Supreme Court Double Dose! Triple Threat!

pO157.

Posted to Legal on Thu Jun 26, 2008 at 07:35:51 AM EST (promoted by port1080). RSS.

In a special end of term overtime session, the United States Supreme Court released two of three opinions that had disparate groups waiting in anticipation.

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Supremes Back Detained Foreigners! [Breaking News]

pO157.

Posted to Politics on Thu Jun 12, 2008 at 10:09:30 AM EST (promoted by port1080). RSS.

In a Moment of Truth, the United States Supreme Court sided with those detainees being held without charge a Long, Long Way From Home. In a 5-4 split decision the Justices agreed with the roughly 270 prisoners who claimed they had Heaven on [Their] Side and demanded access to civilian courts to challenge their detention.

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Now That We've Decided In Favor Of (Color) Blind, Will We Move On To Deaf & Dumb Next Term?

MayorBob.

Posted to Legal on Mon Jul 02, 2007 at 12:25:09 PM EST (promoted by port1080). RSS.

They may end up calling this the 5-4 term of the Supreme Court of the US (SCOTUS).  On the last two days of this year's session, SCOTUS issued seven 5-4 decisions; six veered rightward and one (involving the execution of a mentally ill killer) leaned leftward.  One of the rightward leaning decisions raised legal questions most of us thought had been settled over 50 years ago.  It was a challenge to voluntary school desegregation plans for two school districts - Seattle, Washington and Louisville, Kentucky.  In both cases the school districts had used race as a determining factor in school assignments.  With Justice Anthony Kennedy lining up (sort of) with four openly conservative justices, SCOTUS gave a thumb's down to both plans.

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Partial-Birth Abortion Act Upheld

profwhat.

Posted to Legal on Wed Apr 18, 2007 at 08:20:39 PM EST (promoted by port1080). RSS.

The United States Supreme Court upheld the Partial-Birth Abortion Act of 2003, marking the first time the court has ever upheld a federal law restricting abortion.

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Pack It, Fire It Up, And Come Along, It's Time For The Supremes To Hear About Hits From The Bong

pO157.

Posted to Legal on Tue Mar 20, 2007 at 07:48:05 PM EST (promoted by 1fastdog). RSS.

The so-called "Bong Hits 4 Jesus" case, otherwise known as Morse v. Frederick, 06-278, is currently before the US Supreme Court awaiting a ruling which would have vast effects on the free speech rights of students in public schools.

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Your Freedom or Your Life

Thalia.

Posted to Legal on Mon Mar 19, 2007 at 10:39:12 AM EST (promoted by port1080). RSS.

You may recall the case of Raich v. Ashcroft, the case decided by the Supreme Court 6-3, in which a woman having multiple severe medical problems was denied the right to grow and use marijuana.  The case was remanded by the Supreme Court to the Ninth Circuit.

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Note to Woody Allen: Avoid Ohio

MayorBob.

Posted to Legal on Tue Mar 06, 2007 at 08:23:12 AM EST (promoted by port1080). RSS.

It's been described (with more than a dollop of black humor) as "the activity the entire family can enjoy."  But, incest is, in fact, one of mankind's strongest genetic social taboos.  The law varies from one place to the next when it involves cousins.  But, when it comes to the closest relationships, it's a crime.  It's that way in Ohio, just as it is in every other of the 50 states of the US.  But, what about sex with close relations with whom you don't share bloodlines - like, say stepfather and stepdaughter?  What about when they're both adults?  What about when the sex is consensual?  Surely, there is a limit to the law, right?  Wrong, as an Ohio man recently found out from his state's Supreme Court.

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Canadian Supreme Court Nixes Guantanamo North

1fastdog.

Posted to Legal on Wed Feb 28, 2007 at 08:04:11 AM EST (promoted by port1080). RSS.

Canada's Supreme Court unanimously struck down the use of secret testimony to imprison and deport foreigners as possible terrorism suspects, ruling Friday that the procedures violate Canada's Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

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Privacy is For Sissies

Thalia.

Posted to Legal on Wed Feb 07, 2007 at 10:07:10 AM EST (promoted by port1080). RSS.

The 7th Circuit recently held (9 page PDF) that using GPS devices to track cars does not have any 4th Amendment (search & seizure) implications.  There hasn't been much media reporting, although some blogs have addressed the implications.

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