Courts & Law

Happy Independence Day From the Supreme Court: Unions and Women Lose, Koch Brothers Win

Bill Blum / Truthdig Jul 1, 2014 The court's latest decisions handed long-sought political victories to some of the most extreme elements of the American right. Dig deeper ( 7 Min. Read )

Is Scalia Too Bigoted to Serve on the Next Gay Marriage Case?

Bill Blum / Truthdig May 23, 2014 In a string of judicial opinions and public appearances dating back at least to the mid-1990s, Antonin Scalia has demonstrated that he cannot evaluate questions of gay rights with the temperament and open-mindedness expected of a judge. Dig deeper ( 4 Min. Read )

Impeach Clarence Thomas?

Bill Blum / Truthdig May 13, 2014 While the Constitution allows even Supreme Court justices to be impeached, it has happened only once in our nation's history. Dig deeper ( 5 Min. Read )

Unsurprising Affirmative Action Decision Is Bad News for Gay Marriage

Bill Blum / Truthdig Apr 23, 2014 The current Supreme Court has consistently decided for states' rights and majority rule, which could be a problem as same-sex marriage cases work their way through the judiciary. Dig deeper ( 4 Min. Read )

Should She Stay or Should She Go? The Debate Over Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s Retirement

Bill Blum / Truthdig Apr 16, 2014 It should come as no surprise that Ginsburg is at the center of a roiling debate among left-leaning lawyers, scholars and legal commentators as to whether the time has come for her to retire in order to permit a Democratic president, Barack Obama, to nominate her successor. Dig deeper ( 4 Min. Read )

Why the Biggest Winners in the Hobby Lobby Case May Be the Koch Brothers

Bill Blum / Truthdig Mar 28, 2014 We may not get a Supreme Court decision in the Hobby Lobby and Conestoga Wood cases that challenge the Affordable Care Act’s contraception mandate until the end of June, but it’s probably not too early to project the biggest winners in the cases: brothers Charles and David Koch.It’s probably not too early to project the biggest winners in the Hobby Lobby and Conestoga Wood cases: brothers Charles and David Koch. Dig deeper ( 4 Min. Read )

Supreme Court Watch: Campaign Spending, Union Busting and the Subversion of the First Amendment

Bill Blum / Truthdig Mar 19, 2014 Although predicting the outcome of Supreme Court cases is never a sure thing, two decisions that may be handed down any day have the clear potential to transform the meaning of the First Amendment and once again expose the court’s radically pro-corporate and anti-union agenda.Two Supreme Court decisions that may be handed down any day have the clear potential to transform the meaning of the First Amendment and once again expose the court’s radically pro-corporate and anti-union agenda. Dig deeper ( 4 Min. Read )

The Fight Against Religious Bigotry Continues

Bill Blum / Truthdig Mar 2, 2014 Don’t be misled by pundits proclaiming victory in the battle against religious bigotry after Arizona Gov Jan Brewer’s veto of her state’s gay discrimination bill The battle rages on, both in a host of similar measures proposed in states across the country and in a set of potentially landmark cases pending before the Supreme Court. Dig deeper ( 5 Min. Read )

Recess Is Over: What the Supreme Court Has in Store for Us Now

Bill Blum / Truthdig Feb 15, 2014 If you’ve been wondering what has happened to the Supreme Court and all those transformative decisions it was supposed to issue during its 2013-14 term, you’re not alone. Dig deeper ( 6 Min. Read )

Meet the Worst Judge in America

Bill Blum / Truthdig Nov 26, 2013 Now that Senate Democrats have deployed the so-called nuclear option, the question arises: From a progressive perspective, who is the worst sitting federal judge in America today? Dig deeper ( 5 Min. Read )

The Supreme Court Could Get Even Worse This Term

Bill Blum / Truthdig Oct 16, 2013 If the oral arguments conducted the first two weeks of the court’s current term are any indication, the Supreme Court will drift further to the right. Dig deeper ( 5 Min. Read )

A Star Wasn’t Born

Bill Boyarsky / Truthdig Sep 6, 2008 What had been unexpected by the faithful at the Republican National Convention was McCain's choice of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as the vice presidential nominee. McCain's decision was cited as an example of his willingness to take a chance, to gamble everything on a hunch. It was much more than that. Dig deeper ( 4 Min. Read )