U.S. Supreme Court

Justice Defends 9th Circuit

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is known for how frequently its liberal-leaning decisions are reversed by the U.S. Supreme Court. In the last session, the reversal rate was 90 percent. But those statistics can be misleading, according to someone who has a close-up view of the cases: Justice…

Jul 25, 2007 1:31 PM CDT

Inside Gitmo Lawyer Creates a Stir

An Army reserve lawyer with an inside view of military tribunals at Guantanamo is scheduled to testify about his criticisms of the review process before a House committee this Thursday. Stephen Abraham is an unlikely critic, the New York Times reports in a profile. He is a lawyer in civilian…

Jul 23, 2007 4:23 PM CDT

SG Sees Antitrust Pro-Business Tilt

The nation’s chief advocate before the U.S. Supreme Court says most of the justices are sympathetic to business interests, decidedly so in antitrust cases. U.S. Solicitor General Paul Clement said even liberal justices are joining with conservatives to protect corporate antitrust defendants. He spoke at a Philadelphia luncheon sponsored by…

Jul 19, 2007 3:26 PM CDT

Empathy Focus for Obama Justices

Presidential candidate Barack Obama told a Planned Parenthood conference this afternoon that judicial philosophy needs to be weighed more carefully for potential U.S. Supreme Court justices. The former law professor ridiculed the confirmation process for Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., according to a post on First Read at MSNBC.com.…

Jul 18, 2007 8:52 PM CDT

Amicus Reporting Scaled Back

The U.S. Supreme Court has listened to the critics and scaled back a proposed rule that would have required groups filing amicus briefs to reveal whether parties in the case or their lawyers are members. The proposal was aimed at preventing a “double-dipping” situation in which a party belonging to…

Jul 18, 2007 1:24 PM CDT

Ex-SEC Chairs Back Investor Suit

Two former chairmen of the Securities and Exchange Commission want to file a late brief in a U.S. Supreme Court case seeking to hold third parties accountable for corporate accounting fraud. Former SEC chairs William Donaldson and Arthur Levitt are among a group that asked for the extension yesterday, the…

Jul 17, 2007 3:48 PM CDT

D.C. to Appeal Handgun Ruling

Washington, D.C., officials will seek Supreme Court review of a ruling striking down the district’s 30-year handgun ban. Mayor Adrian Fenty announced his decision to seek cert at a news conference yesterday, the Washington Post reports. “The handgun ban has saved many lives and will continue to do so if…

Jul 17, 2007 1:12 PM CDT

High Court Speculation Heats Up

A prominent blogger has made his predictions on possible U.S. Supreme Court nominees under a Democratic president. Supreme Court litigator Tom Goldstein says possible candidates include several appellate-level judges and even Sen. Barack Obama of Ilinois, according to Legal Times. Goldstein, of Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, suggests on…

Jul 17, 2007 12:53 PM CDT

Bill to Override Pay Bias Ruling

The House of Representatives will consider a bill that would override a U.S. Supreme Court decision limiting pay discrimination lawsuits. The Committee on Education and Labor approved the legislation at the end of June and expects to send it to the full House soon, the New York Times reports. The…

Jul 13, 2007 6:56 PM CDT

Irked Judge Upholds Libby Commutation

In what a well-known U.S. Supreme Court blog describes as “a 10-page opinion bristling with actual and implied criticism” of President George W. Bush’s commutation of the 30-month prison term imposed on I. Lewis “Scooter” Libby, the federal judge who sentenced the former top vice presidential aide held today that…

Jul 13, 2007 2:57 AM CDT

A Roberts Grilling Is Bad Sign

Lawyers peppered with a lot of questions from the chief justice in Supreme Court oral arguments face more than a grilling: They also stand an increased chance of losing his vote, if it’s a close case. That’s the conclusion of a study of 25 oral arguments that produced 5-4 decisions,…

Jul 11, 2007 12:40 PM CDT

The Vision Thing Challenges Liberals

The future is bleak for liberals hoping to take back the Supreme Court: They stand little chance of changing the court’s direction in the near- or even medium-term, writes Linda Greenhouse of the New York Times. Even if Democrats win the presidency, any vacancies on the court are likely to…

Jul 9, 2007 4:42 PM CDT

A Long-Time Integration Critic

Justice Clarence Thomas told an interviewer in 1991 that black children don’t necessarily benefit by affirmative action. “We are not beggars or objects of charity,” he said. “We don’t get smarter just because we sit next to white people in class, and we don’t progress just because society is ready…

Jul 9, 2007 4:15 PM CDT

Summer Means Travel for Justices

Several U.S. Supreme Court justices will take to the roads and skies this summer as they attend conferences, teach courses and receive awards. Justices Anthony M. Kennedy, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and John G. Roberts Jr. will be teaching law courses in Europe, while Stephen G. Breyer and Samuel A. Alito…

Jul 9, 2007 1:13 PM CDT

Thomas Has Quiet Influence

Justice Clarence Thomas wrote a little-noticed concurring opinion in last week’s U.S. Supreme Court decision striking down two public-school integration plans. The opinion indicates how Thomas’ views on affirmative action are radically different from the court’s prior black justice, Thurgood Marshall, Tony Mauro writes in an opinion column for USA…

Jul 5, 2007 3:05 PM CDT