Saturday, July 16, 2011

Supreme Court Ends Pro-Business Term With Important First Amendment Rulings | American Civil Liberties Union

Supreme Court Ends Pro-Business Term With Important First Amendment Rulings | American Civil Liberties Union

This article provides a very concise recap of the 2010 Supreme Court term with a little analysis thrown in.

Notable Cases of 2010:
1) Arizona's campaign finance law was struck down, which would basically pay the candidate who earned less so that both candidates earnings and funds would be equal. struck down as a violation of free speech.

2) California banning violent videogames to kids was struck down, kids have 1st Amendment rights as well.

3) Free Speech protects the Westboro Baptist Church in picketing Iraq War veterans funerals with signs blaming their deaths on America's support of homosexuals.

4) In the high stakes Walmart case, the court made it more difficult for employees to get class certified and also upheld a contractual clause forbidding employees from joining a class action suit against their company in AT&T. Pro business and anti-consumer decisions.

5) In Winn, the court made a differentiation between a subsidy and a tax credit, a tax credit is not government support, so can go to causes and uses that a subsidy cannot, such as for religious education as was the present case. Who doesnt love loopholes.

6) In Brown v. Plata, California's prison overpopulation was ruled unconstitutional and they must now release a shit-ton of prisoners, I love this.

No comments:

Post a Comment