Wednesday round-up

By Adam Chandler
on Nov 24, 2010 at 10:23 am

These are today’s stories on the Court:

• At the Volokh Conspiracy, Ilya Somin highlights a recent public opinion poll on “economic development” takings and the Court’s 2005 decision in Kelo v. City of New London. Somin summarizes the results: “The study . . . finds that the public remains just as strongly opposed to economic development takings as in 2005. But it also indicates considerable public ignorance about the Court’s decision.”

• The WSJ Law Blog highlights a recent report (which Nabiha included in yesterday’s round-up) on the impact – or lack thereof – in Florida of last Term’s decision in Graham v. Florida, in which the Court held that life sentences for juveniles convicted of nonhomicide crimes are unconstitutional.

• The New York Times editorial board opines that the Roberts Court has redefined itself “as a constitutional court” that is increasingly interested in “interpreting the Constitution and its allocation of power” and “seems limited only by limits [the Court] opts to recognize.” The editorial cites Citizens United as an example of “how differently this court is functioning compared with its predecessors — and how the distance between it and them seems to be growing.”

• The Los Angeles Times editorial board weighs in on Flores-Villar v. United States, a gender discrimination case argued two weeks ago. The editorial urges the Court to strike down a law that distinguishes unwed mothers and fathers of foreign-born children for citizenship purposes.

• C-SPAN has video from an American Constitution Society panel discussion about Chamber of Commerce v. Whiting, which is scheduled for argument on December 8. At issue in the case is whether federal laws preempt an Arizona statute that sanctions employers who hire “unauthorized aliens.”

• Kent Scheidegger of Crime & Consequences examines Supreme Court Rule 37.3(a) (regarding amicus briefs) in light of the issues presented in Walker v. Martin, a habeas case to be argued on Monday concerning the “adequacy” of state rules.

• CNN’s Bill Mears reports on a new educational component of FantasySCOTUS.org aimed at high school students.

• CBS’s “60 Minutes” will profile retired Justice John Paul Stevens this Sunday, November 28, at 7 p.m. EST.