Daily Supreme Court News Briefing - June 24, 2024

🗽Supreme Court updates to help us hold our leaders accountable. A well informed citizenry is the best defense against tyranny.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 24, 2024

People Power United declares the Supreme Court has become unhinged.

In response to recent Supreme Court shenanigans, People Power United - a progressive grassroots group - issued the following statement:

“The Supreme Court has become unhinged. There is no power like that of the people, and People Power United stands ready to protect our communities against any and all injustices,” said Laurie Woodward García of People Power United.

People Power United will continue to oppose such harm to our community and champion civil rights for all.

Daily Supreme Court News Briefing

Reproductive Rights

New York Times: On Dobbs Anniversary, Democrats Look to Make the Court a Campaign Issue

• Nick Corasaniti reports that Stand Up America is kicking off “a seven-figure campaign to focus voter attention on the importance of the Supreme Court in the presidential election, with a heavy emphasis on the high court’s role in issues like abortion, gun safety and voting rights.” 

New York Times: In Abortion Cases, Legions of ‘Friends’ Seek to Persuade Supreme Court

• Adam Liptak reports on a new study that analyzed “50 years of friend-of-the-court briefs and found that abortion opponents were more relentless than their adversaries, with some reflected in the justices’ opinions.” 

New Cases

NBC: Supreme Court to weigh state restrictions on gender-affirming care for youths

Lawrence Hurley reports that on Monday the Supreme Court took up a challenge to a law in Tennessee that seeks to restrict gender-affirming care for transgender minors. 

Guns

CNN: The Supreme Court recognizes we have a right not to be shot

• Jennifer Tucker argues that the Supreme Court took a step in the right direction in its ruling in Rahimi. 

Politico: Clarence Thomas was snubbed in the Supreme Court’s gun ruling. So were a few other people.

• Josh Gerstein writes about “four telling disses” in the Supreme Court’s ruling in Rahimi. He notes snubs against Justice Thomas, the Fifth Circuit, Solicitor General Prelogar, and Zackey Rahimi. 

NBC: After gun control victory at Supreme Court, justices have other firearms cases in their sights

• Lawrence Hurley and Dareh Gregorian report on the Supreme Court’s increased activity on guns, including cases the Court is considering adding to its docket for next term.

MSNBC: SCOTUS's latest decision shows limits on guns are difficult — but not impossible

• Jessica Levinson argues that the Supreme Court’s ruling in Rahimi does critical work narrowing Bruen so that passing limits on gun access are no longer impossible, although they will still be difficult. 

The Guardian: The US supreme court’s rightwing justices are fighting legal monsters of their making

• Moira Donegan argues that the Supreme Court’s Rahimi ruling “reveals the logical inconsistencies in the foundation of so-called ‘originalist’ legal interpretation, the unworkability of the court’s insistence on historical precedent for every government regulation and the growing divisions among the conservative justices about just what ‘history and tradition’ should mean.” 

The New Yorker: The Supreme Court Steps Back from the Brink on Guns

• Amy Davidson Sorkin argues that while the decision in Rahimi will save lives, it offers very little clarity on Bruen and the Court’s stance on gun laws. 

The Hill: The Supreme Court’s gun rights decision deepens the cracks in originalism

• Robert Spitzer pokes holes in the originalist arguments against gun control legislation, and argues that guns were more regulated 300 years ago than they have been in the last 30 years. 

General 

CNN: Gov. Hochul says the Supreme Court is trapped in the past. Here’s why

Video

HuffPost: Lindsey Graham Says Democrats Are Trying To ‘Destroy’ Conservative Supreme Court Justices

• Nick Visser reports that “Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said Democrats were trying to “destroy” conservative members of the Supreme Court after some lawmakers recently tried to pass a bill meant to address ongoing ethics concerns surrounding several justices.” 

USA Today: Sonia Sotomayor knocks Supreme Court immigration decision, says it could 'burden' same-sex couples

• Maureen Groppe and Marina Pitofsky report that in a dissenting opinion on Friday, Justice Sotomayor warned that “her colleagues gravely undervalued the right to marriage for immigrants in a decision she said will have the biggest impact on same-sex couples.” 

Trump

Washington Post: MAGA justices already gave Trump de facto immunity — and disgraced the court

• Jennifer Rubin argues that the Supreme Court dragging its feet on Donald Trump’s immunity case has already given him exactly what he wants. She says the justices can no longer be trusted to be fair or impartial. 

Judge Shopping

Reuters: Alabama judge to weigh sanctioning LGBTQ lawyers for 'judge shopping'

• Nate Raymond reports that “eleven attorneys involved in LGBTQ rights litigation must appear before an Alabama federal judge beginning on Monday to determine if they should be punished for attempting to steer to other judges their challenge to the state's ban on gender-affirming medical care for transgender youth.”

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