SCOTUS | The Ohio Star

Biden SCOTUS Nominee Went Beyond Call of Duty to Defend Terror Suspects

February 27, 2022February 27, 2022 Admin

President Biden’s nominee for the Supreme Court represented suspected terrorists when she was a federal public defender, going well beyond a bare-bones defense to lambaste the U.S. government for some if its counterterrorism policies and broader approach to the War on Terror.

Biden on Friday nominated Ketanji Brown Jackson, currently a federal judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, to replace retiring Justice Stephen Breyer on the Supreme Court.

Jackson’s record will no doubt be heavily scrutinized in the coming days as the Senate prepares for its confirmation hearings. Perhaps no aspect of her past legal work will come under more scrutiny than her advocacy on behalf of prisoners detained at the Guantanamo Bay military prison as enemy combatants for their alleged role in terrorist activities.

Biden’s Supreme Court Nominee a Slam Dunk for Democrats

February 26, 2022February 25, 2022 Ohio Star Staff

President Biden announced Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson as his nominee to replace retiring Justice Stephen Breyer on the U.S. Supreme Court.

Jackson, who donated to and worked with former President Barack Obama’s presidential campaign, has a record of rulings that seemingly favor Democrats.

In a 2015 ruling, for example, she declined to force former Hillary Clinton aide Philipe Reines to explain why he used a private account for work-related emails, according to Politico.

School District Racially Segregates Students, Threatens Them for ‘Biased’ Statements: Lawsuit

October 25, 2021 Admin

A Massachusetts school district is racially segregating students and threatening to punish them for subjectively “offensive” statements they make, violating their civil and constitutional rights at both the state and federal level, according to a new lawsuit seeking permanent injunctions.

Parents Defending Education is challenging the “affinity groups” and associated spaces created by Wellesley Public Schools’ diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) plan for 2020-2025.

Justices Thomas, Alito, and Gorsuch Blast Supreme Court’s ‘Inexplicable’ Refusal to Hear Pennsylvania Election Lawsuit

February 23, 2021February 22, 2021 Ohio Star Staff

by Debra Heine The Supreme Court on Monday struck down a Republican challenge over absentee ballots received up to three days after Election Day in Pennsylvania. Republicans in the Keystone State had sought to block a state court ruling that allowed the Nov. 6 deadline extension in the 2020…

Republican National Committee Announces Support of ‘Keep Nine Amendment’ to Prevent Packing of Supreme Court

January 10, 2021January 9, 2021 Jason M. Reynolds

The Republican National Committee (RNC) has come out in support of the proposed “Keep Nine Amendment” that, if enacted, would prevent packing the U.S. Supreme Court.

The Resolutions Committee adopted the resolution of support, the RNC said in a statement Friday.

Pennsylvania Poll Volunteer: Election Totally Chaotic and Suspicious

November 9, 2020November 9, 2020 Jack Windsor

A poll worker who checked in voters at the Radnor Municipal Building located in Delaware County, Pennsylvania’s Sixth Ward – about 13 miles outside of Philadelphia – said Tuesday was “total chaos.”

The worker, who we will call Sue (to protect her identity and safety), said that she worked the greater Philly area polling precinct in 2016 and never saw what she witnessed in droves on election day 2020.

People were angry, according to the election volunteer.

Supreme Court Orders Pennsylvania Counties to Separate Mail-in Ballots Received After November 3

November 7, 2020November 9, 2020 Jack Windsor

Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) Associate Justice Samuel A. Alito, Jr. issued an Order on Friday evening requiring all of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties to keep all ballots received after 8:00 p.m. on November 3 “in a secure, safe, sealed container separated from other voted ballots” and that “if counted, be counted separately.”

The Order was issued in a case already before the SCOTUS – Pennsylvania Republican Party v. Kathy Boockvar, Secretary of Pennsylvania, et.al.

SCOTUS to Hear Arguments in Five Cases in First Week of November

November 1, 2020October 31, 2020 Ohio Star Staff

On Nov. 2, 2020, the Supreme Court of the United States will begin its November sitting. All arguments during its November and December sittings will be conducted via teleconference with live audio. The court made the decision to hold proceedings this way in accordance with public health guidance in response to COVID-19.

U.S. Senate Confirms Barrett to Supreme Court, Giving Conservatives a 6-3 Majority

October 26, 2020November 9, 2020 The Center Square

The U.S. Senate confirmed Amy Coney Barrett to be an associate justice on the nation’s highest court Monday.

Barrett fills the vacancy of the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died in September at the age of 87 from complications of metastatic pancreatic cancer.

Opioids, Violence and the Supreme Court Largely Omitted from DNC Convention Speeches

August 24, 2020August 24, 2020 Ohio Star Staff

Democrats focused on coronavirus, climate change, racial inequality and more during their party’s convention, but none pf the keynote speakers mentioned rising violence in cities across the country or the opioid epidemic during the primetime program.

The two issues have been worsening in part due to nationwide unrest and the pandemic, media reports and studies say. The Supreme Court — a large focus of the 2016 election — was also largely ignored.

SCOTUS Rules in Favor of Catholic Nuns, Upholds Conscience Exemptions for Birth Control Mandate

July 9, 2020July 8, 2020 Ohio Star Staff

The United States Supreme Court ruled to uphold conscience exemptions from former President Barack Obama’s birth control mandate in a victory for the Little Sisters of the Poor.

SCOTUS ruled 7-2 that the Catholic nuns are exempt from Obama’s contraceptive mandate.

Conservatives Praise Supreme Court for Ruling States Can’t Discriminate Against Religious Schools

July 1, 2020June 30, 2020 Anthony Gockowski

The U.S. Supreme Court said Tuesday that states can’t cut religious schools out of programs that send public money to private education in a 5-4 ruling.

Hailed as a victory for religious freedom, the justices upheld a Montana scholarship program that allows state tax credits for private schooling in which almost all the recipients attend religious schools.

SCOTUS Strikes Down Ban on Taxpayers Funding Religious Schools

June 30, 2020November 9, 2020 Ohio Star Staff

The Supreme Court ruled against a ban on taxpayer funding of religious schools Tuesday in a monumental win for school choice.

Chief Justice John Roberts joined conservative justices in a 5-4 ruling backing a Montana tax-credit scholarship program that gives residents credit if they donated to private scholarship organizations, according to Fox News, which would help the students pay for the private school of their choice.

Conservatives Call Out Chief Justice John Roberts on Abortion Ruling: ‘He’s a Disgrace’

June 30, 2020June 30, 2020 Ohio Star Staff

by Mary Margaret Olohan Conservatives are turning against Chief Justice John Roberts after the Supreme Court justice sided with liberal judges in a monumental abortion ruling. Chief Justice John Roberts sided with liberal members of the court in the close 5-4 ruling, writing that “the Louisiana law imposes a burden…

Supreme Court Justice Roberts Swings Left, Joins Liberals to Strike Down Louisiana Law Requiring Abortionists to Have Hospital Privileges

June 29, 2020June 29, 2020 Admin

The United States Supreme Court ruled Monday that a pro-life law violates the rights of both women and abortion providers in Louisiana.

Chief Justice John Roberts sided with liberal members of the court in the close 5-4 ruling.

Commentary: Immortalizing Bureaucracy

June 22, 2020June 22, 2020 Ohio Star Staff

Just as the infamous Dred Scott case in 1857 would have extended slavery throughout America, so Thursday’s decision in Department of Homeland Security v. Regents of the University of California threatens to make the machinations of bureaucratic government supreme and unrepealable.

Chief Justice John Roberts’ 5-4 court opinion strengthens the grip of the administrative state – the interlocking network of bureaucracy and political correctness – over the democratically elected branches that are supposed to make us a nation of self-governing citizens.

Supremes Revive Permit for Pipeline Under Appalachian Trail

June 16, 2020June 16, 2020 The Associated Press

The Supreme Court on Monday paved the way for a critical permit for a proposed natural gas pipeline that would cross under the Appalachian Trail, siding with energy companies and the Trump administration.

The justices ruled 7-2 to reverse a lower court ruling that had thrown out the permit for the Atlantic Coast Pipeline. It would bring natural gas from West Virginia to growing markets in Virginia and North Carolina. Its supporters say the pipeline would bring economic development, thousands of jobs and reduced energy costs for consumers.

Justices Rule LGBT People Protected from Job Discrimination

June 16, 2020June 15, 2020 The Associated Press

The Supreme Court ruled Monday that a landmark civil rights law protects gay, lesbian and transgender people from discrimination in employment, a resounding victory for LGBT rights from a conservative court.

The court decided by a 6-3 vote that a key provision of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 known as Title VII that bars job discrimination because of sex, among other reasons, encompasses bias against LGBT workers.

Salem Books Will Publish Masterpiece Cakeshop Owner Jack Phillips’ Memoir, ‘The Baker’

February 4, 2020February 4, 2020 Ohio Star Staff

Salem Books – an imprint of Regnery Publishing – will publish Jack Phillips’ memoir, The Baker. Phillips became a household name in 2012 after the Colorado pastry chef refused to make a wedding cake for a same sex couple. The lawsuit was eventually argued in front of the Supreme Court, who decided 7-2 in favor of Phillips.

Trump Administration Tells Supreme Court Not to Fast-Track Obamacare Challenge

January 13, 2020January 12, 2020 Ohio Star Staff

The Trump administration told the Supreme Court there is no reason to fast-track its consideration of two petitions seeking review of a lower court decision that struck down the Affordable Care Act’s individual mandate.

Chief Justice John Roberts Jr. Highlights Civic Education in Year-End Report

January 3, 2020January 2, 2020 Jordyn Pair

In his annual year-end report, Chief Justice of the United States Supreme Court John Roberts, Jr., focused on civics education, calling for increased confidence in and education about the judicial system.

The Supreme Court Heard Its First Gun Rights Case in Years, but It Might Be a Misfire

December 3, 2019December 2, 2019 Ohio Star Staff

The Supreme Court heard arguments in a gun rights case for the first time in nearly 10 years Monday, involving a challenge to since-repealed New York City rules that greatly restricted the transportation of firearms.

Commentary: A DACA Ruling Won’t Solve the DACA Dilemma

November 18, 2019November 17, 2019 Ohio Star Staff

The U.S. Supreme Court on Tuesday heard highly anticipated arguments in the lawsuit challenging President Trump’s decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.

Elizabeth Warren, Kamala Harris, and Julian Castro Call for Kavanaugh’s Ouster Following Reports Drudging Up More Allegations

September 16, 2019September 16, 2019 Ohio Star Staff

Sen. Kamala Harris and fellow Democratic presidential candidates are calling for Congress to impeach sitting Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh after a report Saturday resurrected allegations against the justice.

Religious Liberty Law Firm Advocates for Opening Cleveland City Council Meetings with Prayer

September 16, 2019September 16, 2019 Anthony Gockowski

First Liberty Institute, a leading religious liberty law firm, recently sent a letter to members of the Cleveland City Council informing them that opening meetings with prayer doesn’t violate the U.S. Constitution.

REVIEW: New Book Exposes Who and How Brett Kavanaugh Was Defamed

August 19, 2019August 18, 2019 Ohio Star Staff

The Left’s crusade to destroy Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh isn’t over yet. Last week, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) sent a letter to the National Archives to demand the release of any records related to Kavanaugh’s tenure in the George W. Bush White House from 2001 to 2006.

Commentary: The Courts Would be Wise to Stay Out of Political Battles

August 13, 2019August 12, 2019 Ohio Star Staff

The nine philosopher-kings enthroned on the Supreme Court were finally gracious enough to let President Trump proceed with his plans to build a wall at the southern border, at least for now. In a 5-4 ruling, the court last month overturned an appellate court’s decision, allowing the Trump Administration to tap into military funds and continue construction while litigation is pending.

DHS Chief McAleenan Praises Supreme Court Decision: ‘Big Victory’ for Border Wall

July 30, 2019July 29, 2019 Ohio Star Staff

Acting Homeland Security Secretary Kevin McAleenan lauded the Supreme Court decision allowing the administration to use military funds to build additional border wall.

Democrats Join Forces to Urge the Supreme Court to Block the Southern Border Barrier Based on ‘the Environment’

July 23, 2019July 22, 2019 Ohio Star Staff

by Kevin Daley Environmental groups and House Democrats urged the Supreme Court not to disturb a lower court order blocking the reallocation of military funds for border wall projects. The Trump administration asked the Supreme Court to put that ruling on hold while litigation continues July 12. Granting that request — called…

Former Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens Has Died

July 17, 2019 Ohio Star Staff

by Kyle Daley Retired Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens, the Republican corporate lawyer who became the leader of the Court’s liberal wing, died Tuesday night in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. He was 99. The Supreme Court’s public information office said Stevens died from complications of a stroke suffered earlier…

Pennsylvania Farmer Wins Supreme Court Case That Finds Federal Property Rights are Equal to Other Constitutional Rights

June 22, 2019June 21, 2019 Jason M. Reynolds

The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday ruled in favor of a Pennsylvania farm owner who said the government effectively took her property without paying for it. Rose Knick won the victory in the case of Knick v. Township of Scott. In making its ruling, SCOTUS overturned a 1985 precedent,…

Commentary: Justice Thomas on the Dynamite That Is Natural Right

June 10, 2019June 10, 2019 Ohio Star Staff

by Ken Masugi If it’s true that “natural right is dynamite,” as political philosopher Leo Strauss wrote, then Justice Clarence Thomas just went nuclear on the abortion debate. While Thomas’s concurring opinion in Box v. Planned Parenthood has received considerable commentary, his deepening of the judicial and, hence, the political debate over abortion…

Supreme Court Turns Down Trump Administration Bid to Accelerate DACA Appeal

June 4, 2019June 3, 2019 Ohio Star Staff

by Kevin Daley The Supreme Court rejected a request Monday to expedite its consideration of the Trump administration’s bid to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. DACA is an Obama-era amnesty initiative that extends temporary legal status to 700,000 non-citizens who arrived in the U.S. as…

Joe Robertson Was Imprisoned for Digging Ponds on His Montana Land, and Now His Widow Continues the Fight

May 21, 2019May 22, 2019 Ohio Star Staff

by Kevin Mooney The name of a Navy veteran may be cleared after he was convicted, fined, and imprisoned for digging ponds in a wooded area near his Montana home, to supply water in case of fire. The Supreme Court has vacated a lower court ruling against Joe Robertson,…

Justice Neil Gorsuch Will Replace Joe Biden as Honorary Chair of the National Constitution Center

May 15, 2019May 15, 2019 Ohio Star Staff

Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch is taking on a new role as the honorary chairman of a nonpartisan group devoted to education about the Constitution, replacing former Vice President Joe Biden. The National Constitution Center in Philadelphia said Tuesday that Gorsuch, named to the high court by President Donald…

SCOTUS: iPhone Users Can Sue Apple for App Monopoly

May 14, 2019May 13, 2019 Ohio Star Staff

by Kevin Daley The Supreme Court ruled Monday that iPhone users can bring an antitrust lawsuit against Apple alleging the tech giant has monopolized the market for software applications. Justice Brett Kavanaugh delivered the 5-4 decision, joined by the high court’s liberal bloc, which may have far-reaching consequences for Silicon Valley.…

Commentary: A Deep-Dive into the Other Deep State – Public Sector Unions

May 14, 2019May 13, 2019 Ohio Star Staff

by Edward Ring When government fails, public-sector unions win. When society fragments, public-sector unions consolidate their power. When citizenship itself becomes less meaningful, and the benefits of American citizenship wither, government unions offer an exclusive solidarity. Government unions insulate their members from the challenges facing ordinary private citizens. On…

Michigan, Ohio Republicans Ask Supremes to Put Gerrymandering Rulings on Hold

May 13, 2019May 13, 2019 Ohio Star Staff

by Kevin Daley Republican lawmakers in Michigan and Ohio asked the Supreme Court to temporarily block lower court decisions ordering them to produce new district lines for their congressional and state legislative maps. Separate three-judge panels found the Michigan and Ohio maps were rigged to favor of Republicans, in violation of the Constitution.…

Two Key Cases the Supreme Court Will Hear in April

April 15, 2019April 14, 2019 Ohio Star Staff

by Elizabeth Slattery Conversations about the Supreme Court this spring have been dominated by discussion of conspiracy theories about Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s health, Democratic presidential hopefuls’ plans to “pack the Supreme Court,” and a manufactured “controversy” over Justice Brett Kavanaugh teaching at George Mason University’s Scalia Law School. But on Monday, the justices begin…

Clarence Thomas Clerks Dominate Trump’s Judicial Appointments

March 11, 2019March 10, 2019 Ohio Star Staff

by Kevin Daley One credential in particular has been a boon to candidates President Donald Trump considers for judicial appointments: a clerkship with Justice Clarence Thomas. As of this writing, the president has appointed seven Thomas clerks to the federal appeals courts, while an eighth is expected in the…

Kavanaugh Warns Of ‘Pure Discrimination’ as Supreme Court Denies Church Bid for Historic Preservation Grant

March 5, 2019March 4, 2019 Ohio Star Staff

by Kevin Daley The Supreme Court refused Monday to decide whether religious institutions may be disqualified from public historic preservation funding, after a New Jersey court forbade local officials from dispersing $4 million to 12 churches. Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote a separate opinion addressing the dispute, calling the lower court’s decision “pure…

Supreme Court Expedites Citizenship Question in Census Case

February 18, 2019February 18, 2019 Ohio Star Staff

by Fred Lucas The Supreme Court will settle the question on whether the question of citizenship can be included in the 2020 census, bypassing an appeals court hearing. The high court announced Friday it will hear arguments in April, with a likely decision by June. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross…

Anthony Kennedy Says Loss Of Decency Is a Threat to Democracy

February 11, 2019February 11, 2019 Ohio Star Staff

by Kevin Daley Retired Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy warned university students that democracy is endangered by the decline of free and open civic debate. “We have a social framework of decency that we’re very quickly losing,” Kennedy said, according to the San Francisco Chronicle, which was on hand during…

Biography Reveals New Details Of Roberts’ Obamacare Vote

February 5, 2019February 5, 2019 Ohio Star Staff

by Kevin Daley A forthcoming biography of Chief Justice John Roberts contains the first account of the Supreme Court’s internal politicking over the 2012 NFIB v. Sebelius decision, in which Roberts joined with the Court’s four liberals to uphold the Affordable Care Act’s individual mandate. A review of the much…

A Little-Noticed Opinion Portends Big Changes for Religious Liberty at the Supreme Court

February 4, 2019February 4, 2019 Ohio Star Staff

by Kevin Daley The Supreme Court’s conservative bloc released a short, little-noticed statement on Jan. 22 that portends far-reaching changes for religious liberty. The statement — which Justice Samuel Alito authored and Justices Clarence Thomas, Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh joined — criticized the 1990 Employment Division v. Smith decision, a landmark…

Ruth Bader Ginsburg to Miss Arguments Following Lung Cancer Procedure

January 8, 2019January 8, 2019 Ohio Star Staff

by Kevin Daley Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg missed oral arguments Monday as she recuperates from cancer surgery. It’s not clear when the 85-year-old justice will return to work, though the Supreme Court’s public information office said she will continue to participate in official business from her home…

Justice Ginsburg Has Surgery to Remove Cancerous Growths

December 22, 2018December 21, 2018 Ohio Star Staff

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg had surgery Friday to remove two malignant growths in her left lung, the Supreme Court said. It is the 85-year-old Ginsburg’s third bout with cancer since joining the court in 1993. Doctors at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York found “no evidence of any…

Mueller and Manafort Have a Lot Riding on a Supreme Court Double Jeopardy Case

December 9, 2018December 8, 2018 Admin

by Kevin Daley The Supreme Court appeared skeptical Thursday of overturning an exception to the Constitution’s double jeopardy prohibition, which allows state and federal prosecutors to bring successive prosecutions for the same offense. The case is carefully followed in Washington because of its potential ramifications for special counsel Robert Mueller’s…

Ohio Organization Petitions Supreme Court to Hear Union Case of Minnesota Professor

December 5, 2018December 5, 2018 Anthony Gockowski

An Ohio organization is petitioning the U.S. Supreme Court to hear a case that could extend the court’s landmark Janus v. AFSCME decision that ruled against compelled financial support of unions. The Buckeye Institute announced Tuesday that it filed the “first significant labor-law challenge” in the U.S. Supreme Court since…

Brett Kavanaugh Keeping a Low Profile in His First Months as a Justice

November 26, 2018November 25, 2018 Ohio Star Staff

by Kevin Daley Justice Brett Kavanaugh seems to be keeping a low profile in his first months on the U.S. Supreme Court after his bitter confirmation inflamed much of the public and recast the 2018 elections. The new justice’s approach to his first months on the high court is…