Recent Supreme Court Decisions

The Supreme Court has handed down several interesting decisions in the past week. Two such decisions, both of which are split 5-4 decisions, are District of Columbia v. Heller, No. 07-290, and Kennedy v. Louisiana, No. 07-343. In District of Columbia, Justice Antonin Scalia, writing for the majority, found that the Second Amendment provides individuals the right to own a firearm and that gun ownership is not limited to those persons engaged in military service. The Supreme Court’s entire opinion in District of Columbia can be accessed at http://www.supremecourtus.gov/opinions/07pdf/07-290.pdf

In Kennedy v. Louisiana¸ Justice Anthony Kennedy, writing for the majority, held that the death penalty is unconstitutional as punishment for the rape of a child. The Supreme Court’s opinion in Kennedy, can be accessed at http://www.supremecourtus.gov/opinions/07pdf/07-343.pdf