Recent News
Supreme Court Recognizes Individualized Right to Bear Arms, June 27, 2008
Resolving decades of controversy over the scope of the Second Amendment, the Supreme Court released its opinion in District of Columbia v. Heller, striking down a D.C. ordinance banning the possession of handguns. Four of the nine justices dissented, arguing that the Second Amendment was only intended to protect gun ownership within the context of regulated state militias.
Habeas Corpus Protection Extended to Guantanamo Detainees, June 23, 2008
In a 5-4 decision split along ideological lines, the Supreme Court extended the right for enemy combatants detained in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba to challenge their status before federal courts and seek release. Many Guantanamo detainees have been confined since the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq without formal charges, and will now be able to challenge their detention before civilian courts.