Res Ipsa Blog

A master wordsmith, Justice Antonin Scalia is without a doubt the most colorful writer on the Supreme Court. Examples of his most famous lines include: The story is told of the elderly judge who, looking back over a long career, observes with satisfaction that, when I was young, I probably let stand some convictions that should have been overturned, and when I was old I probably set aside some that should have stood; so overall, justice was done. I sometimes think that is ... Read More

Today in a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court struck down the ban on handguns in the District of Columbia. At issue in District of Columbia v. Heller was whether the Second Amendment protected the right of individuals to bear arms, or whether it applied only to the collective rights of states to maintain militias. In the majority opinion written by Justice Scalia, the Court held that the individual right to possess a firearm is unrelated to service in a militia, and instead, was ... Read More

Today, the Supreme Court decided Boumediene v. Bush, affirming that terrorist suspects held in Guantanamo Bay have the right to file habeas petitions in federal courts. The case arose from a habeas petition made on behalf of Lakhdar Boumedine who was being held as an enemy combatant at Guantanamo Bay. Majority: Kennedy, Stevens, Breyer, Ginsburg, and Souter Dissent: Roberts, Scalia, Thomas, Alito Full-length opinion. Sources: Reuters, SCOTUSblog More information: Oyez, SCOTUSwiki: amicus briefs Boumediene: a lesson in drafting dissents. Oral Arguments Read More

On Monday, in Crawford v. Marion County Election Board, the Supreme Court upheld the Indiana law requiring voters to have a government issued photo identification card in order to vote. Suit was brought by opponents of the law who claimed that the requirement to have a photo identification card created a substantial barrier for voters have government issued photo identification. In the 6-3 decision, the Court held the burdens associated with the voter identification requirement did not amount to a constitutional ... Read More

Charming and surprisingly funny, at 72, Scalia seemed to be twenty years younger and in the best of health during his interview that aired today on 60 Minutes. "Nino," as he is affectionately known, is only child and was born to his Italian immigrant parents. Scalia grew up in Queens, New York and eventually earned his own way into Harvard through persistence and hard work. In his first-ever major television interview, Scalia provided insight into his position as an originalist, someone who ... Read More

As previously reported, Scalia will be on 60 Minutes tomorrow at 6 Central. Here is a preview: [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjaB3cxH-XE&rel=0] Read More

Today, in a 7-2 decision, the Supreme Court held that lethal injections do not violate the Constitution. Writing for the plurality in Baze v. Rees, Chief Justice Roberts stated merely "showing a slightly or marginally safe alternative" was not enough to successfully challenge the method of execution. Instead, there must be proof that the alternate method prevents a "substantial risk of serious harm" As Justice Stevens pointed out, the issue before the Court was not whether the death penalty itself ... Read More