Supreme Court considers mandatory minimum sentences under 3-strikes gun law

The Supreme Court considered during a hearing whether a judge or a jury gets to decide whether criminal defendants’ prior convictions justify enhanced sentencing under a federal three-strikes gun law. The court heard oral arguments on March 27 in Erlinger v. United States. In the case, the court is expected to decide whether the Sixth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution requires juries to go through fact-based inquiries to figure out whether a defendant has committed multiple prior offenses on separate occasions and therefore qualifies for an enhanced sentence under the Armed Career Criminal Act (ACCA) of 1984. According to the … Continue reading Supreme Court considers mandatory minimum sentences under 3-strikes gun law

Supreme Court won’t hear challenges to president’s power to create national monuments

The Supreme Court declined to take up two lawsuits challenging the ability of the U.S. president to declare federal lands to be national monuments. The nation’s highest court denied the petitions for certiorari, or review, on March 25, in the … Continue reading Supreme Court won’t hear challenges to president’s power to create national monuments

Supreme Court hears case of Texas councilwoman claiming her arrest was politically motivated

A Texas grandmother and former city council member who was arrested after criticizing a city manager should be able to sue for retaliation, according to the petitioners in a case in which the Supreme Court heard oral arguments on March … Continue reading Supreme Court hears case of Texas councilwoman claiming her arrest was politically motivated

RBG Award organizers scuttle gala after criticism by late Supreme Court justice’s family

Organizers of an award named after late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg abruptly canceled this year’s awards gala when the liberal jurist’s family complained after learning that some of this year’s awards were to be given to non-liberal honorees. … Continue reading RBG Award organizers scuttle gala after criticism by late Supreme Court justice’s family

Supreme Court appears wary of limiting Biden admin’s social media contacts in free speech case

Supreme Court justices seemed skeptical of state arguments on March 18 that the federal government was wrong to communicate with social media platforms about public health issues during the recent pandemic. At the same time, during oral argument in Murthy … Continue reading Supreme Court appears wary of limiting Biden admin’s social media contacts in free speech case