Supreme Court News
In-depth reporting and commentary on the Court’s rulings and their influence on law, politics, and society.
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news
Supreme Court Clears Way for Dismissal of Case Against Trump Ally Steve Bannon
WASHINGTON, April 6 (Reuters)—The U.S. Supreme Court cleared the way on Monday for the Justice Department to move forward with dismissing a criminal case in which Steve Bannon, an influential ally of President Donald Trump, was convicted after defying a congressional subpoena. Bannon was convicted by a jury in Washington in 2022 on two counts… -
news
SCOTUS Decides Challenge to Public Transit Gun Ban
THE CENTER SQUARE—The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to decide whether individuals can carry firearms on public transportation. The court declined to take up Schoenthal v. Raoul, which challenges an Illinois law banning citizens from carrying firearms on public transportation. Three Illinois residents challenged the ban, arguing it violates the Second and 14th Amendment… -
news
Blue States Scrambling to Keep Gender Counseling Censorship Alive After SCOTUS Ruling
THE DAILY CALLER NEWS FOUNDATION—Democrat-led states are searching for ways to keep censoring counselor conversations about gender after a near-unanimous Supreme Court came down against viewpoint discrimination. In an 8-1 ruling on Tuesday, the Supreme Court held Colorado’s so-called conversion therapy ban regulated Christian counselor Kaley Chiles’ speech based on viewpoint. Twenty-three states, along with the District of Columbia, have… -
opinion
Supreme Court Breaks Transgenderism’s Cruel Stranglehold Over Therapy in Colorado
This week, the Supreme Court rightly held that Colorado’s ban on “conversion therapy” violated the First Amendment by dictating what counselors can say in therapy sessions. However, the therapist who sued Colorado isn’t the only winner—gender-confused kids arguably came out ahead, too. Colorado’s law didn’t just aim to force therapists to endorse transgender orthodoxy—it also… -
opinion
What SCOTUS Ruled About Conversion Therapy in Chiles v. Salazar
Can the government prohibit what a therapist says to a client behind closed doors? March 31, in an 8-1 opinion, the U.S. Supreme Court answered that question with a firm “No.” But the fact of an overwhelming majority of the court—eight justices—also suggests the narrowness of the opinion itself. Indeed, Justice Neil Gorsuch’s majority opinion… -
news
Supreme Court Rules 8-1 in Massive Free Speech Case
The Supreme Court held in an 8-1 ruling on Tuesday that a Colorado ban on “conversion therapy” for counselors unlawfully regulates speech and is viewpoint discrimination. Justice Neil Gorsuch, a President Donald Trump appointee, issued the majority opinion. Justices Elena Kagan and Sonia Sotomayor—both appointees of President Barack Obama—issued concurring opinions. Only Justice Ketanji Brown… -
opinion
Supreme Court Could Decide If ‘Election Day’ Lasts One Day
Under our Constitution, state legislatures retain primary authority for setting the rules and procedures governing elections—even federal ones. This is true for both congressional and presidential elections. But Congress can step in and alter those default state-level rules. And it has chosen to do so in several important ways. For example, it has fixed by… -
news
Supreme Court Backs Police Immunity in Protest Case
The Supreme Court on Monday ruled that a Vermont police officer is entitled to qualified immunity after a protester at the state Capitol sued him for an injury in a case that stretches back more than a decade. Qualified immunity protects law enforcement officers from litigation if they are acting in the line of duty,… -
news
9-0: Supreme Court Sides With Street Preacher’s Right to Sue Over City’s Speech Restriction
The Supreme Court, in a unanimous decision on Friday, allowed a Christian pastor to proceed with his lawsuit against a Mississippi city’s law restricting where he could preach. In the case of Olivier v. City of Brandon, Justice Elena Kagan, a Barack Obama appointee, wrote for the court in the case involving free speech and religious… -
news
Will Congress Help States Challenge SCOTUS Ruling That Gives Illegal Immigrants Massive Benefits?
A House subcommittee is exploring ways to challenge a 1982 Supreme Court ruling that radically expanded illegal aliens’ access to state benefits. In Plyler v. Doe, the Supreme Court struck down a Texas law that barred illegal immigrant children from enrolling in public schools and argued these illegal immigrants were entitled to that benefit, and… -
news
SCOTUS Agrees to Hear Trump Bid to Rein in Temporary Protected Status
The Supreme Court announced Monday it will hear the Trump administration’s appeal to end Temporary Protected Status for certain immigrants, including those from Syria and Haiti. Immigration groups have argued that people can’t return to the two countries due to unsafe conditions. However, the Trump Justice Department has argued that the Department of Homeland Security… -
news
Could SCOTUS Rule to Hold Those Who Hire Illegal Immigrant Truck Drivers Accountable?
As President Donald Trump and Congress look to hold illegal immigrant truckers accountable, a future United States Supreme Court decision could modify a federal law that could allow victims of commercial vehicle crashes to hold those responsible for hiring the driver behind the crash accountable. The ruling, which is expected before June, could overturn a… -
news
SCOTUS Order on California Law to ‘Keep Secrets From Parents’ a Positive Sign for Parental Rights, Heritage Scholar Says
Is a recent ruling from the Supreme Court “a sign of good things to come” for parents? Corey DeAngelis, The Heritage Foundation’s new research fellow at the Center for Education Policy, believes so. On Monday, the Supreme Court temporarily prevented the state of California from blocking school policies that would require telling parents if their… -
opinion
Supreme Court Ruling Is Welcome News for Immigration Judges
Imagine that you’re one of the 520 or so immigration judges trying to slog through the estimated 3.3 million pending immigration cases, many of which are asylum cases. Unlike other judges, you don’t have contempt authority to hold attorneys accountable. And most denial of asylum decisions you make get appealed to the Board of Immigration… -
news
After Supreme Court Ruling, Tariff Refund Battle Just Beginning
The Trump administration will pay interest on refunds for global tariffs if ordered to do so, according to a court filing on Wednesday. U.S. officials have not committed to full refunds on the money collected from tariffs, as President Donald Trump has said he would find other laws to continue his tariffs. However, litigation and negotiations… -
news
‘WATERSHED MOMENT’: Supreme Court Rules on Gender Secrecy Policies
The Supreme Court Monday vindicated parental rights, upholding an injunction against California’s gender secrecy policy, which mandated that school staff hide a student’s claimed transgender identity from parents unless the student expressly consented to reveal it. “This is a watershed moment for parental rights in America,” Paul Jonna, special counsel at the Thomas More Society,… -
opinion
Supreme Court Explains Contours of Sixth Amendment’s Right to Counsel in Villarreal v. Texas
The Sixth Amendment has long guaranteed a criminal defendant the right “to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defence.” But what does that right entail in practice—particularly when a defendant takes the witness stand in his own defense? And by taking the witness stand, what limitations, if any, exist with respect to his right… -
opinion
United States v. Hemani: SCOTUS to Hear Arguments in Important Second Amendment Case
As the Supreme Court returns to hearing oral arguments this week, it will take up a technical—yet consequential—criminal law case. In United States v. Hemani, the justices will consider whether 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(3), which bars anyone “who is an unlawful user of or addicted to any controlled substance” from “possess[ing] … any firearm or… -
analysis
A Legal Analysis of the Supreme Court’s Tariff Ruling
The Supreme Court has struck down President Donald Trump’s use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act to impose tariffs by a vote of 6-3, with Chief Justice John Roberts writing for the majority. Notably, the majority opinion made clear: “We claim no special competence in matters of economics or foreign affairs. We claim only,… -
news
9-0 SCOTUS Ruling Could Trigger Wave of ICE Detention Lawsuits
The Supreme Court, in a 9-0 ruling, sided against a private prison firm that contracts with Immigration and Customs Enforcement to detain illegal aliens. The outcome could subject privately-owned prisons currently contracting with ICE or other government agencies to more litigation. The ruling stems from a lawsuit that has languished in court for more than a…