The Democrat-controlled Senate Judiciary Committee voted—after three previous postponements—to subpoena two private citizens connected to conservative Supreme Court justices, as part of probe of gifts and personal hospitality provided to members of the nation’s highest court. The roll call vote of 11–10 went along party lines and came at the conclusion of a rancorous two-hour […]

A Supreme Court ruling late on Nov. 27 means that two senior Republican lawmakers in Arizona will have to testify about why they support state laws that require people to present proof of U.S. citizenship in order to vote in federal elections. The lawmakers have argued, so far unsuccessfully, that they enjoy a recognized privilege […]

The Supreme Court weighed on Nov. 27 how sentences under a federal three-strikes gun law should be imposed on defendants previously convicted of violent felonies or major drug offenses. Federal law prohibits convicted felons from possessing firearms. The often-litigated Armed Career Criminal Act (ACCA) was enacted in 1984 in response to concerns that a small […]

The Supreme Court may soon consider whether honking a car horn is a constitutionally protected form of free speech. Although Americans have long sounded the horns of their vehicles to express themselves politically, many states, including California, forbid honking the horn on one’s automobile except to warn of a safety hazard. Officials say hitting the […]

The Supreme Court refused to take up the appeal of Derek Chauvin, the former Minneapolis police officer convicted of second-degree murder in the death of George Floyd. The Court did not explain why it declined to grant the petition for certiorari, or review, in the case. No justices dissented from the unsigned order issued on […]

The Supreme Court has scheduled several high-profile cases for oral argument in January 2024, including an important challenge to the power of the so-called administrative state. Conservative and Republican critics have long derided the administrative state as an unelected fourth branch of government that allows bureaucrats to make regulations that exceed the wishes of Congress. […]

The Supreme Court turned away Florida’s request to reinstate its law regulating drag shows, which has been blocked by the lower courts. The new order came at the end of the business day on Nov. 16. Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, and Neil Gorsuch dissented, indicating they would have lifted the lower court’s stay. They […]

The Democrat-controlled Senate Judiciary Committee canceled for the third time a scheduled vote on issuing subpoenas against two private citizens connected to conservative Supreme Court justices. The scuttling of the committee’s business meeting on Nov. 16 came after the Supreme Court unexpectedly unveiled a code of conduct (pdf) for the nine justices on Nov. 13. […]

The Biden administration told the Supreme Court on Nov. 7 that a lower court ruling invalidating a federal law that bars people under domestic violence-related restraining orders from possessing firearms should be overturned. The case of United States v. Rahimi (court file 22-915) concerns a February ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the […]

A divided federal appeals court has denied pro-life campaigner Lauren Handy’s appeal of a lower court’s finding that her actions at a Washington abortion clinic protest constituted a “crime of violence.” Ms. Handy and her co-defendants—who are facing up to 11 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to […]

Former Trump White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, who is facing election interference charges in Georgia, told a federal appeals court on Nov. 3 that its recent ruling defining what constitutes a federal officer bolsters his appeal. Georgia prosecutors took the opposite tack, saying in a filing that the ruling helps their side. Mr. […]

The Supreme Court was skeptical of a progressive activist’s argument that he should be allowed to trademark a belittling phrase targeting former President Donald Trump for use on T-shirts. The justices heard oral arguments on Nov. 1 in Vidal v. Elster (court file 22-704). President Trump is not a party to the appeal. The case […]

The Supreme Court has decided not to hear the appeal of a former Michigan college student who sued police officers for beating him after mistaking him for a criminal suspect. The decision to deny the petition for certiorari, or review, in the qualified immunity case of King v. Brownback (court file 22-912) came in an […]

A federal judge ordered the Georgia legislature on Oct. 26 to create a total of eight new black-majority electoral districts for 2024 congressional and state elections by Dec. 8. The courts are now dealing with a torrent of litigation spurred by the Supreme Court’s 5–4 decision in June in Allen v. Milligan. In that case, […]

The Supreme Court has refused to reinstate a novel Missouri law that won’t allow local police to work with the federal government to enforce gun laws. The court’s unsigned order in Missouri v. United States (court file 23A296) was issued late in the business day on Oct. 20. This is not the final word on […]

The Supreme Court refused to be drawn back into a dispute over a Louisiana congressional map that could force the creation of an electoral district that enhances the voting power of blacks in the state. The court’s unsigned order in two related cases, Robinson v. Ardoin (court file 23A281) and Galmon v. Ardoin (court file […]

The Supreme Court has again reinstated on an emergency basis the Biden administration’s rule regulating so-called ghost guns that can be assembled at home. The ruling is not the final word on the issue. The case continues in the lower courts. It could also return to the Supreme Court in the future. “Ghost gun” is […]

The Supreme Court will hear a case about a Texas grandmother and former city council member who was arrested after criticizing a city manager. The case deals with qualified immunity, a rule invented by the courts that shields government officials from individual liability unless the wrongdoer violated a clearly established right. The case may have […]

Republican state lawmakers told the Supreme Court on Oct. 11 that the justices should overturn a ruling that the South Carolina legislature racially gerrymandered a congressional district because lawmakers used political, not racial, data to justify the redrawn map. The Supreme Court frowns on racial gerrymanders as constitutionally suspect but has adopted a hands-off attitude […]

The Supreme Court on Oct. 6 stayed a lower court order blocking the Biden administration’s rule regulating so-called ghost guns that can be assembled at home, allowing the policy to remain in force until Oct. 16. The new order from Justice Samuel Alito came late in the day on Oct. 6 in an emergency application […]

A federal court approved a new congressional map for Alabama in time for the 2024 congressional elections, a move that is expected to boost Democrats’ electoral chances in the heavily Republican state. The decision by a three-judge panel of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama came on Oct. 5, after the […]

Some in the financial services industry are nervous about how the Supreme Court will rule in a payday lending industry challenge to the constitutionality of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) that is being heard this week. A ruling against the powerful regulator in CFPB v. Community Financial Services Association of America (CSFA) (court file […]

Federal agencies accused of pressuring social media companies to remove users’ content will remain free to contact those companies for the time being because the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit has temporarily stayed a judge’s order forbidding them from making contact. The heavily litigated case remains pending before the 5th Circuit. At […]

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul criticized Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas after the court agreed to consider next week if it will hear an emergency challenge to the state’s concealed carry gun law that went into effect a year ago. New York is one of several blue states that critics say is openly defying the […]

A federal appeals court has denied pro-life campaigner Lauren Handy’s emergency motion to be released from custody pending her appeal. Lawyers for Ms. Handy, who was jailed over a Washington abortion clinic protest, previously filed an emergency appeal seeking her release, arguing that the trial judge was wrong to rule that the disruptive political protest […]

Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan expressed optimism during a public appearance at a top law school on Sept. 22 that the court will adopt a code of conduct for the nine justices. At the same time, the liberal justice slammed the court’s recent decision striking down President Joe Biden’s student loan forgiveness program and an […]

Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito extended to Sept. 27 a temporary stay blocking a lower court ruling that restricted federal agencies from contacting social media firms with requests to remove content, giving the justices more time to reflect on how to handle the case. The new order in the case, Murthy v. Missouri (court file […]

Former Trump White House chief of staff Mark Meadows urged a federal appeals court on Sept. 18 to overturn a federal district judge’s decision to send the election interference prosecution back to a Georgia court. The new filing with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit took place after that court canceled expedited […]

A federal appeals court abruptly canceled expedited oral arguments set for Sept. 15 in an emergency motion by former Trump aide Mark Meadows aimed at staying a federal judge’s decision to remand a racketeering prosecution to a Georgia court. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit nixed the hearing in a Sept. 14 […]

A federal judge denied Mark Meadows’s motion to temporarily stay an order remanding a racketeering prosecution to state court while the former Trump White House chief of staff appeals it to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit. The new ruling, which is a tactical victory for Fulton County, Georgia, District Attorney Fani […]

Former Trump White House chief of staff Mark Meadows asked a federal judge to temporarily stay an order remanding a Georgia racketeering prosecution back to state court while he appeals it to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit. Attorneys for the former Trump aide are concerned that because state prosecutors are hoping […]

A federal judge rejected former Trump White House chief of staff Mark Meadows’s motion to hear state racketeering charges from Georgia in federal court. The ruling is a victory for Fulton County, Georgia, District Attorney Fani Willis, a Democrat, who initiated the racketeering prosecution. Judge Steve C. Jones of the Northern District of Georgia ruled […]

Lawyers for a pro-life campaigner jailed over a Washington abortion clinic protest filed an emergency appeal seeking her release, arguing that the trial judge was wrong to rule the disruptive activity was a “crime of violence.” Lauren Handy, who was convicted by a jury on Aug. 29 of conspiring to obstruct access to an abortion […]

WASHINGTON—A federal jury in Washington has convicted former Trump aide Peter Navarro of two misdemeanor counts of contempt of Congress for refusing to comply with a congressional subpoena. The jury verdict in federal court came late in the afternoon of Sept. 7 after a few hours of deliberation. The trial began with jury selection on […]

As his trial on congressional contempt charges was underway on Sept. 5 in Washington, former Trump aide Peter Navarro said the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) doesn’t want to offer him a plea bargain. “Let’s let the process play out here,” Mr. Navarro told The Epoch Times in a brief, exclusive interview outside the courtroom. […]

A federal court on Sept. 5 struck down the Alabama Legislature’s congressional map that was drawn in July, finding that state lawmakers failed to follow an earlier court order requiring that they adhere to the federal Voting Rights Act. The court ordered that a special master and a cartographer would have to prepare a new, […]

A federal judge threw out the city of Seattle’s motion to dismiss a lawsuit a white former city employee filed over mandatory cultural sensitivity programs he claims constitute anti-white racial indoctrination. The backlash against cultural sensitivity training sessions in both government and corporate settings has been growing in recent years. These sessions are often based […]

President Donald Trump has good defenses available to him but that doesn’t mean he will be treated fairly by the federal judge in Washington conducting his election interference trial, legal experts told The Epoch Times. Judge Tanya Chutkan, who was appointed to the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia in 2014 by President […]

A federal judge denied pro-life campaigner Lauren Handy’s motion to be released from jail pending her sentencing hearing, saying the protest action at an abortion clinic for which she was convicted was a “crime of violence.” Ms. Handy, who was convicted by a jury on Aug. 29 of conspiring to obstruct access to an abortion […]

Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas filed a disclosure form on Aug. 31 detailing previously undisclosed gifts from his friend, GOP donor and billionaire Harlan Crow, as Democrats in Congress continue to criticize alleged ethical shortcomings at the nation’s highest court. The nine-page form (pdf), which was filed with the Committee on Financial Disclosure of the […]

Pro-life activist Lauren Handy, who was convicted this week of conspiring to obstruct access to an abortion clinic in Washington, will appeal her conviction and is asking the court to release her from pre-sentencing detention, her lawyers say. The government has until 10 a.m. on Aug. 31 to file its response to the request. Ms. Handy […]

The federal judge hearing former Trump aide Mark Meadows’s motion to have Georgia racketeering charges related to the 2020 presidential election heard in federal court has ordered attorneys in the case to provide an additional briefing on the state’s racketeering law. The new order was issued Aug. 29 by federal Judge Steve C. Jones of […]

ATLANTA—Former Trump White House chief of staff Mark Meadows told federal court in Atlanta that because his involvement in the disputed presidential election in Georgia was related to his job as a White House official his case should be tried in federal court. The Aug. 28 hearing is being closely watched because this is the […]

The Supreme Court put on hold a proposed bankruptcy plan for beleaguered opioid manufacturer Purdue Pharma, which is accused of playing a major role in fueling the ongoing opioid crisis. Although the Aug. 10 ruling does not finalize the case, it is a tactical victory for the Biden administration, which urged the court to take […]

The Supreme Court voted 5–4 midday on Aug. 8 to allow the Biden administration’s rule regulating so-called ghost guns that can be assembled at home to remain in force while the case remains pending before a federal appeals court. The government’s rule goes back to April 2022. It requires individuals who assemble homemade firearms to […]

Former President Donald Trump’s legal team urged the court hearing the 2020 election case against him to reject prosecutors’ request that a gag order be imposed on him to limit what evidence he can share and talk about with the public as the case proceeds. Special counsel Jack Smith, who was appointed by U.S. Attorney […]

Florida-based federal Judge Aileen Cannon asked the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to justify its continuing use of a Washington grand jury in hopes of laying additional charges in the case about former President Donald Trump’s handling of classified government records at his Florida home. Using the work of a grand jury in one jurisdiction […]

Two doctors are suing the Medical Board of California over the state’s law that forces physicians and those who teach them to accept radical political and racial indoctrination in order to continue practicing medicine. AB 241, signed in October 2019 by California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat who supports DEI—diversity, equity, and inclusion—initiatives, requires all […]

A Supreme Court ruling temporarily upholding the Biden administration’s rule regulating so-called ghost guns that can be assembled at home will remain in effect until at least Aug. 8. That’s because on Aug. 4 Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito unexpectedly extended his ongoing stay of a federal judge’s ruling blocking the government’s rule on homemade […]

The Supreme Court is unlikely to “intercede” in former President Donald Trump’s various criminal cases—as he said on Aug. 4 the court “must” do—at least not until the cases have moved past the initial stages, legal experts told The Epoch Times. The Supreme Court might act at some point but not by itself on its […]

A federal court has temporarily blocked a new Illinois law that takes aim at maternal health care centers for expressing their pro-life message. The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois granted a preliminary injunction late on Aug. 3, halting enforcement of SB1909, the Illinois Consumer Fraud and Deceptive Businesses Practices Act. The […]

Second Amendment advocates are urging the Supreme Court to let stand a federal judge’s ruling blocking the Biden administration’s rule regulating so-called ghost guns. “Ghost gun” is a pejorative term used by gun control advocates to describe a homemade firearm that lacks a serial number and therefore cannot be tracked by law enforcement. Gun control […]

Answering Democrat critics who want to legislatively impose a code of conduct on the Supreme Court, Justice Samuel Alito said Congress has no constitutional authority to regulate the court. “Congress did not create the Supreme Court”—the Constitution did, Justice Alito told The Wall Street Journal in an interview published July 28. “I know this is […]

The Biden administration urged the Supreme Court late on July 27 to suspend a Department of Justice rule regulating so-called ghost guns that a federal judge in Texas struck down earlier this month. “Ghost gun” is a pejorative term used by gun control advocates to describe a homemade firearm that lacks a serial number and […]

The former Minneapolis police officer convicted of second-degree murder in the death of George Floyd will ask the U.S. Supreme Court to review his conviction after the Minnesota Supreme Court refused to hear his appeal. The U.S. Supreme Court is asked to look at thousands of cases each year, out of which it agrees to […]

The Democrat-controlled Senate Judiciary Committee narrowly approved a Democrat-backed Supreme Court ethics reform bill on July 20 on a party line 11–10 vote. Republicans oppose the legislation, which they say is unconstitutional. They have suggested that Democrats—many of whom want to pack the Supreme Court with liberal justices—only want to move against the Court because […]

Republicans will vigorously fight a Democrat-backed bill that would regulate the Supreme Court when the Senate Judiciary Committee votes on the measure on July 20. “Tomorrow will be one hell of a fight,” Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said at a late afternoon press conference in the U.S. Capitol on July 19. “The effort by the […]

Two conservative Supreme Court justices warned New York officials that if they try again to ration health care based on the patient’s race—as they did with COVID-19 treatments in 2021—they will vote to take a case challenging the policy on an emergency basis. The comments came in a statement Justice Samuel Alito filed when the […]

The Supreme Court ruled on June 30 in favor of Christian bakers who said Oregon’s law requiring them to make cakes to celebrate same-sex weddings infringed on their constitutional rights. The decision came hours after the nation’s highest court issued a landmark 6–3 ruling in favor of Christian website designer Lorie Smith of 303 Creative who […]

The Supreme Court unanimously ruled on June 29 that a trademark law does not regulate the use of U.S. trademarks outside the United States. At the same time, the justices split 5–4 on whether the holder of an infringed trademark could still seek damages domestically for the trademark infringement that took place abroad if it […]

News Analysis The Supreme Court’s six-member conservative-leaning majority flexed its muscles in its recent term that wrapped up on June 30. It adopted a conservative or pro-limited government position in a series of closely watched rulings dealing with affirmative action, student loan relief, religious freedom, immigration, and property rights. The term came after last year’s […]

Over the objections of two conservative justices, the Supreme Court decided last week not to take up a case about whether individuals suffering from gender dysphoria are protected by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). The June 30 decision to deny the petition for certiorari, or review, in Kincaid v. Williams (court file 22-633), is […]

The Supreme Court ruled 6–3 in favor of a Christian website designer who said Colorado’s law requiring her to create websites to celebrate same-sex weddings infringed on her constitutional rights. Justice Neil Gorsuch wrote the majority opinion (pdf) in 303 Creative LLC v. Elenis (court file 21-476) which was decided June 30. The opinion was joined […]

The Supreme Court voted 6–3 on June 30 to strike down President Joe Biden’s controversial plan to partially forgive student loans. The six conservative justices voted to invalidate the program in the closely watched case, while the three liberal justices voted to uphold it. Biden unveiled the plan in August 2022 in a move critics […]

The Supreme Court unanimously ruled on June 29 that a lower court applied the wrong standard in a case about whether the U.S. Postal Service violated the constitutional rights of an evangelical Christian mail carrier when the agency refused to accommodate his wish not to work on the Sunday Sabbath. Supporters say the decision means […]

The Supreme Court struck down on June 29 the use of racially discriminatory admissions policies at U.S. colleges. The 6–3 decision ends the use of so-called affirmative action in higher education, a longtime goal of conservatives. The ruling will be felt immediately as a million high school students begin applying for fall acceptance at the […]

The Supreme Court threw out on June 27 by a 7–2 vote a Colorado man’s conviction for making threats online against an entertainer because his intent in trying to communicate with her was never considered. The case raised an important First Amendment issue in an age when so much communication takes place online using text, […]

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6–3 against North Carolina Republicans who argued that state legislatures have sweeping authority to make the rules for federal elections in the states without interference from the courts. At issue is the once-obscure independent state legislature doctrine, under which Republicans argue that the Constitution has always directly authorized state legislatures […]

The Supreme Court is poised this week to issue a series of rulings covering the hot-button issues of affirmative action, student loan forgiveness, the intersection of religious freedom with free speech and employment law, and how much power state legislatures should have in the congressional redistricting process. It was this month last year that the […]

The U.S. Supreme Court on June 26 dismissed an appeal over a long-running dispute between former president Donald Trump and congressional Democrats over the former Trump International Hotel in the nation’s capital. The dispute focused on documents related to the lease of the government property in downtown Washington that housed the hotel. Democrats claimed Trump […]

The Supreme Court ruled 8–1 on June 23 that Texas and Louisiana may not challenge the Biden administration’s 2021 decision to focus its deportation efforts on individuals deemed to be a threat to public safety. The new, complex decision allows the government’s selective immigration enforcement policy, which had been blocked by a lower court, to […]

The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 on June 22 that obstruction of justice is a serious enough crime to justify the deportation of lawful permanent residents—also known as green card holders—who have been convicted of it. The somewhat technical new decision is expected to make it easier for the federal government to deport certain lawful U.S. […]

The Supreme Court ruled 5-4 on June 22 that the federal government has no obligation to help the Navajo Nation gain access to water, finding that a 19th-century treaty with the government imposes no such duty. Oral arguments in the case, which took place on March 20, centered on the Navajo Nation’s desire to draw […]

The Supreme Court upheld by 7–2 a racially discriminatory adoption law aimed at preventing non-Indian families from adopting Native American children. Conservative Justices Clarence Thomas and Samuel Alito dissented from the new ruling in Haaland v. Brackeen (court file 21-376) which was consolidated with three other related cases. U.S. Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland is […]

Congress must impose a code of conduct on the Supreme Court that requires justices to recuse themselves when there is a financial connection between the justice or the justice’s family and someone having business before the court, a Democrat-controlled congressional oversight committee heard on June 14. If the Supreme Court won’t act, Congress will, Sen. […]

The Supreme Court decided on June 12 not to hear the claim of a Christian school in Colorado that it cannot be sued for firing a teacher who accused the school, parents, and students of racism. The school argued that because it is a religious institution it is beyond the reach of the First Amendment to the […]

A friend of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas says a highly publicized media report that accused the justice of violating ethical norms contained “old news” and failed to disclose that Thomas was cleared of accusations of wrongdoing “more than a decade ago.” Left-wing criticism of Thomas and the Supreme Court as an institution has escalated […]

The Supreme Court limited the reach of the federal Identity Theft Penalty Enhancement Act, unanimously rebuffing the Biden administration’s efforts to prosecute a man already convicted of Medicaid fraud with a separate charge of aggravated identity theft arising out of the same fraud case. The 9–0 opinion (pdf) in Dubin v. United States (court file 22-10) […]

The Supreme Court voted 5–4 on June 8 to strike down Alabama’s electoral map for congressional elections, ruling that it was racially discriminatory. The court narrowly found that the map drafted by Alabama Republicans violated the provisions of the federal Voting Rights Act (VRA) which requires that states not racially gerrymander districts. Most members of the […]

The Supreme Court decided June 5 to consider whether a progressive activist can trademark a belittling phrase targeting former President Donald Trump for use on T-shirts. The ruling puts the administration of President Joe Biden, a Democrat, in the unusual position of defending the interests of Trump, who is again seeking the Republican Party’s presidential […]

In an 8-1 ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court on June 1 decided that a union’s deliberate destruction of company property as a pressure tactic in a labor dispute is not protected by federal law. Labor activists have said that endangering and destroying company property during a dispute is fair game that has long been protected […]

The Supreme Court voted to rein in the power of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to regulate wetlands in a ruling issued on May 25, the latest in a series of rulings curbing federal regulatory authority. The nation’s High Court ruled in favor of an Idaho couple who have been battling federal officials for […]

The Supreme Court is working on addressing concerns about justices’ ethics, Chief Justice John Roberts told a gathering of lawyers in the nation’s capital on May 23 in a 15-minute speech that was short on specifics. Roberts’s comments came at a dinner at the National Building Museum that was hosted by the American Law Institute. […]

The Supreme Court has ruled unanimously in a delinquent taxpayer case that it is lawful for the IRS to secretly summons the bank records of third parties. In other words, the nation’s highest court recognized that the Internal Revenue Service is not required to notify third parties who are not under investigation when seeking a […]

The Supreme Court unanimously sided with Twitter, Google, and Facebook, finding in a pair of decisions on May 18 that the Silicon Valley giants are shielded from liability for content posted by users. The lawsuits arose after Islamic terrorist attacks claimed victims’ lives overseas. Their families argued that the Big Tech companies were liable because […]

The Supreme Court will consider whether the South Carolina legislature racially gerrymandered the congressional seat currently held by Rep. Nancy Mace, a Republican. The case will be closely watched, given the Republicans’ thin current majority in the U.S. House of Representatives. Mace was elected to her second term in 2022 with 56.4 percent of the […]

The Supreme Court decided on May 15 to take up a long-running dispute between former President Donald Trump and congressional Democrats over the former Trump International Hotel in the nation’s capital. The case goes back to 2017, when Trump had just become president, and Republicans controlled both houses of Congress. At that time, several Democrats […]

The Biden administration asked the U.S. Supreme Court to dismiss a high-profile case in which Republicans want the court to recognize state legislatures’ power to regulate federal elections without interference from state courts, which they say the U.S. Constitution requires. At issue is the once-obscure independent state legislature doctrine, under which Republicans argue that the […]

The Supreme Court unanimously ruled May 11 in favor of a transgender illegal alien from Guatemala seeking asylum who claims he would face persecution if forced to return to his home country. The ruling, a defeat for the Biden administration, is expected to make it easier for those challenging deportation to make their case. The […]

The Supreme Court narrowly upheld a voter-approved animal welfare law in California on May 11 that bans the sale of pork from hogs unless the animals were raised in a space that exceeds industry norms. The court split 5–4 in its ruling, which affirmed a decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit. […]

The U.S. Supreme Court is moving closer to deciding if it will issue an opinion in a high-profile case in which Republicans want the court to recognize state legislatures’ power to regulate federal elections without interference from state courts, which they say the U.S. Constitution requires. Many legal observers had speculated that the case was […]

Democrats told a tense oversight hearing that the Supreme Court must adopt a code of conduct governing justices’ behavior or Congress will impose one on them, while Republicans pushed back, saying Democrats have manufactured a phony ethics crisis to justify cracking down on the conservative-led court. Discussion at the May 2 hearing largely centered on […]

The Supreme Court decided on May 1 to consider rolling back a bureaucracy-empowering legal doctrine when it determined it will hear a case challenging a U.S. Commerce Department rule on fisheries inspectors. The court’s ultimate ruling could alter the current balance of power between Congress, executive agencies, and the nation’s judiciary by tearing away at […]

The Supreme Court seemed receptive April 18 to the arguments of an evangelical Christian mail carrier who quit the U.S. Postal Service after it refused to accommodate his wish not to work on the Sunday Sabbath. Over the opposition of the Biden administration, the court agreed in January to take up the civil rights lawsuit […]

A Supreme Court ruling on April 14 made it easier to challenge the reach of two powerful federal agencies—the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). In its new red tape-cutting decision that is a defeat for the Biden administration, the Supreme Court took steps to rein in the […]

After a news report highlighted luxurious vacations Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas allegedly accepted from a wealthy friend, Thomas said he was advised he didn’t have to report the trips. In a new statement, Thomas denied any wrongdoing and vowed to follow new reporting requirements imposed on the federal judiciary. Thomas’s critics in Congress promptly […]

The Biden administration formally asked the Supreme Court to review an appeals court ruling that invalidated a federal law that bars people under domestic violence-related restraining orders from possessing firearms. U.S. Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar filed the new petition (pdf) in United States v. Rahimi, court file 22-915, which was docketed by the Supreme Court […]

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) is asking the Supreme Court to overturn an appeals court ruling that struck down a federal law preventing people under domestic violence-related restraining orders from having guns. The Biden administration asked in its new petition (pdf) for the high court to hear the case on a “highly expedited schedule” […]

A good-government group is suing the District of Columbia to block its new law allowing immigrants—legal or otherwise—from voting in local elections. The law, which took effect on March 14 after Congress failed to overturn it, authorizes an estimated 50,000 noncitizen residents, including illegal aliens, to participate in local district elections. Critics say allowing noncitizens […]

During oral arguments on Feb. 28, conservative members of the Supreme Court seemed skeptical of Biden administration statements that the government’s plan to partially forgive student loans is authorized by federal law. U.S. Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar told the High Court that the federal Higher Education Relief Opportunities for Students Act gives the federal secretary of […]