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ATTORNEYS' FEES Sole v. Wyner Whether plaintiffs are entitled to attorneys' fees for obtaining a preliminary injunction that allowed them to go forward with a planned demonstration based, in significant part, on the discriminatory application of permit regulations that were later upheld as facially valid. DECIDED CRIMINAL JUSTICE Kimbrough v. United States Whether a federal trial judge may take into account the fact that the current Sentencing Guidelines for crack cocaine have proven unsound and been rejected by the Sentencing Commission itself when sentencing a crack offender. DECIDED Danforth v. Minnesota Whether a state can permit an inmate to raise constitutional claims in state post-conviction proceedings that would be barred in federal habeas proceedings. DECIDED Claiborne v. United States Whether federal district court judges have discretion, in appropriate cases, to impose shorter prison terms than the Sentencing Guidelines suggest based, in part, on the unduly harsh consequences of rigidly applying the crack/cocaine disparity. DISMISSED DEATH PENALTY Uttecht v. Brown Reviewing whether the state courts improperly excluded a prospective juror in a death penalty case after he indicated that future dangerousness was a relevant consideration but that he would, in any event, follow the law as instructed by the judge. DECIDED Lawrence v. Florida Reviewing whether, and under what circumstances, the one year deadline for filing a federal habeas petition can be subject to "equitable tolling." DECIDED FREE SPEECH Federal Election Commission v. Wisconsin Right to Life Considering how groups, like the ACLU, can establish a First Amendment right to broadcast "genuine" issue ads in the period preceding an election despite a federal law ban on any broadcast ad that names a candidate for office regardless of the ads purpose or effect. DECIDED Morse v. Frederick Whether school officials violated the First Amendment when they suspended a high school student for holding up a sign that the principal interpreted as a pro-drug message when the sign caused no disruption, was displayed at a public event on the public streets, and the student had not yet arrived at school for the day. DECIDED IMMIGRANTS' RIGHTS Lopez v. Gonzales and Toledo-Flores v. United States Whether a state conviction for drug possession that would be a misdemeanor under federal law can nonetheless be treated as an "aggravated felony" for immigration purposes, which leads to serious adverse consequences, including ineligibilitiy for political asylum and cancellation of removal. DECIDED PRISONERS' RIGHTS Jones v. Bock and Williams v. Overton Challenge to a set of judicially-created rules that seriously impair a prisoner's ability to bring grievances to federal court. DECIDED RACIAL EQUALITY Parents Involved in Community Schools v. Seattle School District No. 1 and Meredith v. Jefferson County Board of Education The Court rejected the constitutionality of school district plans in Seattle and Louisville that used race as a factor in student assignment in an effort to address racial segregation in K-12 schools. DECIDED RELIGIOUS FREEDOM Hein v. Freedom From Religion Foundation Reviewing a challenge to a Supreme Court ruling that, for forty years, has allowed taxpayers to seek a federal court injunction against government expenditures in violation of the Establishment Clause. DECIDED REPRODUCTIVE FREEDOM Gonzales v. Planned Parenthood Federation of America and Gonzales v. Carhart Challenge to a federal abortion ban, adopted in 2003, that lacks an exception to preserve a woman's health and is so broadly written that it would prohibit abortions performed as early as 13 weeks into the pregnancy. DECIDED SEARCH AND SEIZURE Scott v. Harris Reviewing whether, and under what circumstances, a law enforcement may claim qualified immunity from damages after ramming the plaintiff's car during a high speed chase that left the plaintiff severely crippled. DECIDED Brendlin v. California Reviewing whether a car's passenger can challenge an illegal traffic stop under the Fourth Amendment. DECIDED VOTING RIGHTS New York State Board of Elections v. Lopez Torres Whether New York State's method for electing judges is unconstitutional because it deprives insurgent candidates and their supporters of a meaningful opportunity to participate in the electoral process. DECIDED WOMENS' RIGHTS Long Island Care at Home v. Coke Whether the federal Labor Department has misinterpreted the Fair Labor Standards Act by relieving commercial enterprises of any obligation to provide the minimum wage and overtime to home health care workers, who are disproportionately female and minority. DECIDED Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. Reviewing whether a Title VII plaintiff can challenge the ongoing effects of discriminatory pay decisions that occurred prior to the statutory limitations period. DECIDED |
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