Supreme Court Archives - TheJointBlog

Trump Nominates Judge Neil M. Gorsuch for Supreme Court: Does He Support Marijuana?

February 14, 2017January 31, 2017 by Anthony Martinelli

President Donald Trump has officially nominated Judge Neil M. Gorsuch as the next member of the U.S. Supreme Court. What is his opinion on marijuana legalization?

In a press conference this evening Donald Trump announced that he has officially nominated Judge Neil M. Gorsuch to become the ninth and tie-breaking member of the United States Supreme Court. Gorsuch is a federal appeals judge as part of the 10th District Court of Appeals, based in Denver; he is also an adjunct law professor at the University of Colorado.

Gorsuch, 49, has a history of conservative values and rulings. He would seamlessly assume the ideological lean the position had when it was held by the late Judge Antonin Scalia. Many liberals, and even moderates, fume at this thought; they had the opportunity for the first time in decades to take control of the Supreme Court when former President Obama nominated Merrick Garland last year. Of course, as everyone knows, Republicans spent months refusing to vote for Garland; this gave Trump an immediate opportunity to fill the vacancy.

U.S. Supreme Court: Detaining Motorists on Highway to Await Drug Dog Search is Unconstitutional

April 22, 2015April 21, 2015 by Anthony Martinelli

Police detaining motorists on the side of the highway to await search from a drug dog is unconstitutional as it violates the Fourth Amendment, according to a 6 to 3 ruling by the United States Supreme Court.

Prior to the ruling, it was commonplace for law enforcement across the country to detain drivers on the side of the highway to await a search by a drug dog. The cop would then use alerts from said dog to find “probable cause” to search the vehicle.

Florida Supreme Court Gives Initiative Approval, State to Vote on Medical Cannabis Legalization This November

January 27, 2014January 27, 2014 by Anthony Martinelli

Today the Florida Supreme Court issued a ruling on the medical cannabis legalization initiative that is vying for this November’s ballot. In a close 4-3 decision, justices determined the initiative is valid, and will be put to a vote.

This ruling comes just days after campaigners received confirmation that they had collected enough voter’s signatures on the initiative to secure its place in the election (roughly 1.2 million signatures total).

Federal Judge Rules New York ‘Stop and Frisk’ Policy Unconstitutional

August 26, 2013August 12, 2013 by Anthony Martinelli

“No one should live in fear of being stopped whenever he leaves his home to go about the activities of daily life”, states U.S. District Judge Shira Scheindlin, who ruled today that New York City’s infamous ‘stop and frisk’ policy is unconstitutional and violates basic human rights.

Advocates marching for an end to New York's 'Stop and Frisk' Policy in January — Advocates marching for an end to New York’s ‘Stop and Frisk’ Policy in January

According to Scheindlin, this policy – which allows police to have individuals empty their pockets, regardless of previous wrongdoing, only to arrest them if they find anything illegal, such as cannabis or other illegal drugs – leads to “indirect racial profiling”, and that the city’s top officials have “turned a blind eye” to the inappropriate use of this already-unconstitutional policy.

Brazil Supreme Court to Review Constitutionality of Drug War

April 25, 2013April 25, 2013 by Anthony Martinelli

Last week seven former ministers of justice in Brazil submitted a petition to the country’s Supreme Court declaring that criminalizing individuals for personal drug use is entirely unconstitutional. The former justices served between the years of 1995 and 2010.

The Brazil Supreme Court will now begin reviewing whether or not what the former justices are saying is legally correct- at least in their opinion. If the Court decides that the illegality of personal drug use has no constitutional basis, it would set precedent across the country that would decriminalize the personal possession of all drugs – something that’s had hugely positive effects in Portugal.

In the petition, the former justices called the drug war “failed”, stating that “treating a user as a citizen, by offering them structured treatment through harm-reducing policies, is more effective than stigmatizing them as a criminal.”

– TheJointBlog

U.S. Supreme Court Says Drug Dogs Can’t Sniff Outside of Homes Without A Warrant

April 9, 2013March 27, 2013 by Anthony Martinelli

In a tight, 5-4 decision, the U.S Supreme Court yesterday issued a ruling on the case Florida v. Jar dines, which sets precedent across the country indicating that it’s illegal for cops or any others to use drug dogs to search the perimeter of someone’s house in an attempt to find illegal drugs.

In order for a cop to do such a search, they must first obtain a warrant from a judge, the ruling declared.