The U.S. Supreme Court has rejected Florida's bid to enforce a law that would have prohibited children from attending drag shows, keeping in place a lower court ruling as a legal challenge continues. The law was challenged by a restaurant in Orlando known as Hamburger Mary's, arguing that it was unconstitutional and imposed unlawful restrictions on free speech. Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito and Neil Gorsuch said they would have granted Florida's bid, while Justice Brett Kavanaugh and Justice Amy Coney Barrett said the court's decision does not speak to their views on the merits of the case.
Posts tagged as “Neil Gorsuch”
The Supreme Court has granted a temporary pause to the Biden administration's efforts to regulate so-called ghost guns, which are firearm-making kits available online. The regulations require background checks and registration with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and are intended to protect public safety. Opponents of the regulations argue that they infringe on the Second Amendment right to bear arms, and the legal battle over the regulations is likely to continue in the lower courts.
The US Supreme Court has ruled in favor of a Christian website designer who refused to make wedding websites for same-sex couples, sparking debate among legal experts over the implications of the decision. The ruling has been met with criticism from LGBTQ rights groups, who argue that it sets a dangerous precedent and could lead to more discrimination against LGBTQ people. Charlie Craig and David Mullins, the gay couple at the center of a lawsuit against a conservative Christian baker, expressed their disappointment in an opinion piece for USA Today.
The Supreme Court ruled in favor of an evangelical Christian web designer from Colorado, allowing her to refuse to work on same-sex weddings due to her free speech rights under the First Amendment. This ruling could allow other business owners to evade punishment under laws in 29 states that protect LGBTQ rights in public accommodations. The case began in 2012 when Smith refused to design a website for a same-sex couple’s wedding, arguing that the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act violated her First Amendment rights.
The Supreme Court has ruled that the use of affirmative action in college admissions is unconstitutional, with Chief Justice John Roberts writing the majority opinion and Justice Sonia Sotomayor writing a dissenting opinion. This decision is likely to have a significant impact on college admissions, as many institutions have long relied on affirmative action as a way to promote diversity on campus.
Harlan Crow, a prominent Republican donor and vocal supporter of President Donald Trump, recently purchased a single-story home and two vacant lots in Savannah, Georgia from Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, his mother, and the family of Thomas' late brother. This marks the first known instance of money flowing from Crow to Thomas, and raises questions about their relationship and potential conflicts of interest, though the Supreme Court has yet to comment on the purchase.
The Supreme Court declined to take up an appeal from the city of Ocala, Florida, concerning a prayer vigil held in response to a local shooting spree. The vigil was challenged by individuals who argued it violated the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. Justice Clarence Thomas and Justice Neil Gorsuch dissented from the decision, suggesting the court should take up a similar case in the future. The case highlights the difficulty of determining when a government action crosses the line into unconstitutional territory, and leaves the door open for similar cases to be heard in the future.