The term of the US Supreme Court in the first half of this year has ended, during this period, many significant judgments have been made by the Supreme Court, involving issues ranging from presidential immunity, abortion rights to gun rights, government regulation, redistricting, and homelessness. These have sparked intense debates, indicating that their long-term impact may be immeasurable.
According to a summary of major cases by the Associated Press concerning the Supreme Court’s rulings in the first half of the year:
For the first time, the Supreme Court ruled that a former president’s official actions enjoy broad immunity from prosecution, which will delay the trial of former President Trump on charges of “interfering in the 2020 election” in Washington, DC and almost exclude the possibility of a trial against Trump before the November election. The Supreme Court justices have sent the case back to US District Judge Tanya Chutkan, who is responsible for presiding over the trial, but she must now determine which of the “criminal acts” by Trump as alleged by special prosecutor Jack Smith are official actions.
Majority Justices in agreement: John Roberts (Chief Justice), Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, Amy Coney Barrett
Minority Justices in dissent: Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, Ketanji Brown Jackson
The Supreme Court unanimously ruled that states cannot invoke post-Civil War “insurrection laws” to prevent the names of presidential and congressional candidates from appearing on ballots or to deprive candidates of their right to be elected. The justices overturned a decision by the Colorado Supreme Court that aimed to remove Trump from the state’s 2024 ballot over allegations of inciting the violence on January 6, 2021, to stop the peaceful transfer of power.
Majority: Roberts, Thomas, Alito, Gorsuch, Kavanaugh, Barrett (partially)
Agreed with the ruling: Sotomayor, Kagan, Jackson, Barrett
The Supreme Court’s ruling narrowed the scope of federal obstruction of justice charges against hundreds of people involved in the January 6, 2021 Capitol riot and Trump. The Court made a ruling on a case of a former Pennsylvania cop, sending it back to the lower court to determine if the cop can be charged under the 2002 obstruction of justice provision, which aims to prevent tampering with documents sought in federal investigations. This Supreme Court decision may also impact the developments in the case of Trump’s alleged election interference.
Majority: Roberts, Thomas, Alito, Gorsuch, Kavanaugh, Jackson
Dissenting: Barrett, Sotomayor, Kagan
The Supreme Court unanimously rejected a challenge by anti-abortion physicians against the FDA for approving the use of mifepristone in 2000 and recent expansions of its usage. Mifepristone is one of the two pills used for medication abortions. The justices ruled that the physicians did not have the legal standing to file the suit, overturning an appellate decision. The ruling also reinstated some of the FDA’s earlier decisions, making mifepristone more easily accessible, including through mail, and allowing its use in later stages of pregnancy.
All nine justices held the same position: Kavanaugh, Roberts, Thomas, Alito, Sotomayor, Kagan, Gorsuch, Barrett, Jackson
The Supreme Court overturned a 40-year-old precedent known as “Chevron,” which is used to maintain regulations concerning environmental protection, public health, workplace safety, and consumer protection. The regulation requires judges to defer to the interpretation of federal regulatory agencies when the legal text is ambiguous, making the agency’s interpretation the standard. The “Chevron” regulation has been cited in thousands of federal court cases over the years but has faced criticism from conservative and business interest groups. The Supreme Court now ruled that judges, not government regulators, should determine the meaning of federal laws.
Majority: Roberts, Thomas, Alito, Gorsuch, Kavanaugh, Barrett
Dissenting: Kagan, Sotomayor, Jackson
The latest ruling upheld a 1994 law aimed at protecting victims of domestic violence, prohibiting abusers from possessing firearms. The ruling also overturned an appeal in an 8-1 decision that sought to challenge the law based on a previous Supreme Court decision expanding gun rights.
Majority: Roberts, Alito, Sotomayor, Kagan, Gorsuch, Kavanaugh, Barrett, Jackson
Dissenting: Thomas
The Court upheld the provision on taxing foreign income signed into law by former President Trump and enacted by the Republican-controlled Congress. In a 7-2 vote, the justices rejected efforts led by conservative and business interest groups to repeal the tax, arguing that it violated the Constitution. The latest ruling may lead to discussions on imposing a wealth tax on billionaires, a measure that has been under consideration but never successfully implemented.
Majority: Kavanaugh, Roberts, Sotomayor, Kagan, Jackson
Agreed with the ruling: Barrett, Alito
Dissenting: Thomas, Gorsuch
The Court preserved a congressional district controlled by Republicans in South Carolina by overturning a lower court’s ruling that accused the state legislature of discriminating against Black voters. The congressional representative for the district is Republican Nancy Mace, who won the Republican primary election in June 11 and is likely to secure her Congressional seat in the November elections, having defended it against a Democratic challenger.
Majority: Alito, Roberts, Thomas, Gorsuch, Kavanaugh, Barrett
Dissenting: Kagan, Sotomayor, Jackson
The Court lifted the ban on bump stocks, an accessory for rapid-fire firearms that can match the firing rate of a machine gun. This type of rapid-fire gun accessory has appeared in several mass shooting incidents in modern American history. In a 6-3 decision, the justices deemed the Trump administration’s banning of bump stocks as overstepping, with dissenting liberal justices warning that allowing bump stocks could have “deadly consequences.”
Majority: Thomas, Roberts, Alito, Gorsuch, Kavanaugh, Barrett
Dissenting: Sotomayor, Kagan, Jackson
The latest ruling upheld the funding method of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) – not relying on annual appropriations from Congress. In a 7-2 vote, the Supreme Court overturned a decision by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals that deemed the CFPB’s funding structure unconstitutional.
Majority: Thomas, Roberts, Sotomayor, Kagan, Kavanaugh, Barrett, Jackson
Dissenting: Alito, Gorsuch
The Supreme Court unanimously cleared the way for the National Rifle Association (NRA) to sue a former New York official. The NRA is an organization that defends gun rights, partially supported by the Biden administration, and represented by the ACLU. The NRA alleged that following a mass shooting at a high school in Parkland, Florida, former New York official Maria Vullo pressured companies to blacklist the NRA. The Court’s ruling stated that the First Amendment prohibits government officials from using power to punish or suppress speech.
All nine justices held the same position: Sotomayor, Thomas, Roberts, Alito, Kagan, Gorsuch, Kavanaugh, Barrett, Jackson
The Court voted 5-4 to reject a nationwide settlement agreement between Purdue Pharma, the manufacturer of the opioid painkiller OxyContin, and victims of opioid drugs. The agreement aimed to allocate $60 billion to combat the opioid epidemic but also provided legal protection to members of the Sackler family who own the company. The settlement has been put on hold since the Supreme Court agreed to intervene last summer.
Majority: Gorsuch, Thomas, Alito, Barrett, Jackson
Dissenting: Kavanaugh, Roberts, Sotomayor, Kagan
In response to appeals from energy-producing states led by Republicans and the steel industry, the Supreme Court voted 5-4 to temporarily halt the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) “good neighbor” program to control air pollution. However, legal challenges against the EPA’s efforts are still ongoing.
Majority: Gorsuch, Roberts, Thomas, Alito, Kavanaugh
Dissenting: Barrett, Sotomayor, Kagan, Jackson
In a 6-3 vote, the Supreme Court ruled that individuals facing civil fraud complaints from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) have the right to a trial by jury in federal court, not limited to internal processes within the SEC. The decision stripped the SEC of a significant tool in combating securities fraud and could have far-reaching implications for other regulatory agencies as well.
Majority: Roberts, Thomas, Alito, Gorsuch, Kavanaugh, Barrett
Dissenting: Sotomayor, Kagan, Jackson
The Court dismissed a lawsuit brought by Republican-led states accusing federal officials of unconstitutionally forcing social media platforms to delete controversial social media posts on topics like the COVID-19 pandemic and election security. In a 6-3 decision, the justices ruled that the states and other parties lacked the legal standing to sue the government for restricting conservative views on these platforms.
Majority: Barrett, Roberts, Sotomayor, Kagan, Kavanaugh, Jackson
Dissenting: Alito, Thomas, Gorsuch
In a limited decision, the Supreme Court continued to stay social media laws in Texas and Florida, which would restrict how platforms like Facebook, TikTok, X, YouTube, and others regulate user-posted content. However, the majority in the Court believed these platforms act like newspapers, having constitutional rights to choose what content to include or exclude on their platforms. These cases will continue to be heard in the federal appeals courts: one court upheld Texas’ law, while another court found Florida’s law potentially unconstitutional.
Majority: Kagan, Roberts, Sotomayor, Kavanaugh, Barrett, Jackson
Agreed with the ruling: Alito, Thomas, Gorsuch
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