Free Republic

Gun Control: The Supreme Court agrees to decide if the Second Amendment applies to all of us, or just Washington, D.C. Why would the Founders put in the Bill of Rights something applying only to a federal enclave? In a 5-4 decision last year written by Justice Antonin Scalia, the Supreme Court overturned a draconian District of Columbia gun ban enacted 32 years ago that barred private ownership of handguns at all. Scalia wrote that an individual's right to bear arms is supported by "the historical narrative" both before and after the Second Amendment was adopted. The court ruled that...

(Corrected) Gun Control: In a case headed for the Supreme Court, a three-judge panel rules Chicago's gun ban constitutional since the 2nd Amendment doesn't apply to states and cities. High court nominee Sonia Sotomayor concurs.Those Pennsylvania townsfolk bitterly clinging to their guns may have been premature in celebrating the decision in D.C. v. Heller that the 2nd Amendment to the U.S. Constitution does indeed guarantee an individual right to keep and bear arms.

Sotomayor takes her place on high court bench Courtroom onlookers included mother, brother, and singer Ricky Martin J. Scott Applewhite / AP The Supreme Court's newest member, Sonia Sotomayor, left, is escorted by Chief Justice John Roberts following her investiture ceremony at the Supreme Court in Washington on Tuesday. WASHINGTON - Justice Sonia Sotomayor has taken her seat at the Supreme Court in front of a packed courtroom that included President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden. The ceremony Tuesday was just for show. Sotomayor and the rest of the court will return Wednesday for the argument in a...

John Paul Stevens has the longest tenure on the Supreme Court and is not coincidentally its oldest member at 89. Speculation arises every year about his potential retirement, but until now, Stevens has seemed indefatigable — or perhaps concerned about retiring with a more conservative President in place to nominate his replacement. However, Stevens no longer has that worry, and the small number of clerks he has hired this summer for the next session indicates that retirement will come soon: Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens has hired fewer law clerks than usual, generating speculation that the leader of the...

WASHINGTON – Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens has hired fewer law clerks than usual, generating speculation that the leader of the court's liberals will retire next year. If Stevens does step down, he would give President Barack Obama his second high court opening in two years. Obama chose Justice Sonia Sotomayor for the court when Justice David Souter announced his retirement in May. Souter's failure to hire clerks was the first signal that he was contemplating leaving the court. Stevens, 89, joined the court in 1975 and is the second-oldest justice in the court's history, after Oliver Wendell Holmes....

Washington, DC -- Justice John Paul Stevens could become the next Supreme Court justice to retire if the speculation that has started today is correct. Stevens has hired just one law clerk for an upcoming Supreme Court session, which observers say is an indication he could be considering a retirement bid.

The legal world — or at least those who watch movements at the Supreme Court closely — is a bit abuzz this morning with the news that Justice John Paul Stevens has confirmed that he has hired only one clerk so far for next year’s term. Clerk-watching has long been one of the signals as to whether a justice plans to retire, although clearly not foolproof and definitely not official. Justices usually hire three to four clerks by the beginning of the summer, a year or so before the next term when the clerks would start work. For Justice Stevens,...

Here is video of Sonia Sotomayor being sworn-in today as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. She will be "invested as a member of the Court" on September 8 in a special session of the Supreme Court. But the swearing-in today allows her to begin her work as an Associate Justice. Sotomayor took the oath with her mother holding a Bible and her brother standing beside her. Chief Justice John Roberts administered the Oath, holding the text of the oath in his hands. . . .(Watch Video)

Link only, per FR copyright and excerpt rules

Video at link.

A White House spokesman said Tuesday that Sen. John McCain's (R-Ariz.) decision to vote against Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor is "disappointing." White House press secretary Robert Gibbs criticized McCain, President Barack Obama's opponent last year, saying that Sotomayor is qualified to sit on the bench. "It's disappointing that Sen. McCain came to a different conclusion a day after talking about bipartisanship," Gibbs told reporters in his West Wing office.

Maverick senator should battle Supreme Court appointment. It's time for Sen. John McCain to step up to the plate on an issue he usually leaves to others. The Arizona Republican ought to fight hard against the confirmation of Judge Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court. Mr. McCain is usually not a partisan warrior on the subject of judges. But that's a reason why his active involvement would be effective. As the Republican Party's most recent presidential standard bearer, he commands more attention than almost any other senator in his party. As a man with a reputation for principled independence, his...

Link only, per FR copyright and excerpt rules

(snip) GRAHAM: Well, the speeches she gave, I think, bugged a lot of people, not just me. The idea that "a wise Latina woman" more often than not, because of her experience and background, would reach a better conclusion than a white male is not something I think most Americans want to embrace. I think Americans embrace the idea that diversity is good for the court.But I looked at her record and I put the speech in perspective. She's lived an incredible life. She's been a judge for 17 years. There's no indication that her speech drove way she judged....

Link only, per FR copyright and excerpt rules

WASHINGTON (AP) — Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham says he'll vote for Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor, breaking with his party's conservative leaders. . . . . . Graham is generally conservative but has been known to flash a maverick streak similar to his mentor, Sen. John McCain of Arizona.

Sen. Susan Collins announced Tuesday that she would become the fourth Senate Republican to support Sonia Sotomayor's nomination to the Supreme Court. The support from the Maine centrist is the latest sign that Sotomayor will be confirmed by a comfortable majority before the Senate adjourns for its summer recess on Aug. 7. "Judge Sotomayor has impressive legal experience, has excelled throughout her life and is a tremendously accomplished person," Collins said. "And based on my review of her record, my assessment of her character and my analysis of her adherence to precedent, Judge Sotomayor warrants confirmation to the high court."

U.S. Sen. Mel Martinez's support of Sonia Sotomayor was never in much doubt, but he made it clear today that he will vote to confirm her to the Supreme Court. "Given her judicial record, and her testimony this week, it is my determination that Judge Sotomayor is well-qualified to serve as Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court," he said in a statement. Judge Sotomayor is knowledgeable of the law, would be a fair and impartial judge, and seems to have a good understanding of the limited role the judiciary plays in our democracy.

Legal scholar and former U.S. Supreme Court nominee Robert Bork tells Newsmax he doesn't believe court nominee Sonia Sotomayor's assertion that she is "entirely governed by law," as he believes she should be. In an exclusive interview, he also said Sotomayor, who's going through confirmation hearings before a Senate panel, should be disqualified from consideration because of a statement she made. And Bork stated that the Roe v. Wade decision has been the "most dangerous" the Supreme Court has ever made because it has "embittered our politics." See Video: Judge Robert Bork discusses Sonia Sotomayor and the Senate hearings -...

WASHINGTON -- The nation's lawyers and law enforcement leaders gave Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor ringing endorsements Tuesday, even as Republicans tried to rally opposition. With Sotomayor's Senate confirmation hearing less than a week away, the American Bar Association announced that the 54-year-old appellate judge is "well qualified" to serve on the nation's highest court. The unanimous recommendation is the association's highest grade for a potential judge. "The only way she can get derailed is if she performs poorly next week," acknowledged Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., a Senate Judiciary Committee member. He said he was still undecided, but added, "I...

Sen. John McCain touched on a variety of topics with The Daily Courier while visiting Prescott July 4, from single-payer health care to a revived push for a national scenic area designation in the Sedona area. . . . . . Other topics with McCain included: . . . . . * Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor. McCain said he hasn't decided how he will vote on Sotomayor, especially since he still needs to talk to fellow Sen. Jon Kyl about her. Kyl serves on the Senate Judiciary Committee.

(snip) Meade: Tell me a little bit about Judge Sonia Sotomayor, she's someone that you appointed to a U.S. District Court. Bush: District Court. Meade: Now she's been nominated for the Supreme Court. What would her impact be on the Supreme Court, do you think? Bush: I think she'd pull a ripcord just at the right time and make a very nice parachutist. I'm going to leave that to others to analyze, but she should be given a fair hearing. She should be accorded every courtesy that goes with her record as a judge and her aspirations to be a...

WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court on Monday turned down a challenge to the Pentagon policy forbidding gays and lesbians from serving openly in the military, granting a request by the Obama administration. The court said it will not hear an appeal from former Army Capt. James Pietrangelo II, who was dismissed under the military's "don't ask, don't tell" policy. The federal appeals court in Boston earlier threw out a lawsuit filed by Pietrangelo and 11 other veterans. He was the only member of that group who asked the high court to rule that the Clinton-era policy is unconstitutional. Snip

The Justice Department is urging the Supreme Court to steer clear of a request from Indiana pension funds to halt the 'sale' of ...

The Supreme Court on Monday agreed with the Obama administration and refused to review Pentagon policy barring gays and lesbians from serving openly in the military. The court said it will not hear an appeal from former Army Capt. James Pietrangelo II, who was dismissed under the "don't ask, don't tell" policy. The federal appeals court in Boston earlier threw out a lawsuit filed by Pietrangelo and 11 other veterans. He was the only member of that group who asked the high court to rule that the Clinton-era policy is unconstitutional. "I think this decision is an absolute travesty of...

The United States Supreme Court agreed Monday afternoon to delay the sale of most of Chrysler’s assets to Fiat pending further consideration of an appeal by three Indiana state funds, in a move that injects a new element of uncertainty over the carmaker’s bankruptcy case. Skip to next paragraph Add to Portfolio Fiat SpA Go to your Portfolio » Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who handles emergency matters arising from the United States Appeals Court for the Second Circuit, in a one-sentence order, said the orders of the bankruptcy judge allowing the sale “are stayed pending further order of the undersigned...

The Supreme Court ruled moments ago that Chrysler cannot yet sell most of its assets to Fiat, a move that has been opposed by three Indiana state pension and construction funds. The ruling grants a stay in the sale as the court gathers more data and schedules a hearing on the matter. It temporarily blocks the way for Chrysler to complete its merger with the Italian automaker and begin its new, post-bankruptcy life. The U.S. favors the Chrysler-Fiat merger and wants to remove the Indiana road block. "I'm delighted it appears we will be getting our day in court," Indiana...

Supreme Court grants delay in Chrysler sale Indiana funds had petitioned for review of deal that involves sale to Fiat NEW YORK - The US Supreme Court has agreed to delay Chrysler's pending sale to Fiat while the court reviews the bankruptcy deal. The Indiana funds filed emergency papers with the Supreme Court on Sunday, joined by lawyers representing consumer groups and individuals with product-related lawsuits.

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg issued a stay in the Chrysler hearing, delaying its proposed sale to Fiat. The Supreme Court extended the current stay on the sale to here arguments against the merger, at the behest of groups that comprise Chrysler’s senior secured lenders. The primary opponents of the deal include three Indiana employee pension funds, the widow of a Chrysler employee and several consumer advocacy organizations who filed emergency applications to the Supreme Court Saturday.

Breaking on CNBC: USSC delays Chyrsler asset sale! Mourdock: USe of Tarp Funds in automotive industry was illegal Obama admin had urged USSC NOT to keep chrysler deal on hold

We knew that Sonia Sotomayor had appeared at La Raza sponsored events; now we know that Sotomayor joined the National Council of La Raza as a member. And this was not just a youthful piece of radicalism that Sotomayor later outgrew, either, as The Hill reports: Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor was a member of the National Council of La Raza for six years, according to her Senate questionnaire released Wednesday. Sotomayor, who would be the first Latina Supreme Court justice, was a member of the group form 1998 to 2004. Sotomayor joined NCLR while on the federal appellate court....

We may need more than 1,000 Supreme Court justices if we expect justices to decide cases the way President Obama wants -- by drawing on their "empathy" and "heart." As President Obama said when talking about Justice David Souter's retirement: I view that quality of empathy, of understanding and identifying with people's hopes and struggles, as an essential ingredient for arriving at just decisions and outcomes. (May 1, 2009). Although then-Senator Obama said that John Roberts was qualified to decide 95 percent of the cases coming before the Supreme Court, he voted not to confirm him as Chief Justice because...

Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) rejected charges Sunday that President Obama’s Supreme Court nominee, Judge Sonia Sotomayor, is a racist. Asked if he agreed with former House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) and conservative radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh that Sotomayor is a racist, the South Carolina Republican said he disagreed. “No, they interject themselves in the debate. They have got an audience to entertain and Newt is a political commentator. I’m a United States senator,” Graham said on "Fox News Sunday" with Chris Wallace. “I don’t think she’s a racist. She should be proud of what she has accomplished in...

(snip) HANNITY: OK, and so I'm — all right. I'm reading between the lines here, Senator. If you didn't think she was qualified for the Second Circuit, I've got to believe that you're going to be very — it's going to be a very difficult uphill battle for her to convince you she's qualified for the Supreme Court. Is that a fair statement? MCCAIN: Well, yes, but I also — it's fair to respect that her previous record I did not find satisfactory, but I do believe that she's got to be able to make her case, and for me...

What damage did Democrats suffer when they attacked Miguel Estrada?Both President Barack Obama and Republicans get something they want from the Supreme Court nomination of Sonia Sotomayor. Mr. Obama said he wanted to replace Justice David Souter with someone who had "empathy" and who'd temper the court's decisions with a concern for the downtrodden, the powerless and the voiceless. "Empathy" is the latest code word for liberal activism, for treating the Constitution as malleable clay to be kneaded and molded in whatever form justices want. It represents an expansive view of the judiciary in which courts create policy that couldn't...

In making Sonia Sotomayor his first nominee for the Supreme Court yesterday, President Obama appears to have found the ideal match for his view that personal experience and cultural identity are the better part of judicial wisdom. This isn't a jurisprudence that the Founders would recognize, but it is the creative view that has dominated the law schools since the 1970s and from which both the President and Judge Sotomayor emerged. In the President's now-famous word, judging should be shaped by "empathy" as much or more than by reason. In this sense, Judge Sotomayor would be a thoroughly modern Justice,...

With his nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor for the U.S. Supreme Court, President Obama has abandoned all pretense of being a post-partisan president. While he may like to think of himself as a thoughtful moderate soaring above the issues that divide America, his actions reveal what hides under that hopeful lining. Presidents usually nominate judges that espouse their philosophy. So what does this nomination tell us about Mr. Obama's true colors? Even the liberal establishment worries that Judge Sotomayor tilts too far to the left. New Republic essayist Jeffrey Rosen reports that fellow liberals who have watched or worked with...

Senior presidential adviser David Axelrod said Obama wanted someone whose judicial philosophy is similar to his. He wanted someone who would appreciate constitutional principles but "be ready to adapt them to a modern context."

CNN senior legal analyst Jeffrey Toobin on Tuesday twice labeled President Obama’s Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor a “moderate liberal.” On American Morning, minutes after the Latina judge’s name emerged near the bottom half of the 8 am Eastern hour, Toobin predicted that she would “probably have very little trouble getting confirmed, and who will be a voice like David Souter for moderate liberalism.” Hours later, during The Situation Room program, he predicted that Sotomayor, if confirmed, would rule as a “moderate liberal, like Ginsburg and Breyer.” American Morning anchor T. J. Holmes brought on the legal analyst to discuss...

Conservative activists are outspoken in their opposition. But Republican senators who will actually vote on her nomination offer muted responses. Some think the party has a chance to reach Latino vote. BY PETER WALLSTEN and RICHARD SIMON Reporting from Washington -- Rush Limbaugh called her a "reverse racist." The conservative Judicial Confirmation Network said she was an activist with a "personal political agenda" and should be blocked from the Supreme Court. . . . . .The Republican senators who will actually vote on her were not following the activists' script. Instead, GOP senators offered muted, sometimes admiring, responses, and seemed...

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Arizona's U.S. senators, both Republicans, congratulated Sonia Sotomayor on her nomination to the Supreme Court and said they would study her record thoroughly before the Senate's confirmation vote. . . . . . Sen. John McCain also congratulated Sotomayor and said, "I look forward to examining her record thoroughly during the Senate confirmation process."

Sign the petition against Sonia Sotomayor at www.stopsotomayor.com Organized for Life has stepped up as the leading force against President Obama's nominee for the Supreme Court vacancy created by Justice Souter. Organized for Life's PAC, OFL Action, has opened a petition site at www.stopsotomayor.com to oppose the addition of another potentially pro-abortion justice to the Supreme Court. Sonia Sotomayor has a record of legislating from the bench that stands against the will of the majority of Americans. Fifty-one percent of Americans call themselves pro-life. Eighty-two percent of Americans do not want a justice who would support partial-birth and late term...

President Barack Obama seemed to have lost his deft touch in recent weeks as several controversies simmered then exploded out of his control, making his life miserable and exposing his administration to criticism from some unlikely sources — including his own far left base and the press. Stung by this sudden and unprecedented sign that the media was waking from its long winter nap, the president needed a plus in his column in order to right his own ship, if only temporarily. That opportunity came with the vacancy on the Supreme Court created when David Souter announced he would step...

Sen. Chuck Schumer called Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor a "moderate" and added President Obama did not choose a "far-out liberal." Schumer said it would be hard for a member of either party to oppose her confirmation and warned Republicans to oppose her at their peril.

Judge Sonia Sotomayor is a self-described “Newyorkrican,” the daughter of parents who moved from Puerto Rico to the Bronx. In speeches to Latino groups, she has echoed some of the same themes as President Obama about growing up as a minority, and feeling she never completely fit in anywhere. “I am always looking over my shoulder, wondering if I measure up,” she’s said. Sotomayor, 54, was nominated by Obama Tuesday to replace retiring Justice David Souter. If confirmed, she would be the first Hispanic justice — and third woman — to serve on the nation’s highest court. As a judge,...

Breaking on FOX- the president will announce SCOTUS pick around 10 am eastern.

Washington, DC (LifeNews.com) -- President Barack Obama is expected to name his replacement for retiring pro-abortion Supreme Court Justice David Souter. When he makes his nomination, which could come as early as Tuesday, pro-abortion 7th Circuit Court of Appeals judge Diane Wood has become the front-runner. Wood is one of several pro-abortion judges or political figures observers have placed on Obama's likely short list of candidates. Over the weekend, she appeared to rise to the top of the list. Wood is considered a top legal mind by left-wing political activists as someone who can counter the legal acumen of Supreme...

As speculation builds around President Barack Obama’s nomination to replace Supreme Court Justice David Souter, a new survey revealed Thursday a majority of Americans would oppose nominees who hold staunch pro-abortion viewpoints, including support for partial-birth abortions and taxpayer-funded abortions. The poll, paid for by Americans United for Life (AUL) a nonprofit pro-life policy organization, showed 82 percent of respondents said they would oppose nominees who support partial-birth abortions in the seventh, eighth or ninth months of pregnancy. Seventy-one percent would oppose nominees that favor using tax dollars for abortions here in the United States. Seventy-one percent would oppose nominees...

The master of child-killing has two individuals on his short list for the Supreme Court vacancy. One of them is Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm. We in Michigan know this nominee all too well. It's no surprise to anyone that the liar-in-chief talks of dialogue and common ground whlie indeed peddling his brand of pure darkness. Granholm is as pro child-killing as one can get. She was at the top of Emily's list during her campaign. She supports homosexual special rights and hate crimes legislation (the exact same thing). She vetoed the ban on partial birth infanticide. She took a suffering...

President Obama says his first nomination of a new Supreme Court justice is imminent - and he feels no pressure to appoint a woman to the prized post. "I don't feel weighed down by having to choose a Supreme Court justice based on demographics. I certainly think that ultimately we want a Supreme Court that is reflective of the incredible variety of the American people," Obama said in a 30-minute C-SPAN interview that aired Saturday. Obama, who could announce his pick to replace departing Justice David Souter as early as this week, says he hopes to have confirmation hearings in...