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21 Feb 2012 11:24

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Politics: Supreme Court agrees to hear major affirmative action case

  • then Back in 2003, Sandra Day O’Connor wrote the majority opinion in Grutter v. Bollinger, a Supreme Court case that didn’t outlaw affirmative action outright but blocked its use in a points-based system. Colleges could take it into account in a vague way, a decision O’Connor said was meant to last for around 25 years.
  • now This morning, it was announced that the Supreme Court would hear a new affirmative action case, which, depending on how it’s decided could outlaw it outright. The court is more conservative than it was back in 2003, meaning it might go the other way. Note: It’s been nine years since O’Connor wrote that decision. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

18 Feb 2012 12:00

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Politics: U.S. Supreme Court paves way for Citizens United rematch

U.S. Supreme Court Chambers

  • Time for Citizens United: Round 2? Yesterday, the U.S. Supreme Court stayed the Montana Supreme Court’s decision to uphold the state’s longstanding campaign finance laws banning corporate political spending, American Tradition Partnership v. Bullock. The decision came after American Tradition Partnership and two Montana businesses filed an application asking the Court to strike down the Montana Supreme Court’s decision. ATP now has until the end of March to formally request that the Court review the Montana Supreme Court’s decision. If they don’t, the Montana’s decision would stand, but should they file the request, it would pave the way for a full review of the controversial Citizens United decision. (photo courtesy of flickr user kenudigit)  source
Posted by Scott Craft • 0 Comments • Permalink

28 Sep 2011 20:10

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Politics: Obama administration appeals Obamacare to Supreme Court

  • Throughout history, there have been similar challenges to other landmark legislation such as the Social Security Act, the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act, and all of those challenges failed. We believe the challenges to Affordable Care Act … will also ultimately fail and that the Supreme Court will uphold the law.
  • A statement from the Justice Department • Defending Obama’s Affordable Care Act ahead of a Supreme Court decision expected to come next year, after the Obama administration decided to appeal the case — specifically the individual mandate, which is the bill’s most controversial part. Expect the decision in this case in the middle of 2012, just as Obama takes on … uh … let’s say Herman Cain … for the presidency. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

26 Sep 2011 21:33

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Politics: Obamacare likely headed to the Supreme Court pretty soon

  • what The Obama administration has decided not to ask an appeals court to re-hear arguments over his lightning rod of a health-care bill.
  • why The president probably plans on taking it to the Supreme Court. Just in time for the 2012 election, guys! This should be fun. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

20 Jun 2011 10:33

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Biz, U.S.: Supreme Court: Walmart’s massive sex bias lawsuit won’t go forward

  • 9-0 Walmart won’t face a massive class-action lawsuit source
  • » So, what’s next? Well, the 1.3 million women who claimed a role in the discrimination lawsuit can pursue their claims individually, but that probably won’t happen. The stakes are also lower as the scope has been lowered. Walmart also faces less pressure to settle such cases. The decision reverses a Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals case that favored the employees in the class-action lawsuit, and would’ve been a huge deal had it been decided the other way.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

26 May 2011 11:18

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U.S.: Supreme Court sides with Arizona on immigrant worker law

  • 5-3 states can take away business licenses, the SCOTUS says source
  • » Obama and the Chamber of Commerce, together at last: In a decision in a case that put two longtime adversaries on the same side of a losing battle, the Supreme Court backed an Arizona immigration law that encourages employers to verify their workers — or they could lose their business license if they knowingly hire undocumented immigrants. We don’t know if we agree with the Supreme Court’s decision on this case — especially because it could lead to a number of copycat laws as a result of this. (By the way, in case you were wondering: Justice Elena Kagan didn’t vote in the case, as it came up while she was still Solicitor General.)
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

24 May 2011 10:46

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U.S.: The logistics of Supreme Court’s California prison overcrowding case

  • The gates of California prisons aren’t going to be opened, and 30,000 prisoners aren’t going to walk out tomorrow. The court ordered a very slow, conscientious process that gives state prison and law enforcement officials compete discretion on how to accomplish it.
  • Prison Law Office attorney Don Spector • Pointing out that the process of releasing 30,000 prisoners in California might be a bit … complicated. There are some ideas, though, including having short-term non-violent offenders serve at the county level rather than the state level, which might ease the prison system’s burden. Gov. Jerry Brown signed that plan in April. Unfortunately, that plan hasn’t received funding from the state due to disagreements with the legislature on the issue. Other options: Finding a different way to fund the state-to-county thing, coming up with a new plan — or shipping off prisoners to other states. The state has shipped around 10,000 California to nearby states like Arizona, Oklahoma or Mississippi (wait, that’s not nearby!), and they might increase the number, based on the Supreme Court’s decision. Either way, this is a logistics nightmare. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

02 Mar 2011 10:31

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U.S.: Free speech wins: Supreme Court favors Westboro in funeral case

  • 8-1 the vote in favor of Westboro’s free speech rights source
  • » Sad, not surprising, but understandable: The fact of the matter is, while we would’ve loved to see Westboro blocked from picketing funerals as a political message, the First Amendment is pretty set in stone and, as much as we dislike the ramifications of this decision, it certainly was the right one. (By the way, the lone dissenter? Samuel Alito.)
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

04 Feb 2011 20:44

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Politics: Virginia Thomas: From judge’s wife to activist to lobbyist

Yes, Virginia, she is a lobbyist. The wife of Clarence Thomas, who recently left a gig as leader of a Tea Party-leaning group, is now wining and dining GOP legislators. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

24 Jan 2011 23:15

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Politics: Antonin Scalia speaks to Congress, world stays relatively normal

  • event Tea Party Caucus leader and all-around accurate human being Michele Bachmann invited Antonin Scalia to speak to Congress about the Constitution. Some cried “conflict of interest.”
  • result Roughly 30-35 legislators showed up, four of them reportedly Democrats. (!!!) “I told them to pay attention to the Constitution,” Justice Scalia said. See, he did what he was asked! source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
 
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