September 29, 2009.On the Docket: Important Cases
.The Supreme Court starts its term each year on the first Monday in October, meaning the justices return Oct. 5, 2009. Here are some of the significant cases the court will hear in the months ahead.
Hearing Date Case Summary Where did the Government
case come from? position
---------- --------------------------- ------------------------------------------------- --------------- ----------
9/9/2009 Citizens United v. Federal Whether to overrule precedents upholding state D.C. Circuit No
Election Commission and federal limits on corporate political spending.
10/6/2009 U.S. v. Stevens Can the government criminalize selling dogfight 3rd Circuit Yes
videotapes or other depictions of animal cruelty?
10/7/2009 Salazar v. Buono Can an individual challenge a cross on property 9th Circuit No
the government transferred to a private organization?
10/7/2009 Reed Elsevier v. Muchnick Can an appeals court invalidate the $18 million 2nd Circuit No
copyright settlement between freelance writers and
major news publishers who put their works in
electronic databases without permission?
11/2/2009 Jones v. Harris Associates Can an investor challenge a mutual-fund adviser 7th Circuit Yes
for charging excessive fees?
11/3/2009 Hemi Group LLC v.City of New York Can a city use civil RICO lawsuit to collect
cigarette taxes? 2nd Circuit N/A
11/04/2009 Pottawattamie County, IA v. McGhee May a prosecutor be sued for allegedly using false 8th Circuit No
testimony to win a conviction?
11/9/2009 Graham v. Florida Can a juvenile offender be sentenced to life Supreme Court N/A
without parole for a non-homicide crime? Florida
11/9/2009 Bilski v. Kappos Must a business method patent be tied to a Federal Circuit Yes
particular machine or apparatus,” or transform
something "into a different state or thing,"
to be valid?
12/7/2009 Free Enterprise Fund and Beckstead Is the PCAOB unconstitutional because its members D.C. Circuit No
and Watts, LLP v. Public Company are appointed by the SEC, not the president?
Accounting Oversight Board, et al
12/1/2009 United Student Aid Funds v.Espinoza Are student loan debts dischargeable under 9th Circuit No
bankruptcy if debtor failed to challenge
discharge at lower court?
12/2/2009 Stop the Beach Renourishment Inc. Does a state program to replenish eroded beaches Florida Supreme Court N/A
v. Florida for public use unconstitutionally deprive coastal
property owners of their private ocean access?
12/9/2009 Stolt-Nielsen S.A., et al. Whether imposing class arbitration on parties 2nd Circuit N/A
v. AnimalFeeds International Corp whose arbitration clauses are silent on that
issue is consistent with the Federal Arbitration Act
Not yet
scheduled U.S. v. Comstock Do federal prisons have the authority to hold 4th Circuit Yes
"sexually dangerous" inmates past their sentences
out of fear they will violate state law?
Not yet American Needle Inc. v. NFL Extent of NFL monopoly over logowear 7th Circuit Not yet filed
scheduled
Sources: Supreme Court, American Bar Association, scotuswiki, Oyez
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