Supreme Court Update

June 17, 2014

The Supreme Court has yet to decide 15 cases before the end of its term. It is expected to issue the remaining decisions on the following two Mondays, and possibly the two remaining Thursdays, this month. Yesterday, the court released opinions in two cases of note:

Abramski v. United States – In a 5-4 decision, the court upheld restrictions on straw purchases of guns, even if the third-party recipient of the firearm could legally possess it.
Susan B. Anthony List v. Driehaus – In a unanimous opinion, the court ruled that a challenge to an Ohio statute prohibiting “false statements” during a political campaign can proceed.

Case Name	Question for the Court
NLRB v. Noel Canning	The court will decide whether the president’s appointment of NLRB board members during a pro forma session of the Senate in January 2012 breached the constitution’s appointments clause.
Sebelius v. Hobby Lobby; Conestoga Wood Specialties v. Sebelius	Two cases dealing with HHS contraception mandates, the court will answer whether corporations may deny coverage for employees.
Utility Air Regulatory Group v. EPA	The court will rule on six consolidated cases raising legal questions about EPA’s greenhouse gas emissions rules.
Riley v. California; U.S. v. Wurie	Two cases in which the court will rule on warrantless searches of cell phones.
Harris v. Quinn	A constitutional challenge to labor union’s agency fees for employees in the public sector.
McCullen v. Coakley	The court will decide whether speech buffer zones around abortion clinics violate the First and Fourteenth Amendments.

Case Name

Question for the Court

NLRB v. Noel Canning

The court will decide whether the president’s appointment of NLRB board members during a pro forma session of the Senate in January 2012 breached the constitution’s appointments clause.

Sebelius v. Hobby Lobby;

Conestoga Wood Specialties v. Sebelius

Two cases dealing with HHS contraception mandates, the court will answer whether corporations may deny coverage for employees.

Utility Air Regulatory Group v. EPA

The court will rule on six consolidated cases raising legal questions about EPA’s greenhouse gas emissions rules.

Riley v. California;

U.S. v. Wurie

Two cases in which the court will rule on warrantless searches of cell phones.

Harris v. Quinn

A constitutional challenge to labor union’s agency fees for employees in the public sector.

McCullen v. Coakley

The court will decide whether speech buffer zones around abortion clinics violate the First and Fourteenth Amendments.