Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) has invited Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts to appear before the Senate Judiciary Committee to discuss ethics reform in the judiciary following reports of Justice Clarence Thomas' undisclosed gifts and trips from a Republican megadonor. Roberts has been asked to testify on potential reforms to the ethics rules, but not answer questions from committee members. The invitation has been met with criticism, and it is unclear if Roberts will accept. The committee has set a hearing date of May 2 for the potential testimony.
Posts tagged as “the Supreme Court”
The Supreme Court has granted a temporary extension of access to the abortion pill mifepristone until Friday while they consider a legal challenge to the medication's FDA approval. The lower court ruling had increased the gestational age limit for using the drug and reduced the number of required in-person visits. The Biden administration and drug maker Danco Laboratories have requested the Supreme Court to halt the appeals court ruling. The temporary extension of access to mifepristone will remain in place until Friday at 11:59 p.m.
Rodney Reed, a Texas death row inmate, has been granted a chance to seek new DNA testing in the case of his 1996 conviction for murder by the Supreme Court. The 6-3 ruling overturned a lower court decision that said Reed had waited too long to make the request. The case will now be sent back to a lower court to decide whether to grant Reed's request for DNA testing, which could prove his innocence.
The Supreme Court is expected to make a decision Wednesday on a request by the federal government to immediately block a lower court ruling that would restrict access to the abortion pill mifepristone. The case originated in Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk’s court in Amarillo, Texas, and the outcome of this decision could have a major impact on access to mifepristone and the ability of women to make decisions about their own reproductive health. The Department of Justice has appealed to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals and the Supreme Court has temporarily blocked the appeals court ruling while the justices consider what next steps to take.
Delaware Superior Court Judge Eric Davis has appointed a special master to investigate Fox News' handling of court-ordered discovery in a defamation lawsuit brought against the network by Dominion Voting Systems. The lawsuit alleges Fox News promoted false claims about Dominion's voting machines rigging the 2020 election, and the trial began Tuesday morning. This is the first major defamation case against a media company to go to trial since the Supreme Court ruled in 1964, and is expected to be closely watched by media companies and First Amendment advocates.
Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin has expressed outrage over the revelation that Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas has received gifts and luxury travel from a Republican donor, prompting a debate among Senate Democrats over the need for a hearing on Supreme Court ethics. However, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell has refused to help Democrats temporarily replace Sen. Dianne Feinstein on the Senate Judiciary Committee while she is ill, effectively blocking any hopes of pushing through judicial nominations.
The Supreme Court is set to consider a case involving a Christian former postal worker who claims the U.S. Postal Service violated a federal civil rights law by failing to accommodate his religious beliefs. The outcome of the case could have a major impact on how employers accommodate the religious practices of their workers, and is being closely watched by religious groups and civil rights advocates alike. The court's decision could also set a precedent for how religious claims are handled in the future.
The Supreme Court has temporarily blocked a ruling from a federal judge in Texas that would have put a pause on the Food and Drug Administration's approval of mifepristone, a medicine used in two-step medication abortions. This decision will allow for nationwide access to mifepristone to be preserved until Wednesday, when the justices will consider next steps. Abortion clinics are readying contingency plans in case mifepristone's FDA approval is overturned.