Supreme Court hears arguments on states attempts to defend Trump 'public charge' immigration policy
The US Supreme Court heard oral argument Wednesday in a dispute over whether a group of states, led by Arizona, can intervene to defend an immigration policy known as the “public charge” rule after the Biden administration declined to do so. Under the “public charge” rule, also known as 8 USC § 1182(a)(4)(A), the government [...]
The United States Supreme Court Wednesday agreed to hear a request from New York City teachers to block a vaccine mandate over religious objections, despite Justice Sonia Sotomayor initially denying the request. In October 2021, Sotomayor denied a request from a group of New York City teachers challenging the city and state’s vaccine mandate for [...]
The US Supreme Court reinstated Alabama’s new congressional map Monday, which had previously been blocked by a lower court for violating § 2 of the Voting Rights Act (VRA). In November 2021, two lawsuits were filed challenging the congressional map on the grounds that the map unlawfully dilutes African-American voting strength because the map has [...]
US Supreme Court allows Alabama execution to proceed despite concerns about intellectual disability
The US Supreme Court on Thursday vacated a stay of execution for Alabama death row inmate Matthew Reeves, reversing the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals Wednesday decision to uphold the stay amidst concerns that the Alabama Department of Corrections (ADOC) did not accommodate Reeves’ intellectual disability when he was asked to choose the method of [...]
US Supreme Court reinforces criminal defendant right to cross-examine witnesses
The US Supreme Court Thursday reinforced the Sixth Amendment right of criminal defendants to cross-examine prosecution witnesses in an 8-1 decision. The case, Hemphill v. New York, originated with the 2006 shooting death of a two-year-old in the Bronx. New York prosecutors originally charged Nicholas Morris with the murder, as the same caliber gun used in [...]
US Supreme Court again rejects attempt to block Texas abortion ban
The US Supreme Court Thursday denied Texas abortion providers’ request to send their challenge to the nation’s most restrictive abortion law to the federal district court as was previously ordered, instead permitting it to languish in the Fifth Circuit where resolution will likely take several more months. After the Supreme Court allowed a portion of [...]
US Supreme Court hears oral arguments on federal vaccine mandates
The US Supreme Court heard oral arguments Friday concerning whether agencies under the Biden administration had the authority to require large employers and medical care facilities that participate in Medicare and Medicaid to mandate employee vaccinations. The first case, National Federation of Independent Businesses (NFIB) v. Department of Labor (DOL), addresses the administration’s authority to [...]
2021 is ending sadly for Americans who believe in the rule of law, the supremacy of constitutional rights and/or the institutional authority and reputation of the US Supreme Court. On September 1 and again on December 10, five Supreme Court Justices essentially hoisted the white flag of surrender when presented with different challenges to S.B. [...]
FDA permanently lifts in-person restriction on access to abortion pill
The US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) announced Thursday that it permanently lifted restrictions on access Mifeprex (mifepristone) and its generic versions, which are used with another medication to end an early pregnancy. The FDA confirmed that it conducted a review of its mifepristone Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) Program, conducting a benefits and [...]
JURIST is launching a new series of dispatches from major US states written by JURIST correspondents “on the ground” in those jurisdictions. JURIST Operations Director Ram Eachambadi files this report from Los Angeles. A day after the US Supreme Court’s refusal to block Texas Senate Bill 8 (SB8) for the second time, California Governor Gavin [...]
