The beginnings of this case go all the way back to 2000, when M&G, a chemical company, bought the Point Pleasant Polyester Plant of West Virginia. In doing so, M&G agreed to provide retirees and other dependents with health care benefits. After three years, when the time for re-negotiation came, M&G stopped, and retirees sued, claiming that the agreement required a lifetime of health care benefits. Thus, the following question was posed: how do the courts decide whether benefits last until employee death?
To which the Supreme Court replied vaguely. In a unanimous vote on Monday, January 26th, the Court said that the court of appeals should simply read the contract the same way it would read a normal contract, and make the decision directly from what it says in the text. This decision is not in line with the Sixth Circuit Court's original decision, which gave the retirees the benefits, and is problematic because benefits for life were usually just assumed by the court of appeals. For now, both parties must await the direct interpretation of the contract by the court of appeals, in order to see who will emerge victorious.
A blog that will be following the activity of and the decisions made by the Supreme Court.
The Supreme Court
Wednesday, January 28, 2015
Stay of Execution (Wednesday, January 28th 2015)
Today, the Supreme Court handed down a stay of execution for three Oklahoma prisoners due to the fact that their challenge to the state's lethal injection formula will be heard in the spring. This hearing will be the first time since 2008 that the Court has agreed to hear a challenge regarding the legality of lethal injection. The specifics of the case center around the use of the sedative midazolam on the condemned, which has so far been the cause of three botched executions in the state, most specifically Clayton Lockett's execution in April of last year.
The Supreme Court already ruled on and upheld the combination of drugs being used for lethal injection throughout the United States in 2008. However, because of the fact that the U.S. manufacturer of one of those drugs stopped producing it, many states have been adopting substitutes, leading to the use of midazolam in Oklahoma. Opponents of Midazolam claim that the drug, not being a surgical-grade anesthetic, can cause more than a bit of discomfort to victims, seeing as it could leave them aware of the effects of the drugs that follow it. This results in the condemned feeling suffocation and excruciating pain before death ensues.
The three prisoners in question are Richard Glossip, Benjamin Cole, and John Grant, all of whom were scheduled for execution over the course of the next few months.
The Supreme Court already ruled on and upheld the combination of drugs being used for lethal injection throughout the United States in 2008. However, because of the fact that the U.S. manufacturer of one of those drugs stopped producing it, many states have been adopting substitutes, leading to the use of midazolam in Oklahoma. Opponents of Midazolam claim that the drug, not being a surgical-grade anesthetic, can cause more than a bit of discomfort to victims, seeing as it could leave them aware of the effects of the drugs that follow it. This results in the condemned feeling suffocation and excruciating pain before death ensues.
The three prisoners in question are Richard Glossip, Benjamin Cole, and John Grant, all of whom were scheduled for execution over the course of the next few months.
Tuesday, January 13, 2015
Recent Decisions - Heien v. North Carolina (12/15/14)
The case of Heien vs. North Carolina began when a North
Carolina policeman stopped Heien’s car because it had a brake light that did
not work. During the stop, it was discovered that Heien had cocaine in a duffle
bag, and he was ultimately convicted for drug trafficking. However, the North Carolina Court of Appeals
reversed the trial court’s decision under the reasoning that the traffic stop
was not justified, seeing as North Carolina laws only require that one brake
light be working. The North Carolina
Supreme Court then reversed that decision, stating that the officer’s mistake
of the law was reasonable, and therefore did not invalidate his stopping the
car or searching it to stumble upon the drugs inside.
This ruling did not last long, as a dissenting judge
pointed out that the decision was unfair, seeing as it insinuates that the
courts hold citizens to the rule that ignorance of the laws is no excuse, but
not the police. When the North Carolina Supreme Court rejected this appeal,
Heien petitioned the Supreme Court.
On December 15th, the Supreme Court (in an 8-1
vote) held that search and seizure is reasonable under the fourth amendment
even if the officer has made a minor factual or legal mistake (only, of course,
if the officer’s mistake was reasonable, which the Court held was so in Heien’s
case).
Friday, January 9, 2015
New Same-Sex Marriage Case (December 12th)
New
Same-Sex Marriage Case (December 12th)
Today, North Carolina legislatures
notified federal courts that they would soon be asking the Supreme Court to
rule on the constitutionality of the state’s ban on same-sex marriage. This is the second case filed from the Fourth
Circuit area for the Supreme Court, the first being a South Carolina petition
as yet not filed.
The Justices have not yet reacted to
the new round of cases, but they will be prepared to do so come January 2015.
UPDATE:
January 9th
The Ohio petition has since been
added to the number of cases, as well as several of the cases that the Supreme
Court refused to review on October 6th, one of them being the ban in
Virginia. Ohio’s petition grew out of
two cases within the state that surround the “recognition” issue; when states
do not officially recognize married same-sex couples.
The Court has been considering some
of the cases since the beginning of the month, and will possibly be addressing
them in today’s January 9th Conference.
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