Roberts Court
Encyclopedia
In the United States, the Roberts Court refers to the Supreme Court of the United States
since 2005, under the leadership of Chief Justice
John G. Roberts. It is generally considered more conservative than the preceding Rehnquist Court, as a result of the retirement of moderate Justice Sandra Day O'Connor
and the subsequent confirmation of the more conservative Justice Samuel Alito
in her place. In its first five years, the Roberts court has issued major rulings on gun control
, affirmative action
, campaign finance regulation
, abortion
, capital punishment
and criminal sentencing
.
After the death of Chief Justice William Rehnquist
, Roberts was nominated by President George W. Bush
, who had previously nominated him to replace Sandra Day O'Connor
. The U.S. Senate confirmed his nomination by a vote of 78-22.
Roberts took the Constitutional
oath of office, administered by senior Associate Justice John Paul Stevens
at the White House
, on September 29, 2005, almost immediately after his confirmation. On October 3, he took the judicial oath provided for by the Judiciary Act of 1789
, prior to the first oral arguments of the 2005 term
.
Since 2005, there have been a number of Supreme Court cases decided by the Roberts Court:
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
since 2005, under the leadership of Chief Justice
Chief Justice of the United States
The Chief Justice of the United States is the head of the United States federal court system and the chief judge of the Supreme Court of the United States. The Chief Justice is one of nine Supreme Court justices; the other eight are the Associate Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States...
John G. Roberts. It is generally considered more conservative than the preceding Rehnquist Court, as a result of the retirement of moderate Justice Sandra Day O'Connor
Sandra Day O'Connor
Sandra Day O'Connor is an American jurist who was the first female member of the Supreme Court of the United States. She served as an Associate Justice from 1981 until her retirement from the Court in 2006. O'Connor was appointed by President Ronald Reagan in 1981...
and the subsequent confirmation of the more conservative Justice Samuel Alito
Samuel Alito
Samuel Anthony Alito, Jr. is an Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. He was nominated by President George W. Bush and has served on the court since January 31, 2006....
in her place. In its first five years, the Roberts court has issued major rulings on gun control
Gun politics in the United States
Gun politics in the United States refers to an ongoing political and social debate regarding both the restriction and availability of firearms within the United States. It has long been among the most controversial and intractable issues in American politics...
, affirmative action
Reverse discrimination
Reverse discrimination is a controversial term referring to discrimination against members of a dominant or majority group, including the city or state, or in favor of members of a minority or historically disadvantaged group such as African Americans being slaves. Groups may be defined in terms of...
, campaign finance regulation
Campaign finance in the United States
Campaign finance in the United States is the financing of electoral campaigns at the federal, state, and local levels.At the federal level, the primary source of campaign funds is individuals; political action committees are a distant second. Contributions from both are limited, and direct...
, abortion
Abortion in the United States
Abortion in the United States has been legal in every state since the United States Supreme Court decision in Roe v. Wade, on January 22, 1973...
, capital punishment
Capital punishment in the United States
Capital punishment in the United States, in practice, applies only for aggravated murder and more rarely for felony murder. Capital punishment was a penalty at common law, for many felonies, and was enforced in all of the American colonies prior to the Declaration of Independence...
and criminal sentencing
Criminal sentencing in the United States
In the United States, a judge sentences a person convicted of a crime. The length of the prison term depends upon multiple factors including the severity and type of the crime, state and/or federal sentencing guidelines, the convicted's criminal record, and the personal discretion of the judge...
.
After the death of Chief Justice William Rehnquist
William Rehnquist
William Hubbs Rehnquist was an American lawyer, jurist, and political figure who served as an Associate Justice on the Supreme Court of the United States and later as the 16th Chief Justice of the United States...
, Roberts was nominated by President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
, who had previously nominated him to replace Sandra Day O'Connor
Sandra Day O'Connor
Sandra Day O'Connor is an American jurist who was the first female member of the Supreme Court of the United States. She served as an Associate Justice from 1981 until her retirement from the Court in 2006. O'Connor was appointed by President Ronald Reagan in 1981...
. The U.S. Senate confirmed his nomination by a vote of 78-22.
Roberts took the Constitutional
United States Constitution
The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. It is the framework for the organization of the United States government and for the relationship of the federal government with the states, citizens, and all people within the United States.The first three...
oath of office, administered by senior Associate Justice John Paul Stevens
John Paul Stevens
John Paul Stevens served as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from December 19, 1975 until his retirement on June 29, 2010. At the time of his retirement, he was the oldest member of the Court and the third-longest serving justice in the Court's history...
at the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
, on September 29, 2005, almost immediately after his confirmation. On October 3, he took the judicial oath provided for by the Judiciary Act of 1789
Judiciary Act of 1789
The United States Judiciary Act of 1789 was a landmark statute adopted on September 24, 1789 in the first session of the First United States Congress establishing the U.S. federal judiciary...
, prior to the first oral arguments of the 2005 term
2005 term opinions of the Supreme Court of the United States
The table below lists the opinions delivered from the bench by the Supreme Court of the United States during the 2005 Term, which lasted from October 3, 2005, until October 1, 2006...
.
Since 2005, there have been a number of Supreme Court cases decided by the Roberts Court:
- Supreme Court opinions during the 2005 term2005 term opinions of the Supreme Court of the United StatesThe table below lists the opinions delivered from the bench by the Supreme Court of the United States during the 2005 Term, which lasted from October 3, 2005, until October 1, 2006...
- Supreme Court opinions during the 2006 term2006 term opinions of the Supreme Court of the United StatesThis is a list of the opinions delivered from the bench by the Supreme Court of the United States during its 2006 term, which began on October 2, 2006, and concluded September 30, 2007, and statistics associated therewith...
- Supreme Court opinions during the 2007 term2007 term opinions of the Supreme Court of the United StatesThis is a list of the opinions delivered from the bench by the Supreme Court of the United States during its 2007 term, which began on October 1, 2007, and concluded September 30, 2008, and statistics associated therewith...
- Supreme Court opinions during the 2008 term2008 term opinions of the Supreme Court of the United StatesThis is a list of the opinions delivered from the bench by the Supreme Court of the United States during its 2008 term, which began on October 6, 2008, and concluded October 4, 2009, and statistics associated therewith...
- Supreme Court opinions during the 2009 term2009 term opinions of the Supreme Court of the United StatesThis is a list of the opinions of the Supreme Court of the United States delivered during its 2009 term, which began October 5, 2009 and concluded October 3, 2010...
- Supreme Court opinions during the 2010 term2010 term opinions of the Supreme Court of the United StatesThis is a list of the opinions of the Supreme Court of the United States delivered during its 2010 term, which began October 4, 2010 and concluded October 1, 2011...