Oral Arguments in the Firefighter Promotion Case
The Supreme Court hears arguments on whether a Connecticut fire
department must promote personnel who outscored minorities on a
promotion exam. Fearing a lawsuit, the department promoted no
one. All Things Considered,
April 22, 2009.
Court to Hear Race, Examination, and Promotion Case in the On-going Affirmative
Action Tangle
The Supreme Court on Wednesday evaluates a case involving race, testing and job
promotions. A case from the New Haven Fire Department poses the questions: Just
what is a job-related test? How should a city evaluate applicants for leadership
positions? If a city thinks a test that was used will result in a lawsuit, does
it have the right to abort the promotions and order a new test?
Morning Edition, April
22, 2009.
The
End of the 2008 Term Brings Significant Civil Rights Cases Before the Court
The U.S. Supreme Court will hear several cases in the coming weeks that could
re-define government policies on race and civil rights. Harvard Law Professor
Charles Ogletree explains the cases and gives his take on how the high court
might rule. Tell Me More,
April 21, 2009.
Oral
Arguments In Strip Search Case
The Supreme Court hears arguments on whether a school violated the
constitutional rights of a 13-year-old girl when officials strip-searched her,
looking for prescription-strength ibuprofen. They were acting on a tip from a
classmate. All Things Considered,
April 21, 2009.
Court
to Hear School Strip Search Case
The U.S. Supreme Court hears arguments Tuesday on whether school administrators
may strip-search a student based on mere suspicion that the student may possess
drugs. Morning Edition,
April 21, 2009.
Court
Ponders English-Language Teaching Case
The Supreme Court heard arguments Monday on whether Arizona is providing enough
English-language learning under federal law. The case could limit a federal
court's power to tell states to spend more money on English learners.
All Things Considered,
April 20, 2009.
Oral
Arguments in Hillary: The Movie
The Supreme Court heard arguments Tuesday in a case that could negate much
of the McCain-Feingold campaign finance law. The producers of a documentary
about Hillary Clinton argued their constitutional rights would be violated if
they had to follow the law's rules that apply to campaign ads.
All Things Considered,
March 24, 2009.
Hillary: The Movie is Reviewed by the Court
Hillary: The Movie, a slashing critique of then-Sen.
Hillary Clinton, is taking center stage Tuesday at the U.S.
Supreme Court, where the film's producers are using it to
challenge the McCain-Feingold campaign finance law.
Morning Edition,
March 24, 2009.
High
Court Rejects Death Penalty Case
The Supreme Court declined to review a death penalty case Monday, but two
justices took the unusual step of saying they wanted to hear it and one issued a
statement on why. Another justice responded with his views on the death penalty.
All Things Considered,
March 9, 2009.
More on Decision Against Regulatory Preemption
The Supreme Court has ruled that people injured by drugs may
file lawsuits against the manufacturers in state courts, even
when the drugs involved had been approved by the Food and Drug
Administration. The ruling came in the case of a guitarist who
lost an arm because of a botched anti-nausea injection. She was
awarded nearly $7 million in damages by a Vermont jury.
Morning Edition,
March 5, 2009.
Supremes Hold Fed Approval Does Not Shield Drug Companies from Suit
The Supreme Court ruled Wednesday people injured by drugs can file lawsuits
against the manufacturers in state courts, even when the drugs involved had been
approved by the Food and Drug Administration. The ruling came in the case of a
guitarist who lost an arm because of a botched anti-nausea injection.
All Things Considered,
March 4, 2009.
Oral
Arguments in the Judicial Recusal Case
The Supreme Court heard arguments Tuesday in a West Virginia case in
which a state supreme court justice participated in a lawsuit involving one of
his major campaign contributors. The Supreme Court will consider whether judges
must recuse themselves from cases in which they might be seen to have a bias,
even when they have no personal stake in the outcome.
All Things Considered,
March 3, 2009.
Supremes Ponder Campaign Contributions and Judicial Recusal
The Supreme Court hears arguments Tuesday in the case of a West Virginia
state supreme court justice who participated in a lawsuit involving a major
campaign contributor. The party, which eventually lost, is appealing, on the
ground that the justice should have recused himself. The U.S. Supreme Court will
consider whether judges must recuse themselves when they might be seen to have a
bias, even when they don't have a personal stake in the outcome of the case.
Morning Edition, March 3,
2009.
Oral
Arguments in DNA Case
The Supreme Court heard arguments Monday on whether convicts must always
have the right to test DNA evidence left from their cases using newer scientific
methods. The case pits the interest of people who say they were wrongly
convicted against the interests of governments to keep costs down and achieve
finality in prosecutions. All Things Considered,
March 2, 2009.
Prisoner's Rights to Access to DNA Evidence
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday takes up
a question central to the criminal justice system: When new methods of DNA
analysis could exonerate a person imprisoned for a crime, does that individual
have a constitutional right to access the physical evidence for testing?
Morning Edition, March 2,
2009.
Court
Limits Public Forum in Religious Symbols Case
The Supreme Court has ruled against a group that wants to erect a
monument to its principles of living. The group argued it has the right to
display the Seven Aphorisms in a public park in Utah because the city displays a
Ten Commandments monument there. All Things
Considered, February 25, 2009.
Supremes Hear Illegal Aliens and Identity Theft
The Supreme Court will hear arguments Wednesday in a case
testing a policy pioneered by the Bush administration to
leverage plea bargains from illegal immigrants. At issue is a
2004 federal law that imposes a mandatory two-year prison term
for identity theft.
Morning
Edition, February 25, 2009.
Court
Upholds Federal Law Banning Gun Ownership by those Convicted of Domestic
Violence
The Supreme Court upheld Tuesday the spirit of a federal law, making it harder
for a domestic violence offender to possess a gun. The question was whether the
gun ban imposed on such offenders applied when the state law they were convicted
under did not only apply in domestic violence cases.
All Things Considered, February 24, 2009.
Court
Extends Protection Against Retaliation in Sexual Harassment Case
The Supreme Court has ruled that some employees who are not filing their own
complaints about sexual harassment are protected under the law in the same way
as people who are making that claim. In this case, a Tennessee woman says she
was dismissed by a public school system after she cooperated with the
investigation of a claim being made by another employee. The unanimous ruling
gives the fired woman the right to file a civil rights lawsuit. All
Things Considered, 26 January 2009.
Court
Limits Exclusionary Rule
The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that if a police search of a car during a
traffic stop is done with the belief a warrant has been issued, the illegal
materials found can be used in court. The court upheld the conviction of an
Alabama man on federal drug and gun charges. All Things
Considered, January 14, 2009.
Oral
Arguments in Capital Murder Case
A decorated Vietnam War veteran who committed a horrific crime was back at the
Supreme Court for a third time on Tuesday. Twice before, the justices have
rejected his legal arguments, but armed with new evidence of prosecutorial
misconduct, defendant Gary Cone looked like he might win a new examination of
his trial. All Things Considered,
December 9, 2008.
Suppression of Evidence in Capital Murder Case
The Supreme Court hears arguments Tuesday in the case of a man convicted
of murder in Tennessee. He wants to reopen the conviction or at least the
sentence of death, because prosecutors allegedly hid evidence that supported his
defense. State courts have said he doesn't have the right to present those
arguments. Morning Edition,
December 9, 2008.
Enemy
Combatant Case Docketed
The Supreme Court has agreed to hear a case early next year testing the
power of the president to hold a person indefinitely in military custody. The
case concerns Ali al-Marri, a Qatari citizen who was arrested seven years ago in
Illinois and who remains in detention in South Carolina.
All Things Considered,
December 5, 2008.
Court Hears Utilities Case
Utilities want the Supreme Court to reinstate a Bush
administration regulation that was overturned by lower courts.
The regulation allowed utilities to consider the cost of the
cleanest technology and not install it if fails a cost-benefit
analysis. All Things Considered,
December 2, 2008.
Power Plant Pollution and the Clean Water Act
The U.S. Supreme Court hears an important environmental case
Tuesday, testing whether utilities must use the best technology
available to minimize harm to the nation's waterways. At issue
is the physical impact on fish and the financial impact on
companies. Morning Edition,
December 2, 2008.