Key takeaways: The Supreme Court rejected the Independent State Legislature Theory (ISLT) in a 6-3 ruling. The ISLT would have vested state legislatures with the…
Posts tagged as “the Supreme Court”
A bipartisan group of lawmakers is calling for an investigation into allegations of ethical improprieties against Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and for reforms to prevent similar violations in the future. The letter, led by Rep. Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.), calls for an independent investigative body and an ethics council to provide advice to justices on disclosure requirements, recusal and other ethics issues. The letter comes after reports of Justice Samuel Alito traveling at the expense of another top Republican donor, and is a sign of growing bipartisan concern over ethical issues in the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court has ruled in favor of Billy Counterman, who was convicted of making "true threats" to a local musician on Facebook. The court raised the bar for establishing when a statement is a "true threat" not protected by the First Amendment, making it more difficult for prosecutors to prove that a statement is a true threat. The ruling is seen as a victory for free speech advocates, and is expected to have a major impact on how prosecutors handle cases involving threats made on social media.
Key takeaways: The Supreme Court rejected the independent state legislature theory proposed by Republicans in the North Carolina legislature. This decision prevents state legislatures from…
The Supreme Court ruled against Republicans in North Carolina in Moore v. Harper, finding that the Constitution's Elections Clause does not support the independent state legislative theory which would have given state lawmakers unfettered power to set the rules for federal elections in their states. The ruling is a victory for voting rights advocates and reaffirms the role of the courts in ensuring that state legislatures do not pass laws that violate the Constitution.
The Supreme Court has ruled against Louisiana Republicans in a bid to reverse a lower court ruling that ordered the state to redraw its congressional map, paving the way for a second majority-Black congressional district to be created in time for the 2024 election. The ruling is a victory for civil rights groups, who argued that the current map was a form of racial gerrymandering, and will be drawn with the help of an independent redistricting expert. The Supreme Court’s ruling is a major step forward in ensuring that all citizens in Louisiana have an equal opportunity to elect their preferred candidate and is a reminder that the Supreme Court will not tolerate attempts to circumvent the judicial process.
The Supreme Court has taken action that could lead to a new congressional map being drawn in Louisiana, allowing Black voters to have a chance to elect their preferred representative in two of the state's six congressional districts instead of one. This follows the Supreme Court's ruling on June 8 that buttressed a key part of the landmark Voting Rights Act in a similar case concerning congressional districts in Alabama. The ruling is seen as a victory for voting rights advocates, and it remains to be seen how the state will respond to the ruling and if a new map will be drawn.
Former President Donald Trump and former Vice President Mike Pence both addressed the Faith and Freedom Coalition conference, with Trump speaking on the anniversary of the Supreme Court overturning the national right to an abortion and Pence challenging every GOP presidential candidate to support a national ban on abortions at least as early as 15 weeks of pregnancy. Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, who is running for president in 2024, also addressed the conference and openly criticized Trump for being unwilling to take responsibility for his mistakes.