Upcoming Cases
Justices accept case involving the right to a speedy trial (Oct. 1, 2008)
The Supreme Court has agreed to hear a case that examines the right to a speedy trial for a poor individual who is being represented by a public defender. More...
Court to hear dispute about suppression of a voluntary confession (Oct. 1, 2008)
The Supreme Court has agreed to decide whether a claim that a voluntary confession made after a suspect’s arrest on federal charges but before he appears before a magistrate must be suppressed when More...
Justices take case concering peremptory challenges of a juror (Oct. 1, 2008)
The Supreme Court has agreed to decide whether a conviction can stand if the defense counsel sought to exclude a juror by making a peremptory challenge, but the juror was seated anyway. More...
Court accepts plea agreement case (Oct. 1, 2008)
The Supreme Court has agreed to decide how the federal appeals courts should handle prosecutors’ violations of plea bargains when the violation was not challenged during the trial. More...
Justices agree to decide case that turns on acceptance of counsel (Oct. 1, 2008)
The Supreme Court has agreed to decide whether an indigent defendant needs to affirmatively accept the appointment of counsel in order to invoke his Sixth Amendment protection from future police-initi More...
Recently Decided
Justices rule on case concerning contracts negotiated during the 2001 Western energy crisis (June 26, 2008)
The Supreme Court asked the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and a federal appeals court on Thursday to review the conclusions both reached about whether electricity contracts signed during the More...
Court invalidates Millionaire's Amendment (June 26, 2008)
On the last day of its term, a closely-divided Supreme Court struck down the so-called Millionaire's Amendment to the 2002 campaign finance law. More...
Court strikes down D.C. gun ban (June 26, 2008)
On its final day of the term, a Supreme Court divided along familiar ideological lines broke its seven decade silence regarding the central meaning of the Second Amendment when it struck down Washi More...
Court allows criminal defendant to exclude victim's testimony (June 25, 2008)
A murder defendant has the right to exclude the testimony of his victim, the Supreme Court held in a case that sheds light on the state of Confrontation Clause doctrine. More...
Justices limit tribal courts' jurisdiction (June 25, 2008)
In a case clarifying the scope of Indian tribal courts' jurisdiction over non-members, a divided Supreme Court held that these courts do not have authority to hear lawsuits involving non-tribal mem More...
Court News
- NYT | Supreme Court Memo - A Second Justice Opts Out of a Longtime Custom - The ‘Cert. Pool’ (Sept. 26, 2008)
- NYT | When Judges Make Foreign Policy - United States Supreme Court (Sept. 28, 2008)
- NYT | American Exception - U.S. Is Alone in Rejecting All Evidence if Police Err (July 19, 2008)
- NYT | In Court Ruling on Executions, a Factual Flaw (July 2, 2008)
- NYT | The Chief Justice, Dylan and the Disappearing Double Negative (June 29, 2008)