Supreme Court

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June 2007
- Court Curbs Unions' Political Spending
  
  Associated Press | Jun 15, 07 8:31 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - The Supreme Court yesterday upheld a Washington State law forcing public-sector unions to win consent from workers before spending their dues on politically-charged activities. The law applied to workers who opt out of joining a union but still have to pay the dues, some of which are spent supplying (mainly Democratic) political coffers. More »
- Courts Debate Definition of 'Retarded'
  
  Los Angeles Times | Jun 11, 07 11:02 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Sentencing the mentally retarded to death is unconstitutional, and individual states set the cut-off between disabled and competent—sounds simple, but in practice, the Supreme Court's 2002 ruling has proven nearly impossible to enforce. At issue, the LA Times reports, is the gray area between low IQ and retardation, a moving target for lawyers and courts alike. More »
- Anti-abortion Groups Split by Late-Term Ban
  
  Washington Post | Jun 4, 07 7:16 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - The recent Supreme Court ruling against partial-birth abortions has ignited a battle among anti-abortion groups, the Washington Post reports. The bickering highlights a divide between groups working for a wholesale ban and those seeking limits. In newspaper ads, a religious coalition ripped the ruling as "wicked" and slammed longtime ally James Dobson of Focus on the Family for praising the decision. More »
May 2007
- Ginsburg Speaks Up
  
  New York Times | May 31, 07 9:18 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Ruth Bader Ginsburg has delivered two withering oral dissents in the past six weeks, a radical departure from her previous conciliatory role. Linda Greenhouse speculates in today's Times that the unprecedented behavior may signal a new outspokenness for the Supreme Court's only female justice. "After 15 years on the court, she's finally voicing some complaints," says a former Ginsburg clerk. More »
- High Court Curbs Pay Bias Suits
  
  Washington Post | May 30, 07 4:55 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - The Supreme Court severely limited the right of women to sue employers over pay discrimination in a stormy 5-4 decision yesterday. A lone woman employee at a tire factory sued because she was paid less than male coworkers over her long career; the court held that such charges must be filed within the 180-day window proscribed by the Civil Rights Act. More »
- Bush Asks Agencies to Cut Emissions
  
  Associated Press | May 14, 07 4:07 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - President Bush stepped up to the plate on global warming today, ordering the the EPA, transportation and other agencies to begin to regulate vehicle emissions by the time he leaves office. Chided by the Supreme Court last month for failing to protect the environment, Bush asked agencies to prepare plans, but offered no other details. More »
- Court Relaxes Patent Test
  
  CNET | May 1, 07 7:36 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Tech companies are thrilled with a Supreme Court ruling yesterday that relaxed the "obviousness" test for patents—the standard for deciding when a combination of existing elements deserves patent protection. No longer will Silicon Valley giants have to wrangle with patent "trolls"—people who anticipate minute improvements to products, then cry infringement, CNET reports. More »
April 2007
- Supreme Court Blocks Gitmo Detainees
  
  Associated Press | Apr 30, 07 2:04 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - The Supreme Court will not hear the cases of two Guantanamo detainees who sought to challenge the government's policy on military tribunals, it announced today. But it will hear arguments this fall in the case of a Texas death row inmate, a Mexican national whose appeal was supported by the Bush administration and the Mexican government. More »
- High Court Eyes McCain- Feingold
  
  Legal Times | Apr 26, 07 7:37 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - The Supreme Court looks poised to pull an about face on the McCain-Feingold campaign finance law by striking down its strictures on "issue ads"—pre-election commentary that mentions candidates by name. Sandra Day O'Connor joined a majority in upholding the ban in 2003; Alito and Roberts may provide critical mass to strike it down. More »
- Alito Swings Court Against Late Abortion
  
  New York Times | Apr 19, 07 6:43 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - The Supreme Court's decision to uphold a ban partial-birth abortions is a gauntlet thrown down by the Roberts court, reports Linda Greenhouse in the Times . Samuel Alito, the newest justice, was the deciding factor in the 5-4 turnaround. While it will affect a small subset of abortion procedures, the focus on "ethical and moral concerns" signals a major shift. More »
- Supreme Court Supports Late-Term Abortion Ban
  
  Washington Post | Apr 18, 07 11:44 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - The Supreme Court voted today to uphold a ban on partial birth abortions, handing a significant victory to President Bush, whose appointees to the high court voted with the 5-4 majority. The 2003 law, which bars a controversial late-term procedure, is the first federal restriction on abortion since the 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling. More »
- Utilities May Profit From Ruling
  
  Wall Street Journal | Apr 3, 07 8:31 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Some utility companies may actually benefit financially from the Supreme Court ruling forcing the EPA to crack down on greenhouse gas emissions, the Wall Street Journal reports. While it will cost them millions in the short-term to meet new requirements, utilities in government-regulated markets—mostly in the Southeast, Great Plains, and West—can pass those costs on to consumers at a profit. More »
- EPA Must Regulate Greenhouse Gases
  
  New York Times | Apr 3, 07 7:52 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - Carbon dioxide must be regulated by the federal government unless it can provide a scientific reason not to, the Supreme Court ruled Monday. The 5-4 decision, which ordered the EPA to consider CO 2 an "air pollutant" as defined by the Clean Air Act, was a blow to the Bush administration's policy of refusing to regulate factory and automobile emissions. More »
- Supreme Court Rejects Appeals From Gitmo Detainees
  
  Washington Post | Apr 2, 07 12:44 PM CDT
  
  (Newser) - The Supreme Court declined to hear the case of detainees at Guantanamo who challenged the constitutionality of their confinement, the Washington Post reports. The rejected appeal questioned the validity of the military commissions law passed last year, and the legality of being held for more than five years with being charged. More »
March 2007
- Bong Case 4 SCOTUS
  
  New York Times | Mar 20, 07 10:51 AM CDT
  
  (Newser) - A student glorifying illegal drug use shouldn't be protected by the First Amendment, Ken Starr argued before the Supreme Court yesterday in the case of a high school student suspended for displaying a banner reading "Bong Hits 4 Jesus" during the Winter Olympics Torch Relay in Juneau, Alaska in 2002. More »