Court Readies Term's Testiest Decisions

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• Order in Court Will Be Task for Next President

  Jun 27, 08 3:41 PM CDT
  Recent Supreme Court decisions that broke 5-4 underlined the impact the next president could have on top US judicial body, the Boston Globe notes. The liberal bloc—including John Paul Stevens (age 88) and Ruth Bader Ginsburg (75)—is more likely to lose members during the next administration, so a President McCain could greatly change the Court's bent by replacing them with conservative Justices. More »

• Supreme Court Overturns La. Death Sentence

  Mar 20, 08 5:09 AM CDT
  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 »

• Supremes Appear Set to KO DC's Handgun Ban

  Mar 18, 08 2:21 PM CDT
  The Supreme Court looks ready to declare Washington, DC’s handgun ban unconstitutional, the LA Times report. The justices heard oral arguments in the landmark Second Amendment case today, and swing voter Anthony Kennedy said, “In my view, there is a general right to bear arms.” At issue is whether the provision applies only to state militias or if it protects an individual right to own weapons. More »

• Justices' Stock Portfolios Cripple Cases

  Mar 7, 08 7:35 PM CST
  The stock portfolios of Supreme Court justices have become a flash point this term, in which six cases could be affected by justices recusing themselves because they own financial stakes in companies involved. Chief Justice John Roberts, Justice Samuel Alito, and Justice Stephen Bryer have bowed out of cases involving Pfizer, Exxon and Cisco, respectively—apparently because of stock holdings, Bloomberg reports. More »

• Exxon Asks Court to Toss $2.5B Payout

  Feb 27, 08 8:52 PM CST
  Nearly 20 years after the Exxon Valdez spilled 11 million gallons of crude oil in Prince William Sound, the company asked the Supreme Court to reject a ruling that it pay $2.5 billion in punitive damages. Judges appeared split in today's arguments, USA Today reports, making a tie possible because Samuel Alito has recused himself. If that happens, the punitive damages stand. The court also could reduce the amount. More »