Supreme Court Decisions: Sources Available

January 4, 2008

As we transition into 2008, the U.S. Supreme Court has several important cases to decide. Justices will hear arguments on a number of topics, including election law, the death penalty, the rights of detainees, discrimination, and age bias. USC Gould School of Law professors are available to discuss the following cases:

Detainees
Boumediene v. Bush and Al Odah v. United States -- argued December 5
The court will hear arguments on whether Guantanamo Bay detainees have a right to plead their innocence before a judge.

Niels Frenzen
Law professor, director of Immigration Clinic
(213) 740-8933 or (213) 842-2526 (cell)

David Cruz
Constitutional law professor
(213) 740-6830

Age Bias
Sprint vs. Mendelsohn -- argued December 3
The court will hear arguments involving the rights of employees and their employers. Justices will decide if a fired manager who sues alleging age bias has the right to tell the jury about fellow employees who also experienced age discrimination.

Camille Rich
Law professor, specializing in anti-discrimination and employment law
(213) 740-9043

David Cruz
Constitutional law professor
(213) 740-6830

Martin Levine
Professor of law, gerontology, psychiatry and behavioral sciences
(213) 740-6715

Lethal Injection
Baze v. Rees -- to be argued January 7, 2008
The case challenges the use of the most common three-drug lethal injection ''cocktail,'' which is conceded to place some inmates at risk of severe pain.

David Cruz
Constitutional law professor
(213) 740-6830

Voting Rights
Crawford v. Marion County Election Board and Indiana Democratic Party v. Rokita -- to be argued January 9, 2008
The court will hear arguments about Indiana's two-year-old voter identification law, which requires current government-issued photo ID.

Kareem Crayton
Law and politics professor
(213) 740-2516 or (213) 446-8800 (cell)

David Cruz
Constitutional law professor
(213) 740-6830

Discrimination
CBOCS West Inc. v. Humphries -- to be argued in early 2008
The court will decide whether a law that bars racial discrimination in business dealings, including employment, also prohibits retaliation against those who complain about discrimination.

Daria Roithmayr
Law professor, specializing in race and the law
(213) 740-6228 or (310) 367-1295

Kareem Crayton
Law and politics professor
(213) 740-2516 or (213) 446-8800 (cell)

David Cruz
Constitutional law professor
(213) 740-6830

Camille Rich
Law professor, specializing in anti-discrimination and employment law
(213) 740-9043