As had been expected by court watchers, the Supreme Court Monday said that California cannot outlaw sales of violent video games to minors. In an opinion by Justice Antonin Scalia, the Court ruled that video games are protected by the Constitution’s First Amendment, and California had not adequately justified infringement…

The Supreme Court Thursday ruled that defendants sentenced under plea agreements can ask a court for a reduced sentence if the federal sentencing guidelines for their crimes are reduced. Under federal law, a judge-imposed sentence can be reduced if the guidelines change, and today’s Court decision expands that option to…

The Supreme Court ruled Thursday that pharmaceutical companies have a First Amendment right to market to doctors based on what drugs the doctors prescribe, and a Vermont law prohibiting pharmacies from selling prescription records infringes on that right. In a 5-4 decision, the Court said that the Vermont law, because…

The U.S. Supreme Court today threw out a massive sex-discrimination lawsuit in which as many as 1.5 million women claimed that they were passed over for promotions and received lower pay than male counterparts. Justice Antonin Scalia, writing for five Justices, said that the women’s situations were too different and…

The Supreme Court today upheld an Arizona law that would suspend or revoke a business’s license if that business hires undocumented immigrants. The law had been challenged by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, which argued that only the federal government could penalize businesses for immigration law violations. The Obama administration…

The Supreme Court today effectively threw out a lawsuit brought by the U.S. Navy against General Dynamics and Boeing over a contract to produce a military stealth aircraft. The Navy had argued that the contractors had overrun their estimated costs and had fallen behind schedule, but the government blocked the…

In a 5-4 ruling today, the U.S. Supreme Court said that California must release 46,000 state prisoners because overcrowding has created prison conditions bad enough to violate the Constitution’s prohibition of cruel and unusual punishment. The Court upheld a lower court order that the only realistic way for California can…

The Supreme Court said today that contracts requiring arbitration for disputes can prohibit people from taking collective legal action, even if state laws allow it. California law says that contracts cannot negate the right to file class action suits, but the Supreme Court said, in a 5-4 decision, that the Federal…

In it’s final case of the 2010 term, the Supreme Court today heard arguments that Nevada ethics rules violate First Amendment free-speech rights when they prevent a legislator from voting on an issue that would affect himself or his associates. The case stems from the censure of a city councilman…

It’s not common knowledge, but pharmacies often sell prescription records to pharmaceutical companies for use in marketing. Information about the patients picking up the prescriptions is protected by federal law, but information about which doctors prescribe which drugs is not, and in 2007 the Vermont state government enacted a law…