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An Eye on the American Judicial System
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Supreme Risk
Most rights are based in statute, but dozens — such as rights to same-sex marriage, search warrants and Miranda warnings — are based on judicial rulings that the Supreme Court can overturn and that current justices have questioned some aspect of.
The Origins of Our Investigation Into Clarence Thomas’ Relationship With Harlan Crow
The lavish travel, real estate deal and tuition arrangements have set off a frenzy. Here’s where our reporting started and how we got the story.
Clarence Thomas’ Friend Acknowledges That Billionaire Harlan Crow Paid Tuition for the Child Thomas Was Raising “as a Son”
In response to ProPublica reporting, the friend said Crow covered two years of schooling for the teen, which would amount to roughly $100,000 of undisclosed gifts. Meanwhile, Democrats renewed calls for judicial ethics overhaul.
Clarence Thomas Had a Child in Private School. Harlan Crow Paid the Tuition.
Crow paid for private school for a relative Thomas said he was raising “as a son.” “This is way outside the norm,” said a former White House ethics lawyer.
How South Carolina Ended Up With an All-Male Supreme Court
An abortion ban struck down. The lone female justice retiring. And a majority-male legislature rallying behind the one male candidate to replace her. This is how South Carolina ended up with an all-male Supreme Court as new abortion legislation looms.
Some Are Jailed in Mississippi for Months Without a Lawyer. The State Supreme Court Just Barred That.
Criminal justice reformers have long complained that the state’s rules on appointing public defenders leave poor defendants without a lawyer as they wait to be indicted.
Billionaire Harlan Crow Bought Property From Clarence Thomas. The Justice Didn’t Disclose the Deal.
The transaction is the first known instance of money flowing from Crow to the Supreme Court justice. The sale netted the GOP megadonor two vacant lots and the house where Thomas’ mother was living.
Ethics Watchdog Urges Justice Department Investigation Into Clarence Thomas’ Trips
In pushing to kick-start an inquiry into Thomas’ lavish travel provided by a GOP megadonor, the nonpartisan Campaign Legal Center wrote that the ethics issue has “historic implications far beyond one Supreme Court justice.”
Congress Members Announce Hearing, Demand Chief Justice Investigate Clarence Thomas’ Trips
The lawmakers said the chief justice was duty-bound to conduct a “swift, thorough, independent and transparent investigation” of Thomas’ undisclosed travel with billionaire Harlan Crow in order to “safeguard public faith in the judiciary.”
Clarence Thomas Defends Undisclosed “Family Trips” With GOP Megadonor. Here Are the Facts.
In response to a ProPublica report, Thomas explained why he did not disclose lavish travel provided by billionaire Harlan Crow. But legal experts maintain the justice was required to make these disclosures.
Lawmakers Call for Investigation and Ethics Reforms in Response to ProPublica Report on Clarence Thomas
Influential Democratic legislators are pushing for changes at the Supreme Court and a probe into Thomas’ undisclosed luxury trips provided by powerful conservative donor Harlan Crow.
Clarence Thomas and the Billionaire
Island-hopping on a superyacht. Private jet rides around the world. The undisclosed gifts to Thomas have no known precedent in the modern history of the Supreme Court. “It’s incomprehensible to me that someone would do this,” says one former judge.
Judge Pauses Order to Return Siblings to Father They Say Abused Them
Utah lawmakers call for examination of court-ordered reunification after a judge was persuaded by the theory of “parental alienation” to order Ty and Brynlee Larson back into their father’s custody.
Barricaded Siblings Turn to TikTok While Defying Court Order to Return to Father They Say Abused Them
A judge concluded the children were victims of “parental alienation,” which continues to influence family courts despite being rejected by mainstream scientific groups, and authorized police to use “reasonable force” to remove them from their mother.
Conservative Activist Poured Millions Into Groups Seeking to Influence Supreme Court on Elections and Discrimination
Newly obtained records show how Leonard Leo, an architect of the right-wing takeover of the courts, has been funding groups pushing to change elections and anti-discrimination laws.
What’s Really at Stake in a Politically Charged Supreme Court Case on Elections
Moore v. Harper could transform the law — but not in the way that many pundits, or even politicians, anticipate.
The Supreme Court Is Back in Session. Here’s What to Expect.
After overturning abortion rights and weakening gun controls, an overwhelmingly conservative court is set to consider vital matters involving elections, the environment and possibly the first prosecution of a U.S. president.
The Supreme Court’s EPA Decision Could Hamper Regulators’ Ability to Protect the Public
The agency will still be allowed to regulate many forms of air pollution, but would need explicit direction from Congress on how to tackle some of the worst aspects of climate change and other pressing issues.
Three Takeaways From the Supreme Court’s Decisions on Trump’s Tax and Financial Documents
The Supreme Court finally ruled on whether Congress and investigators can obtain the president’s financial information. The answer is yes — but it’s a little more complicated than that.
These Judges Can Have Less Training Than Barbers but Still Decide Thousands of Cases Each Year
South Carolina’s system for magistrate judges is unlike any state in the country, creating fertile ground for incompetence and corruption. Most aren’t lawyers, but their decisions can have lasting effects on the vulnerable people who come before them.
Legal Footnote: You Have to Look Hard to See the Supreme Court Correct Its Mistakes
When the justices err, care is taken not to call attention to the mishaps. Some think that’s its own mistake.
Suspect Evidence Informed a Momentous Supreme Court Decision on Criminal Sentencing
The U.S. Sentencing Commission helped send more people to prison for longer terms. It’s a shame it was created to address a nonexistent crisis. Here’s how the Supreme Court got misled.
It’s a Fact: Supreme Court Errors Aren’t Hard to Find
A ProPublica review adds fuel to a longstanding worry about the nation’s highest court: The justices can botch the truth, sometimes in cases of great import.
