Most Americans think Supreme Court justices base their rulings on personal political views rather than legal interpretation, polls show, and Thursday's ruling on the politically charged health care reform law will probably reinforce that.
From five continents to nearly three dozen states, the justices of the Supreme Court remain busy travelers, and relatively well off financially.
At the turn of the last century, a New York bakery owner named Joseph Lochner decided he wanted his employees to work longer hours than state law allowed.
Elizabeth Cohen breaks down what penalties for no health insurance would mean to different people.
A deeply divided Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that criminal defendants who receive inadequate legal advice on pretrial plea bargains can have their sentences overturned, equating that with an unconstitutional and ineffective assistance of counsel.
The Supreme Court struggled Tuesday, speaking in somber tones, when confronting one of its toughest criminal sentencing questions: whether two men convicted of killings committed when they were 14 deserve life in prison without the possibility of parole.
The Supreme Court rules a search warrant is needed for GPS tracking. CNN's Wolf Blitzer has more.
Police erred by not obtaining an extended search warrant before attaching a tracking device to a drug suspect's car, the Supreme Court said in a unanimous ruling Monday.
The dinner was billed as a "Celebration of Service." The honorees: Justices Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas. The hosts: the Federalist Society, an influential conservative legal group whose membership includes judges, lawmakers and government officials.
A political battle is raging over whether three key Supreme Court justices should bow out of the health care case.
When the Supreme Court begins to wonder how evolving law enforcement policies will affect them personally, the government may want to start worrying. That concern was evident in a freewheeling case argued Tuesday over police surveillance.
Think there is too much gridlock in Washington between the president and lawmakers? Don't worry, say two Supreme Court justices, that's a good thing.
The current Supreme Court is considered a "hot bench." Not because of the room temperature, or the relative good looks of the nine justices. "Hot" as in the spirited, often competitive oral arguments that have livened up -- or injected chaos into -- the public sessions where important legal and constitutional issues are openly debated and discussed.
The Supreme Court kicked off its new term on Monday with a brief salute to the justice who has currently been on the bench the longest.
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg proudly points out a recent empirical study finding her "the least funny justice who talks" when cases are argued on the Supreme Court's nine-member bench.
The black-robed figure stares straight ahead, stalwart and silent, his head nodding appreciatively. He carries a big stick, which happens to have an American flag attached. And the man proudly stands on a toy truck and a pair of pizza boxes.
Maybe it helps for the nation's highest court to say it, too?
The Supreme Court has struck down a California law that would have banned selling "violent" video games to children, a case balancing free speech rights with consumer protection.
The Supreme Court rules California cannot ban the sale of violent video games to kids. CNN's Jeffrey Toobin reports.
Michael Carrigan was on the losing side of a public vote that put him at odds with a state ethics commission, but now the Nevada city councilman hopes to win on a larger stage at the U.S. Supreme Court.
A divided Supreme Court gave a big victory Wednesday to business interests, ruling that a cell phone carrier's arbitration clause in contracts that ban larger class-action lawsuits is permissible.
In perhaps one of the most closely watched cases on its docket, the Supreme Court yesterday heard oral argument in the largest employment class-action litigation ever.
Female workers suing Wal-Mart for workplace discrimination faced an uphill battle at the Supreme Court on Tuesday.
U.S. Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia has been fined $70 for allegedly rear-ending an automobile in a minor four-car collision, a United States Park Police spokesman confirmed Wednesday.
A little car accident was not enough to stop Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia from making it to work on time Tuesday, and the 75-year-old jurist showed no effects on the bench of his earlier adventure.
When a majority of the Supreme Court wonders at oral argument what one of the attorneys is doing there -- and, indeed, what they are doing there -- you know someone's in trouble.
The Supreme Court ruled for drug manufacturers Tuesday, deciding that a case brought by a Pennsylvania family who says their child was injured by a vaccine cannot be heard outside of a court created to hear such claims.
A unique anniversary at the Supreme Court passed in silence Tuesday, befitting the occasion. It has been five years to the day since Justice Clarence Thomas last spoke at oral argument, another reflection of the complex, dynamic, often misunderstood personality of the court's only African-American jurist.
About 50 members of the House of Representatives turned out for a talk by Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia on Monday in a session participants called "very conversational" and a "wonderful exchange of ideas."
CNN's Jessica Yellin gives an overview of the divide between the GOP and Tea Party members.
Justice Antonin Scalia, a popular and entertaining speaker at various forums around the world, has one of the busiest schedules off the bench. But a closed-door address the conservative justice is scheduled to give Monday afternoon has attracted controversy, partly because of who is sponsoring the event.
A liberal reform group has asked the Justice Department to investigate allegations of conflict of interest by Supreme Court Justices Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas.
The interpretation of complex legal verbiage is the Supreme Court's bailiwick, but sometimes the outcome of a case falls upon the meaning of single word. The magic word in an appeal argued Wednesday was "personal," and whether it extends beyond humans to "artificial" entities like corporations.
The Pentagon wants two defense contractors to pay up for an almost-forgotten Navy plane the government says did not work as advertised.
Recent remarks from a Supreme Court justice have alarmed those still pushing for an Equal Rights Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, three decades after an earlier attempt failed.
The Supreme Court can seem a distant, dusty place, far removed from what young people, especially, see as relevant in their lives. It's an institution closed to cameras, with justices issuing dense written opinions while working mostly from their private chambers. So how do you get high schoolers interested in the important judicial stakes that affect everyone?
Two business giants -- one a upscale manufacturer, the other a discount retailer -- clashed at the Supreme Court Monday in an important business case dealing with imported goods sold at low cost in the United States.
"Postal 2" features the adventures of the "Postal Dude," an interactive video game character who, under the control of the player, must confront everyday tasks. But it is how he handles these errands -- with the power to behead girls, shoot police, and urinate on victims -- that along with other explicit games, has become a constitutional controversy.
In April, strategists John Feehery and Kiki McLean discussed whether there should be a ban on violent video games.
Elena Kagan was confirmed by the Senate on Thursday to become the 112th justice on the Supreme Court. Here is a look at what happens next:
Diversity is not a word that describes the Supreme Court's makeup over most of its existence. Only three women justices have served (the first in 1981), and only two African-Americans (the first in 1967).
Justices of the Supreme Court enjoyed a whirlwind schedule of overseas and domestic trips in the past year, newly released financial records show.
Sometimes the most complicated of cases at the Supreme Court brings out the best arguments. It certainly brought out the giggles in a little-watched appeal Tuesday over federal prison terms.
Oral arguments at the Supreme Court are often a time for the ever-colorful Justice Antonin Scalia to attract attention with a provocative display of his rhetorical gifts and sense of humor. Both were in display this week in a pair of cases heard in public session.
Justice Antonin Scalia is a conservative in thought, but not in personality. A new biography of the colorful Supreme Court jurist paints a complete picture of his enormous ongoing influence on the law and society.
The beautifully ornate Catholic church in the nation's capital has seen its share of history and controversy.
Setting the stage for a dramatic battle over gun rights, the Supreme Court on Wednesday accepted an appeal challenging the ability of state and local governments to enforce strict limits on handguns and other weapons.
Congressman Barney Frank is taking some major heat for making a serious accusation against Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia.
Rep. Barney Frank defends his recent comments toward Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia.
The Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday federal regulators have the authority to clamp down on the broadcast TV networks that air isolated cases of profanity, known as "fleeting expletives."
The Supreme Court has refused to reconsider its June ruling banning capital punishment for child rapists, rejecting Louisiana officials' argument that a "significant error" led to its conclusion that there is a "national consensus" against executing non-murderers.
Five years after America's high court undid sodomy laws with Lawrence v. Texas, the landmark ruling has dramatically impacted the legal landscape for homosexuals
It looked like the makings of a perfect storm of animosity in the last week of the Supreme Court's current term, before it wrapped up for the summer recess Thursday.
The National Rifle Association is hailing the Supreme Court ruling that overturned a gun ban a 'monumental victory.'
The Supreme Court has reaffirmed an individual's right to gun ownership, but don't expect gun control laws to go away
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Thursday that a sweeping ban on handguns in the nation's capital violated the Second Amendment right to bear arms.
Mayor Adrian Fenty says Washington D.C. is re-working its handgun policy.
Most of the Supreme Court justices piled up a lot frequent flyer miles in 2007, jetting to such exotic locales as Austria, India and Hawaii, according to financial disclosure reports released Friday.
The Supreme Court dealt federal prosecutors dual setbacks Monday in efforts to prosecute the laundering of drug ring and organized crime profits.
The Supreme Court on Monday upheld a law aimed at preventing child pornography, ruling a provision dealing with "pandering" illicit material does not violate constitutional protections on free speech.
The Supreme Court ruled Monday that states can require voters to produce photo identification without violating their constitutional rights, validating Republican-inspired voter ID laws
The Supreme Court on Tuesday debated whether a provision of federal election law that allows opponents of certain self-financed candidates to exceed campaign spending limits unfairly punishes those who self-finance.
Americans have a right to own guns, Supreme Court justices declared Tuesday in a historic and lively debate that could lead to the most significant interpretation of the Second Amendment since its ratification two centuries ago
For a long time, during the middle of the 20th Century, it wasn't even clear what it meant to be a judicial conservative. Then, with great suddenness, during the presidency of Ronald Reagan, judges and lawyers on the right found a voice and an agenda. Their goals reflected and reinforced the political goals of the conservative wing of the Republican Party.
Italy's high court rules that an infamous obscenity is merely an expression of annoyance.
One Supreme Court justice says his fellow conservatives are "too dismissive" of government efforts to ensure racial diversity in schools. Another more liberal member says those on the right did "serious violence" to a high school student's free speech rights.
The court's ruling puts a chink in campaign finance law, but it also shows the ideological limits of the Roberts Court
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday gave police officers significant protection from lawsuits by suspects who lead them on car chases.
The buttons were 2 to 4 inches around, showing a man killed in a shooting, and were worn by his family at the murder trial of the accused shooter.
Justice Antonin Scalia opened the Supreme Court's new term Tuesday by questioning whether a man deported to Mexico after a drug conviction would be "abstaining from tequila" for fear of violating his U.S. parole terms.
A sharply divided Supreme Court limited the reach of federal regulators to block private development that might affect water quality, in an important property rights dispute that exposed deep divisions among the justices.
Ruling in an important property rights dispute, a divided U.S. Supreme Court limited the reach of federal regulators to block private development that might affect water quality.
A split Supreme Court ruled Thursday that drug evidence seized in a home search can be used against a suspect even though police failed to knock on the door and wait a "reasonable" amount of time before entering.
A conservative federal judge who was a finalist for two recent Supreme Court vacancies has resigned his post to become the top lawyer at aircraft maker Boeing Corp.
The Supreme Court heard arguments Tuesday in what could prove a landmark case on the president's power in a wartime setting.
The Supreme Court heard debate Tuesday on whether free-speech protections apply to government employees at their jobs.
A dispute between a husband and wife over a search of their home for illegal drugs left the Supreme Court equally at odds Tuesday in an important case over police powers.
The conservative bent of judge Sam Alito, who President Bush nominated this morning to the U.S. Supreme Court, has prompted facile comparisons to Justice Antonin Scalia, arguably the most stridently conservative member of the court.
While Republicans and Democrats geared up for a potential confirmation battle over Supreme Court nominee Samuel Alito, one moderate GOP senator said Democrats didn't have the necessary ammunition to shoot down the nomination.
He had to beat back a challenge from conservatives who were wary of his pro-choice views, but now Arlen Specter, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, is leading the Senate's scrutiny of President Bush's court nominees.
A cautious Supreme Court walked a legal tightrope Wednesday, seeming to look for ways that would allow displays of the Ten Commandments on government property to continue.
Though he bravely overcame his illness to deliver the presidential oath of office at last week's Inaugural, most court watchers assume that Chief Justice William Rehnquist's cancer will soon force him to retire from the Supreme Court.
Supreme Court justices pressed attorneys for both the plaintiffs and the U.S. government Tuesday in a case pitting national security concerns against claims by two former Communist defectors who say the CIA reneged on a promise to support them for life.
Incoming Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid on Sunday had harsh words for Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.
On June 24, in Cheney v. U.S. District Court, the Supreme Court gave Vice President Dick Cheney only a partial victory in the suit that seeks to learn how his National Energy Policy Development Group developed its recommendations.
Ronald Reagan's conservatism can be seen at the nation's highest court, dominated by his colorful and influential choices.
Attorneys for two public interest groups argued Tuesday for the release of Vice President Dick Cheney's energy task force records, with the Bush administration calling it a case of "separation of powers."
Several journalism groups are expressing outrage over the actions of a deputy marshal who forced the erasure of two journalists' audio recordings of a speech by Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia at a Mississippi high school.
Imagine you're attending a school in Massachusetts that U.S. News and World Report has ranked top liberal arts college nine times. This college is habitually called a 'bastion of liberalism.' So do you jump into the steady, leftward current of politics, or do the liberal status quo and academic pressure keep you moored to your books?
An environmental group suing Vice President Dick Cheney in U.S. Supreme Court case has asked Justice Antonin Scalia to recuse himself, citing reports that the two recently dined and hunted together.
Chief Justice William Rehnquist Monday dismissed congressional calls for fellow Justice Antonin Scalia to recuse himself from Supreme Court consideration of a coming case involving Scalia's friend, Vice President Dick Cheney.
Two leading Democratic senators asked Chief Justice William Rehnquist on Thursday about the propriety of a hunting trip Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia took with Vice President Dick Cheney while Cheney has a case pending before the high court.
Justice Antonin Scalia has not indicated whether he will pull out a of an upcoming Supreme Court case involving Vice President Cheney, following reports the two recently went on a hunting trip and had dinner together.
A unanimous Supreme Court ruled Tuesday there are limits to when consumers can sue over inadequate phone service, in an antitrust case worth potentially billions of dollars among competing telecom companies.
Here's one more reason to care about the 2000 election: A majority of the nine-member Supreme Court could be selected by the next President. Democratic and Republican partisans already have been sh...
Everyone else has already weighed in on the deeper meaning of those personnel changes over at the Supreme Court, and yet a few pregnant questions remain unanswered, and we would hate to have the Se...
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