What establishes 9 supreme court justices

WASHINGTON (AP) — Retired Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens is calling for the repeal of the Second Amendment to allow for significant gun control legislation.The 97-year-old Stevens says in an essay on the New York Times website that repeal would weaken the National Rifle Association's ability to "block constructive gun control legislation."Stevens was on the losing end of a 2008 ruling in which the high court held that the Second Amendment gives individuals the right to own a gun for self-defense. He had previously called for changing the Second Amendment to permit gun control. Stevens says the decision in that case, District of Columbia v. Heller, "has provided the N.R.A. with a propaganda weapon of immense power." Stevens retired from the court in 2010 after more than 35 years.In his essay published Tuesday, Stevens talks about the "March for Our Lives" events on Saturday which drew crowds in cities across the country. Stevens said the demonstrations "reveal the broad … [Read more...] about Retired U.S. Supreme Court justice urges repeal of Second Amendment

WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump is driving to execute the same playbook in selecting a new Supreme Court nominee that last year delivered swift confirmation of Justice Neil Gorsuch, following a methodical course in hopes of avoiding the lurching disorder that so often engulfs his White House. As Trump looks to reorient the nation’s high court with a replacement for retiring Justice Anthony Kennedy, he has left himself little room for improvisation – in part because he has delegated and outsourced much of the spadework. Using Gorsuch as a model, the president has said his next nominee will be chosen from a preselected list of 25 candidates, most of them already fixtures on the federal courts who have been subject to public and internal vetting. The interview process for a half-dozen or so finalists is beginning, including private sit-downs with Trump starting this weekend at his Bedminster, New Jersey, golf course, as well as sessions with White House Counsel … [Read more...] about “We have to pick a great one”: Inside Trump’s plan for a new Supreme Court justice

Donald Trump won the Virginia primary by a landslide, the state’s Republicans elected to send at-large-delegates to the Republican National Convention who are much more loyal to Ted Cruz during this weekend’s state convention. Cruz supporters secured 10 of the 13-at-large Virginia delegates. One of the Cruz-supporting delegates includes Virginia Thomas, the wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas. The remaining three delegates are Trump supporters, according to The Washington Post. Mrs. Thomas is active in the Republican party, and, according to Politico, was head of a tea party group that worked to defeat Democrats in the 2010 election. She has come under fire for her role in politics and whether what she does taints her husband’s ability to fairly decide cases. In 2009, she founded Liberty Consulting which worked to form “a bridge between the conservative establishment and the anti-establishment tea party … [Read more...] about Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas’ Wife Elected Ted Cruz Delegate

A Montana Supreme Court justice coined a legal caveat for drug dealers in an opinion that found no double jeopardy bar to a state prosecution for drug possession.The Missoulian has a story on Justice James Shea’s May 30 opinion (PDF), which included pop culture references and a rhyming summary of his holding.Shea ruled against Bruce Anthony Glass, who contended his guilty plea to a federal drug conspiracy charge foreclosed state drug possession charges. Glass cited the state’s statutory ban on double jeopardy, which bars a state prosecution if it arises out of the same transaction as a federal conviction or acquittal.Shea said the possession charge is a distinct criminal offense that can be prosecuted by the state.“‘Don’t get high on your own supply’ is a long-established rule of the drug trade,” Shea wrote. “To that rule, we now add the legal caveat: ‘Don’t get high on your own supply, cause double jeopardy don’t … [Read more...] about Montana Supreme Court justice coins rhyming legal caveat for drug dealers

The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to hear a challenge by a Planned Parenthood affiliate to an Arkansas law restricting how drugs that cause abortion are administered. The appeal case was rejected by the Supreme Court justices without comment, an action that allows Arkansas to put into effect its restrictions on the delivery of abortion drugs.In its challenge, Planned Parenthood asked the Supreme Court to review a ruling from the Eighth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that had reversed a lower court order prohibiting enforcement of the state law, reports the Associated Press. Arkansas’ Abortion-Inducing Drugs Safety Act – which was passed in 2015 – requires abortionists who administer abortion drugs to have a contract with another physician, with admitting privileges at a local hospital, who would agree to handle the case of a patients with complications from the procedure. Planned Parenthood has typically condemned such health and safety legislation, … [Read more...] about Supreme Court Rejects Planned Parenthood Challenge to Arkansas Abortion Law