Tag Archives: Supreme Court

With the looming possibility that the U.S. Supreme Court might strike down the Defense of Marriage Act sometime this term, married same-sex couples could suddenly find themselves eligible for a host of federal tax benefits. Even better, if couples file what is known as a protective tax refund claim with the IRS before the end of the year, they could potentially pick up some extra dollars going as far back as 2009. DOMA, the 1996 Clinton-era law banning federal recognition …

The Supreme Court is considering the right of citizens to sue over a law that lets government agents conduct dragnet telephone and email surveillance. The current case won’t determine the constitutionality of the sweeping powers of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, or FISA, but a ruling against the government could set the stage for a constitutional challenge next year. FISA was passed in 1978 to give government agents the ability to eavesdrop on communications between foreign parties without a warrant. …

A Supreme Court case over a lawsuit brought by agribusiness giant Monsanto against a farmer for the use of patented seeds could have deep intellectual property ramifications for the nation’s burgeoning biotechnology sector. At question is whether the patent Monsanto holds over their “Roundup Ready” soy seeds extends to the self-replicated progeny of those seeds. The high court will hear arguments in Bowman v. Monsanto sometime during the current term. Normally, purchasers of Monsanto’s famous soy seeds, which are genetically …

The United States Supreme Court heard arguments in a pair of cases yesterday that could affect how police dogs are used to detect drugs in people’s homes and vehicles. The rulings, expected by next summer, could go a long way toward helping small-time users avoid the cold, wet nose of the law. In one case, Florida v. Jardines, the court considered whether law enforcement officers bringing a drug-sniffing dog onto the porch of a private home without a warrant constitutes …

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit on Oct. 23 said Indiana could not enforce a 2011 state law that barred abortion providers – including Planned Parenthood – from receiving any state or federal funds. It would have stripped all Medicaid funding from any health care provider that provides abortion services, among many others. The appellate court barred enforcement of the law, based on Planned Parenthood’s objection that the state defunding law violates a federal Medicaid law that …