Samuel Alito

Justice Roberts Signals No Ban on Life in Prison for Juveniles

TalkLeft (Free subscription) | 11/10/2009

Chief Justice John Roberts signaled today at oral arguments in the Supreme Court in two cases involving the constitutionality of life without parole sentences for juveniles convicted of non-homicide crimes, that he's not inclined to find them unconstitutional . Neither are Justices Antonin Scalia and Samuel Alito. More receptive were Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and John Paul Stevens. Roberts suggested...

• Supreme Court considers life in prison for juveniles - Reuters

Supreme Court looks at life sentences for juveniles

The Washington Times (Free subscription) | 11/09/2009

The Supreme Court broke along ideological lines Monday as it grappled with the question of whether some young criminals are beyond rehabilitation. The court listened to two hours of arguments in two separate cases that have the same core issue: Is it a violation of the 8th Amendments prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment to sentence a juvenile to life in prison without the possibility of...

Justice Sonia Sotomayor Makes Her Debut Today

Politik Ditto (Free subscription) | 10/05/2009

CSMonitor.com : Transition is the word that perhaps best describes the US Supreme Court's 2009-10 term set to begin Monday. The coming year offers an opportunity for court watchers to more clearly define the character of the emerging Roberts Court during Chief Justice John Roberts's fifth term on the bench. And it presents a chance far superior to the wishy-washy Senate confirmation hearings to finally...

• Questions surround start of new Supreme Court term - Christian Science Monitor

Arlen Specter is No Joe Sestak When it Comes to LGBT Rights

Out Gay Life (Free subscription) | 09/24/2009

In one of the more talked about primaries of the 2010 election, Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter is battling Rep. Joe Sestak for the Democratic nomination for one of PA's U.S. Senate seats. Specter is a Republican-turned-Democrat who for the past 30 years has approached the issue of LGBT rights as if he were walking on egg shells. Sestak, on the other hand, is increasingly becoming a bull in a china...

Another Chance for Obama to Shape the Judiciary

MyDD (Free subscription) | 09/17/2009

Earlier today I noted that Barack Obama has nominated less than one-third of the total number of federal judges already nominated by George W. Bush by this point in his presidency -- a rather striking figure. Per The Desert Sun , the President now has another opening to fill: U.S. District Judge Stephen G. Larson, one of two judges assigned to the Central District of California's Riverside courthouse,...

Saidis, Flower & Lindsay Attorney Dean E. Reynosa Admitted to U.S. Supreme Court and 3rd District Court of Appeals

Lawyer News (Free subscription) | 09/17/2009

Saidis, Flower & Lindsay, a law firm serving clients in Central Pennsylvania, is pleased to announce Attorney Dean E. Reynosa has been admitted to the U.S. Supreme Court and the 3rd District Court of Appeals. The Pennsylvania Bar Association, in conjunction with the Young Lawyers Division bestowed this honor upon Attorney Reynosa and 46 others in a May 18, 2009 ceremony. Those in attendance included...

George Bush's Conservative Credentials

Gold-Plated Witch on Wheels (Free subscription) | 09/15/2009

Questions about Bush's conservative principles Conservatives greatly admired Bush for his steadfastness in the War on Terror -- to use that outlawed phrase -- and they were delighted by his choices of John Roberts and Samuel Alito for the Supreme Court. But when it came to a fundamental conservative principle like fiscal discipline, many conservatives felt the president just wasn't with them. George...

Taking On The Book Banners

RealClearPolitics (Free subscription) | 09/13/2009

WASHINGTON -- Last March, during the Supreme Court argument concerning the Federal Election Commission's banning of a political movie, several justices were aghast. Suddenly and belatedly they saw the abyss that could swallow the First Amendment. Justice Antonin Scalia was "a little disoriented" and Justice Samuel Alito said "that's pretty incredible." Chief Justice John Roberts...

The Roberts Court is about to do the unthinkable...

Crooks and Liars (Free subscription) | 09/12/2009

This is a pretty depressing saga unfolding right before our eyes and it's another reason why we need cameras in the Supreme Court so we can view the mockery Roberts is making out of the Third Branch of government. They are about to grant corporations the right to spend unlimited amounts of money to attack political candidates right up until an election, which would make destroy the very fabric of...

The Corporatist Five by dday The Supremes...

Hullabaloo (Free subscription) | 09/10/2009

The Corporatist Five by dday The Supremes heard that Citizens United case yesterday, and Dahlia Lithwick sez be very afraid. When we first met this case, it involved a narrow question about whether a 90-minute documentary attacking Hillary Clinton could be regulated as an "electioneering communication" under McCain-Feingold. The relevant provision bars corporations and unions from using...

Clinton movie takes centre stage at US supreme court

The Guardian (Free subscription) | 09/09/2009

Justices hearing arguments on how corporations and labour unions may spend money during election campaigns Hillary: The Movie is returning to the US supreme court for a limited engagement and with the chance to overhaul laws governing federal campaigns ranging from the White House to Congress. The justices were hearing arguments in the case today for the second time. It began as a dispute over whether...

Supreme Court rehears campaign finance arguments

JURIST (Free subscription) | 09/09/2009

[JURIST] The US Supreme Court reheard oral arguments Wednesday in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission on whether Austin v. Michigan Chamber of Commerce and McConnell v. Federal Election Commission should be overturned in deciding the case. Both cases deal with the facial validity of Section 203 of the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (BCRA), which the Federal Election Commission (FEC) argues...

'Hillary: The Movie' Gets New Airing At Supreme Court

The Huffington Post (Free subscription) | 09/09/2009

WASHINGTON — "Hillary: The Movie" is returning to the Supreme Court for a limited engagement and with the chance to overhaul laws governing federal campaigns ranging from the White House to Congress. The justices were hearing arguments in the case Wednesday for the second time. It began as a dispute over whether a 90-minute movie attacking Hillary Rodham Clinton's presidential ambitions...

Florida tributes to Sen. Edward M. Kennedy

Naked Politics (Free subscription) | 08/26/2009

Ted Kennedy, says Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, calmed her nerves when she was asked to speak -- as a freshman Democrat -- at the confirmation hearing of Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito. Later that year, the veteran lawmaker offered advice...

Senate confirms Sotomayor, 68-31

First Read (Free subscription) | 08/06/2009

From NBC's Mark MurrayThe Senate confirmed Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court by a 68-31 vote. West Virginia Sen. Robert Byrd (D) was able to vote, and her voted for her. Sotomayor's 68 votes were greater than Samuel Alito received (58) but less than what John Roberts got (78)....( read more )