, personalities, crimes, and controversies. Newser keeps you not just better informed, but, with our signature graphic interface and smart condensed format, more enjoyably informed.

Learn more »