Peter Landers
The Wall Street Journal
6/21/2012
As usual, the Supreme Court, although close to the end of its term, is in no hurry to decide its big cases.
The court ruled Thursday against the FCC in the indecency case, saying it didn’t give fair notice to broadcasters.
But many big cases remain to be decided at the end of the 2011-12 term:
Juvenile sentences: The justices will decide on life sentences without parole for juveniles convicted of homicide. It’s the latest case in which the court is considering whether harsh sentences for people under 18 violate the Eight Amendment prohibition of cruel and unusual punishments. More details in this WSJ article on the arguments in March.
Stolen valor: The Stolen Valor Act, enacted in 2006, makes it a federal crime for a person to claim falsely to have received a U.S. military medal. A California man admits he lied when he said he won the Medal of Honor but says his statements were protected by the First Amendment. Here is the WSJ coverage.
Arizona immigration: The court’s final argument of the term, on April 25, involved Arizona’s tough anti-immigration law. The justices suggested they were ready to uphold at least one part of the law—a provision directing police to check the immigration status of people they stop—but the fate of other provisions was less clear. WSJ argument story here.
Health Care: And, lest we forget, there’s one other matter before the Supreme Court that has gained some attention.
The fate of President Barack Obama’s health-care law—the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act—is expected to be decided in the last week of June. Here’s our coverage from March 27, the pivotal day of arguments.
MORE
Not Just Health Insurance Is at Stake in Supreme Court Ruling
Related: Boehner: There will be no spiking of the ball if ObamaCare is overturned
An angel gets its wings: SCOTUS rules against Big Labor in SEIU smackdown
SEIU loses 7-2. A victory for working people who don’t want unions forcing them to give to political campaigns.
Update: SCOTUS blog: Remaining merits cases: In Plain English
Also, Federal Charges Filed Against Local Teamster Union
Hammond, WI —A union technician from Hammond, WI, has filed a federal charge against a local Teamster union for violating his rights in using his union dues for political activism and refusing to follow federal disclosure requirements.The National Right to Work Foundation (NRWF), according to a press release, is offering pro bono legal representation to Dylan McHenry, who is charging the Teamsters Local 974 Union for illegally confiscating union dues payments from his paychecks for political activism…
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