Jump to content

2011 term United States Supreme Court opinions of Samuel Alito

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The 2011 term of the Supreme Court of the United States began October 3, 2011, and concluded September 30, 2012. This was the seventh term of Associate Justice Samuel Alito's tenure on the Court.
Samuel Alito 2011 term statistics
7
Majority or Plurality
6
Concurrence
2
Other
6
Dissent
1
Concurrence/dissent Total = 22
Bench opinions = 19 Opinions relating to orders = 3 In-chambers opinions = 0
Unanimous opinions: 1 Most joined by: Scalia (9) Least joined by: Sotomayor (2)
Type Case Citation Issues Joined by Other opinions
201



Hosanna-Tabor Evangelical Lutheran Church and School v. EEOC 565 U.S. 171 (2012)

Americans with Disabilities Act  • First Amendment  • ministerial exception to employment discrimination laws Kagan
Roberts
Thomas
202



Maples v. Thomas 565 U.S. 266 (2012)

habeas corpus  • excusable procedural default  • abandonment by counsel
Ginsburg
Scalia
203



United States v. Jones 565 U.S. 400 (2012)

Fourth Amendment  • GPS tracking of suspect's vehicle Ginsburg, Breyer, Kagan
Scalia
Sotomayor
104



Howes v. Fields 565 U.S. 499 (2012)

Miranda warning  • custodial status of prison inmate during interrogation Roberts, Scalia, Kennedy, Thomas, Kagan
Ginsburg
505



Buck v. Thaler • [full text] 565 U.S. 1022 (2011)

death penalty Scalia, Breyer
Sotomayor
Alito filed a statement respecting the Court's denial of certiorari in a case involving a murder conviction and death sentence in Texas state court. During the sentencing phase, a psychologist had improperly testified that blacks were more likely to be violent. The psychologist, however, was a defense witness, and his statements elicited during cross-examination on race as a predictor of future violence did not go beyond his direct testimony on the issue. The defendant was, therefore, himself responsible for the introduction of the inappropriate race-related statements .

Further reading

  • AP/The Huffington Post (November 7, 2011), "Duane Buck, Texas Death Row Inmate, Refused Supreme Court Appeal", The Huffington Post
406



Doe v. Reed • [full text] 565 U.S. 1048 (2011)

disclosure of referendum petitions
Alito dissented from the Court's denial of an injunction, in a case involving a Washington state law that compelled disclosure of referendum petitions. The Court had previously decided in the case to reject a facial challenge to the constitutionality of the law, brought by supporters of a failed petition to bar domestic partnership rights to same-sex couples. On remand, the District Court also rejected the plaintiffs' as-applied challenge, ruling that they were not part of the narrow group that could challenge disclosure, and in the alternative that they had not shown the requisite threatened harm that disclosure would cause. Alito thought the standards the District Court applied were questionable and that important legal issues were raised by the case, for which there had not yet been meaningful appellate review.
207



Sackett v. EPA 566 U.S. 120 (2012)

Clean Water Act  • discharge of pollutants into navigable waters  • finality of EPA compliance order under Administrative Procedure Act
Scalia
Ginsburg
408



Lafler v. Cooper 566 U.S. 156 (2012)

ineffective assistance of counsel  • rejection of plea bargain as prejudice
Kennedy
Scalia
209



Zivotofsky v. Clinton 566 U.S. 189 (2012)

political question doctrine  • U.S. position on status of Jerusalem  • Foreign Relations Authorization Act, Fiscal Year 2003  • passport designation of births in Jerusalem
Roberts
Sotomayor
Breyer
110



FAA v. Cooper 566 U.S. 284 (2012)

Privacy Act of 1974  • sovereign immunity  • damages for mental or emotional distress Roberts, Scalia, Kennedy, Thomas
Sotomayor
211



Florence v. Board of Chosen Freeholders of County of Burlington 566 U.S. 318 (2012)

Fourth Amendment  • strip searches in jail of arrestees of minor offenses Ginsburg, Sotomayor, Kagan
Kennedy
Roberts
Breyer
112



Rehberg v. Paulk 566 U.S. 356 (2012)

Section 1983  • absolute immunity for grand jury witnesses Unanimous
113



Taniguchi v. Kan Pacific Saipan, Ltd. 566 U.S. 560 (2012)

Court Interpreters Act  • document translation expenses as court costs awardable to prevailing parties Roberts, Scalia, Kennedy, Thomas, Kagan
Ginsburg
414



Elgin v. Department of Treasury 567 U.S. 1 (2012)

Civil Service Reform Act of 1978  • Merit Systems Protection Board  • jurisdiction over constitutional claims by federal employees Ginsburg, Kagan
Thomas
115



Williams v. Illinois 567 U.S. 50 (2012)

Sixth Amendment  • Confrontation Clause  • expert testimony Roberts, Kennedy, Breyer
Thomas
Breyer
Kagan
116



Christopher v. SmithKline Beecham Corp. 567 U.S. 142 (2012)

Fair Labor Standards Act  • exemption of outside salesmen from overtime regulations  • status of pharmaceutical sales representatives Roberts, Scalia, Kennedy, Thomas
Breyer
117



Knox v. Service Employees 567 U.S. 298 (2012)

mootness due to voluntary cessation  • First Amendment  • compulsory fees for political lobbying by public sector agency shop Roberts, Scalia, Kennedy, Thomas
Sotomayor
Breyer
318



Arizona v. United States 567 U.S. 387 (2012)

immigration  • federal preemption  • Arizona SB 1070
Kennedy
Scalia
Thomas
419



Miller v. Alabama 567 U.S. 460 (2012)

Eighth Amendment  • Cruel and Unusual Punishment  • sentencing of juveniles to life without parole Scalia
Kagan
Breyer
Roberts
Thomas
420



National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius 567 U.S. 519 (2012)

Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act  • individual mandate  • Anti-Injunction Act  • Commerce Clause  • Necessary and Proper Clause  • Medicaid expansion  • coercive conditions on federal spending
Roberts
Ginsburg
Thomas
Signed jointly with Scalia, Kennedy, and Thomas.
421



United States v. Alvarez 567 U.S. 709 (2012)

Stolen Valor Act of 2005  • First Amendment  • freedom of speech  • protection of false statements Scalia, Thomas
Kennedy
Breyer
522



Mount Soledad Memorial Assn. v. Trunk 567 U.S. 944 (2012)

First Amendment  • Establishment Clause  • religious monument on public land
Alito filed a statement respecting the Court's denial of certiorari.

References