Now that the Supreme Court’s 06-07 term is over I figured I’d give a bullet-point summary of all the major decisions:
Racial preferences in public education – Rejected.
Use of race in public school admissions – Severely limited.
McCain-Feingold – Gutted; essentially rendered moot.
Strict construction of federal employment laws – Mandated.
Strict construction of federal labor regulations – Mandated.
Strict construction of federal criminal laws – Mandated.
Strict construction of federal securities laws – Mandated.
Strict construction of patent laws – Mandated.
Monopoly effect of patents – Limited.
Death penalty – Upheld several times over.
Procedural challenges for death row inmates claiming mental illness – Expanded.
Labor unions – Defeated several times over.
Abortion – Restricted.
Fourth Amendment protections – Expanded.
1st Amend. protections for high school students – Limited.
Police civil tort liability – Limited.
Class action lawsuits – Limited further still.
Federal antitrust laws – Limited two times.
Federal consumer credit laws – Limited.
Civil punitive damages – Limited further still.
Appellate review of federal criminal sentences – Limited.
Federal court subject matter jurisdiction – Limited two times.
Clean Air Act – Expanded.
Endangered Species Act – Limited.
Gov’t regulation of banks – Limited.
* * *
Not bad, huh?
It could have been better. Ironically enough it was Reagan-appointed Justice Anthony M. Kennedy who took what could have been a grade-A term and turned it into more of a B+ term. But that’s another rant for another time and place.
* * *
Our next president likely will choose somewhere between 2-3 Justices. It goes without saying, however, that several million conservatives are going to stay home next year and not vote. But if the non-voting right fails to elect ObamaHillary, then we’ll be looking at a scenario in which an absolute conservative High Court majority finally (mercifully) could be implemented.
Time will tell.
