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US Supreme Court Tag

Posted by William A. Jacobson on July 09, 2018 91 Comments
So this is my quick take on the nomination of Brett Kavanaugh. My overwhelming focus as the drama unfolded tonight was not Kavanaugh's record. I'm not sufficiently familiar with Kavanaugh's record to reach an independent judgment on him. But Kavanaugh has passed muster with a wide range of conservatives who are familiar with his record and background, particularly Leonard Leo of The Federalist Society. I'll rely on, and accept, their judgment on future Justice Kavanaugh.

Posted by William A. Jacobson on July 09, 2018 43 Comments
It's getting crazy out here on the internet. Trump names his nominee to replace Justice Anthony Kennedy at a live press conference at 9 p.m. tonight. Trump did a pretty good job keeping the selection on the quiet with Neil Gorsuch, and as of this writing, there have been no definitive leaks. Just a lot of "insider" speculation as to who the finalists and top 2 are.

Posted by Jared Samilow on July 08, 2018 17 Comments
Most people assume that when the Supreme Court decides a case, it's over. Final. That's usually how it is, but not always. Sometimes when Court issues an opinion, it also sends the matter back to the lower courts for further consideration in light of the new guidance. For procedural reasons I'll explain soon, this is the path the Court took two weeks ago when it upheld Travel Order No. 3 in a bitterly divided 5-to-4 vote. So that means the case of Trump v. Hawaii will be returning to the lower courts which, altogether, have struck down the order, in its various iterations, a total of not one, not two, not three, not four, but five times. 

Posted by William A. Jacobson on July 05, 2018 36 Comments
As the July 9 date for Trump to announce his pick to replace Justice Anthony Kennedy nears, there is a vicious multi-front war evolving. Of course, Democrats are attacking every likely nominee, with the anti-Catholic bigotry against Amy Coney Barrett the most prominent. Barrett would be the most finger-in-the-liberals-eye pick, and not just because of her Catholicism. She has seven (7) children -- that is a provocation in the minds of liberal feminists and the people who love them that cannot be abided.

Posted by William A. Jacobson on July 02, 2018 88 Comments
Neil Gorsuch was an incredibly safe pick for Trump. Despite the plaintive wails of Democrats about a "stolen" seat, they didn't have much with which to go after Gorsuch on the merits. Nonetheless Democrats filibustered Gorsuch, forcing Republican's to play the nuclear option for a SCOTUS nominee (as Democrats did in 2013 for all lower courts and made clear they would do if Hillary won and they regained the Senate).

Posted by Fuzzy Slippers on July 01, 2018 79 Comments
In Janus vs. AFSCME (American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees), the Supreme Court (in a 5-4 decision) ruled that government unions cannot require non-members to pay union dues. Earlier this week, Obama-appointed Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan wrote in her minority dissent to the Janus ruling that the Court had "weaponized the First Amendment."

Posted by Kemberlee Kaye on June 28, 2018 61 Comments
It's a rough week to be a Democrat. In several decisions the Supreme Court upheld Constitutional protections again. Such a drag, those guys. It's like they don't even care about anyone's feelings! And the icing on the cake? Justice Kennedy announced his retirement. So TrumpHitler gets a second SCOTUS pick. May as well fold it up and put on a cape because WE ARE LIVING IN THE HANDMAID'S TALE.

Posted by Kemberlee Kaye on June 27, 2018 56 Comments
Wednesday afternoon, Justice Kennedy announced his retirement from the Supreme Court bench, effective July 31. Appointed to the Supreme Court by President Reagan in 1988, Kennedy has largely served as the court's swing vote, but has consistently sided with free speech. Kennedy's retirement ensures the upcoming midterms will be all kinds of extra.

Posted by New Neo on June 26, 2018 12 Comments
In another of today's SCOTUS decisions, the Court ruled in NIFLA v. Becerra that a California law requiring crisis pregnancy centers (pregnancy counseling clinics usually run by pro-life Christians) to post notices that "California has public programs that provide immediate free or low-cost access to comprehensive family planning services (including all FDA-approved methods of contraception), prenatal care, and abortion for eligible women" was an unconstitutional violation of free speech. The vote was the familiar 5-4 and once again came down to the swing vote of Kennedy siding with the conservative wing, and all the liberal justices dissenting.

Posted by Kemberlee Kaye on June 26, 2018 51 Comments
Tuesday, the Supreme Court upheld Trump's third travel order. After two failed attempts, the administration scrapped the first two in favor of a third, which they believed would stand up to SCOTUS scrutiny. Looks like they were right. The order which sought to temporarily curb immigration from states with long-standing records of sponsoring or engaging in terrorist activity was painted as anti-Muslim, based on statements Trump made during the presidential campaign.
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