Recently Decided Supreme Court Cases
Court cuts judgment in Exxon Valdez case (June 25, 2008)
The Supreme Court has cut the final bill that the Exxon Mobil Corporation must pay for the 1989 accident that caused the Exxon Valdez to spill 11 million gallons of oil into Prince William Sound. More...
Right to attorney begins soon after arrest (June 23, 2008)
The Supreme Court refined the contours of the Sixth Amendment right to counsel in a civil rights suit where the plaintiff charged that he was denied an attorney during a non-prosecutorial court hea More...
Federal appellate courts cannot increase sentences sua sponte (June 23, 2008)
Appellate courts do not have the authority to hike defendants' sentences when the government has not asked them to do so, a divided Supreme Court ruled. More...
Divided court rules against long-distance companies (June 23, 2008)
The Supreme Court held that the assignment of a legal claim to an intermediary, who will not benefit directly from the lawsuit, nonetheless gives the intermediary standing to sue. More...
Court strikes down California's union law (June 19, 2008)
A provision of the National Labor Relations Act preempts a California law that prohibits employers from using state money to influence employees' views on unions in their workplace, the Supreme Cou More...
Court sides with older workers in age bias case (June 19, 2008)
Employers, not employees, bear the burden of proving layoffs did not discriminate against older workers, the Supreme Court ruled. More...
Justices limit a defendant's right to serve as own counsel (June 19, 2008)
The Supreme Court tried to clear up this Term a lingering ambiguity over the question of what mental competence a defendant must show before he can serve as his own attorney. More...
Justices: No age bias in Kentucky retirement system (June 19, 2008)
A divided Supreme Court held that a pension plan that openly gives different levels of retirement benefits to workers based on their age does not violate the Age Discrimination in Employment Act. More...
Court backs employee in ruling on health benefits (June 19, 2008)
The Supreme Court has ruled that ERISA benefits decisions made by claims administrators who also fund the benefit awards are the result of an inherent conflict of interest and are therefore subject More...
Divided court backs immigrants trying to stay in the country (June 16, 2008)
A divided Supreme Court sided with immigrants who try to get their cases reopened after voluntarily agreeing to leave the country. More...
