Round-Up

Aaron Streett’s latest Supreme Court Today, covering last week’s five opinions and discussing the Carhart decision at length, is now available here at Baker Botts.

In today’s New York Times, Linda Greenhouse reports here on the Court’s three 5-4 decisions overturning death sentences yesterday; David Savage has this article in the LA Times on the rulings in Abdul-Kabir v. Quarterman (No. 05-11284), Brewer v. Quarterman (No. 05-11287), and Smith v. Texas (No. 05-11304); the Houston Chronicle’s Patty Reinert reports here on yesterday’s opinions; and Todd J. Gillman and Diane Jennings have this article in the Dallas Morning News. At Balkinization, Sandy Levinson discusses judicial doctrine and Chief Justice Roberts’s “acerbic” dissent in the Abdul-Kabir and Brewer capital cases here.

At MarketWatch, Mark H. Anderson has this article on Watson v. Philip Morris (No. 05-1284), in which the Court heard argument yesterday. Coverage of yesterday’s oral arguments in FEC v. Wisconsin Right to Life (No. 06-969) and Sen. John McCain et al., v. Wisconsin Right to Life (No. 06-970) abounds:
• David G. Savage reports here in the LA Times that the Supreme Court is likely to ease restrictions on “issue ads”;
• In today’s New York Times, Linda Greenhouse has this article suggesting that the Court may overrule a key provision of the McCain-Feingold campaign finance law;
• Joseph Goldstein of the New York Sun has this article, reporting that the justices seem ready to strike down a central provision;
• Here, Marcia Coyle discusses the case last night on the News Hour with Gwen Ifill;
• Dahlia Lithwick discusses yesterday’s argument here at Slate and in this audio segment on NPR’s “Day to Day”;
• At the Election Law blog, Rick Hasen has this post discussing the roles of the justices and hypothesizing possible outcomes;
• Joan Biskupic reports here in the USA Today;
• In today’s Washington Post, Robert Barnes has this article on yesterday’s “lively session”;
• The Boston Globe’s Charlie Savage reports here on the campaign finance case; and
• Tony Mauro of the Legal Times has this report discussing the debate of an “as-applied” challenge to the McCain-Feingold law.

Edward Lazarus has this analysis of the Court’s decision in Gonzales v. Carhart at FindLaw; and NPR has this audio segment featuring Douglas Johnson, legislative director of the National Right to Life Committee, on “Morning Edition” as part of ongoing coverage of the abortion debate in the wake of last week’s ruling. At the BLT, Mauro has this post discussing the “Catholic connection”, which was raised after last week’s opinion upholding the ban on “partial birth” abortion.

Finally, in the spring issue of the City Journal, Stephen B. Presser has this profile of Justice Thomas.