Key Issues Before the Supreme Court By Phillip Howard
The Supreme Court began a term this fall and with it come a wide variety of cases that could have significant influence on American government and the 2020 campaign.
LGBT Rights
Title 7 of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex, race, and age, among other categories. The Court will be looking at whether or not this provision covers workers from discrimination in the workplace because they are gay or transgender.
President Trump rolled back Obama administration rules protecting LGBT workers. SCOTUS recently heard this case and appeared divided. Neil Gorsuch could be a key vote in a close decision.
Photo by Polaris
Non-unanimous Juries
The Court is poised to consider if a unanimous verdict is needed for criminal convictions. A lawsuit brought by a Louisiana defendant convicted for killing a prostitute was convicted by a 10-2 jury when the old rules in Louisiana were still in place.
The Court previously ruled that unanimous jury requirements only apply to federal cases. This could change. The decision made by the court could also affect an Oregon law, which is the only state left that still allows for criminal convictions without unanimous juries.
Abortion
SCOTUS will hear its first major abortion case in years since Roe v. Wade. In question is a Louisiana law that requires doctors who perform abortions to have admitting privileges at local hospitals, similar to a Texas law that the Court struck down in 2016.
The makeup of the current Court is now different. President Trump appointees Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh will have a chance to weigh in on the matter with swing vote Anthony Kennedy now retired.
Justices Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh (Doug Mills/Bloomberg)
Guns
The Court is set to hear about a New York City ordinance that prohibited licensed gun owners from carrying unloaded weapons to shooting ranges or second homes outside the city. The ordinance was subsequently amended and the state passed a law to require local governments to allow licensed owners to transport their weapons. Stilll, the case is scheduled for December 2.
Phillip Howard is a graduate student at Utica College
