Many legal experts foresee a collision coming between President Obama’s progressive agenda and the Supreme Court’s conservative majority. Republican attorneys general in 20 states, for example, have already sued the federal government over the healthcare reform act, arguing that the law’s mandate to buy health insurance tramples states’ rights and exceeds Congress’ power. Political science […]
The Supreme Court has reaffirmed the ban on political parties being able to raise unlimited amounts of “soft money” contributions, despite the high court’s ruling in January which removed restrictions on corporate and union spending in federal elections. The Republic Party had appealed to the court to undo the ban. Political science Professor Graham Wilson, author […]
Contact Dick Taffe for more information
|
View all posts by Dick Taffe
|
Posted in Professor Voices
|
Tagged Boston University College of Arts and Sciences, BU CAS, Business and Politics, GOP, Graham Wilson, political parties, Political Science, Republic Party, soft money, soft money contributions, Supreme Court
The Supreme Court ruled that the Second Amendment right to bear arms is a fundamental right that states cannot abridge. The 5-4 ruling will require a lower court to overturn laws in Chicago and its suburb of Oak Park., Ill., that limited handgun possession. Political science Professor Graham Wilson, author of “Only in America? American […]
Contact Dick Taffe for more information
|
View all posts by Dick Taffe
|
Posted in Professor Voices
|
Tagged Boston University College of Arts and Sciences, BU CAS, Chicago, conservative majority, Graham Wilson, handgun ban, handgun possession, IL, Oak Park, Only in America? American Politics in Comparative Perspective, Political Science, Second Amendment, Supreme Court, US Supreme Court
The Supreme Court restricted a favorite tool for pursuing corrupt politicians and self-dealing corporate chiefs, ruling that the law that makes it a crime to deprive the public or one’s employer of the “intangible right of honest services” can only be used where they could prove defendants accepted bribes or kickbacks. It means, for instance, that […]
Contact Dick Taffe for more information
|
View all posts by Dick Taffe
|
Posted in Professor Voices
|
Tagged Boston University School of Law, BU LAW, BU Law School, CEO Jeff Skilling, Conrad Black, Elizabeth Nowicki, Enron, honest services law, intangible right of honest services, Jeffrey Skilling, Justice Sonia Sotomayor, SEC, Supreme Court, Wall Street
The White House is reportedly considering possible candidates to nominate for the Supreme Court seat which may soon be vacated by 89-year-0ld Justice John Paul Stevens. Political Science Professor Graham Wilson says political reality dictates that the ability of the GOP minority in the Senate to delay or block nominations must be taken into serious consideration. “Obama […]
October 16, 2009 at 2:40 pm
A Louisiana justice of the peace is raising legal eyebrows for denying an interracial couple a marriage license because he doesn’t think it would be good for any child the couple might have. Law Professor Linda McClain, a family law authority, says the J.P. is flat-out wrong legally, based on a long-ago U.S. Supreme Court […]
August 4, 2009 at 11:02 am
With her historic nomination in the balance, the Senate is debating whether to approve Sonia Sotomayor as the first Hispanic justice of the Supreme Court — though the outcome is not in doubt. School of Law Professor Jack Beermann, an expert on the high court, can discuss the possible legal trajectory of the SCOTUS with […]
On a 13-6 vote, with only one Republican siding with her, Sonia Sotomayor has been endorsed by the Senate Judiciary Committee to become an associate justice of the Supreme Court. Full Senate debate on the nomination is expected next week. School of Law Professor Jay Wexler, who clerked for the current court’s only female justice, […]
