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July 1, 2008

In this entry: quotes, warm up questions, discussion questions, resources

VIDEO SUMMARY:Supreme Court

In this video, experts discuss the eventful Supreme Court term and what it means for the future. The Supreme Court ruled the Second Amendment protects individuals' rights to bear arms, ruled for a third time against the Bush administration's policies on detainees in Guantanamo and ruled on the scope of the death penalty.

The justices were less divided on many of the issues of this term than they have been in past years. However, the split between the more conservative and more liberal justices remains. Many of the decisions this term were general rulings on big issues that will need to be revisited to decide more specific restrictions and limits of the rulings.

QUOTES:
"Guantanamo Bay, the court, for the third time in four years, rebuffed the Bush administration's legal arguments about the detainees there." -Marcia Coyle, National Law Journal

"What the Supreme Court decided was that individuals have a right to possess some kinds of weapons under some circumstances in some places at some times. But Justice Scalia's opinion for the court didn't even address a very basic question, which is whether the Second Amendment applies to state and local regulations of firearms." -Pam Karlan, Stanford Law School

"It's a court that took 67 cases...which is the lowest number of cases since 1953. It's also a court that is taking fewer controversial cases, so no abortion case, no affirmative action, no religion, no major speech case." -Douglas Kmiec, Pepperdine University School of Law

WARM-UP QUESTIONS
What is the Supreme Court? How does it affect your life? What function does the Supreme Court serve in U.S. system of government? Name some of the controversial legal issues that divide Americans are cause a lot of debate in the news and government.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
Which Supreme Court decision from this term is most important to you and why? Do you agree or disagree with the ruling?
How should the court decide which cases to take on?
Do you agree with the way Supreme Court justices are appointed? Why or why not? How do you think American society will be different because of this Supreme Court?

RESOURCES:
Transcript of this report
Online NewsHour Supreme Court Watch page
Analysis of 2008 Court Rulings:
In Landmark Ruling, Divided High Court Strikes Down Gun Ban
Justices Rule Terror Suspects Can Appeal Detention
Supreme Court Votes 7-2 to Allow Lethal Injection
Ruling on Voter ID Law May Spur Tighter State Regulation

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