On the issues: Significant Decisions of the Roberts Court
Since John G. Roberts Jr. became chief justice five years ago, the court's ideological divide has been on display in cases involving abortion, the Second Amendment, free speech, the rights of terrorism suspects, criminal defendants and a host of important constitutional and social issues.
2005-2006
Hamdan v. Rumsfeld
The court rejected the Bush administration's plan to try Guantanamo detainees by military commissions.
Vote: (5 to 3) Majority: Stevens, Kennedy, Souter, Ginsburg, Breyer. Dissenters: Scalia, Thomas, Alito. Roberts recused because he had heard the case as a circuit court judge.
Kansas v. March
The court upheld a Kansas law that said the death penalty is imposed when the jury decides mitigating and aggravating evidence is of equal value.
Vote: (5 to 4) Majority: Roberts, Scalia, Kennedy, Thomas, Alito. Dissenters: Stevens, Souter, Ginsburg, Breyer.
Gonzales v. Oregon
Before Alito joined the court, it ruled former attorney general John Ashcroft exceeded his authority in threatening to discipline doctors who followed Oregon's assisted suicide law.
Vote: (6 to 3) Majority: Stevens, O'Connor; Kennedy, Souter, Ginsburg, Breyer. Dissenters: Roberts, Scalia, Thomas.
Rapanos v. U.S
The court failed to find five votes but the outcome allowed federal government to continue to enforce part of the Clean Water Act.
Vote: (4 to 1 to 4) Kennedy in the middle between Roberts, Scalia, Thomas and Alito on one side, and Stevens, Souter, Ginsburg andBreyer on the other.
Rumsfeld v. Forum for Academic and Institutional Rights.
The court upheld a law that withheld federal funds from universities that do not allow military recruiters the same access as other employers.
Vote: (8 to 0) Alito did not take part.
2006-2007
Parents Involved in Community Schools v. Seattle, Meredith v. Jefferson County Board of Education
The court ruled school assignment plans in Seattle and Louisville unconstitutional because they made decisions based on an individual's race.
Vote: (5 to 4) Majority: Roberts, Scalia, Kennedy, Thomas, Alito. Dissenters: Stevens, Souter, Ginsburg, Breyer.
Gonzales v. Carhart
The court upheld the federal Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act, approving for the first time a prohibition of a specific abortion procedure.
Vote: (5 to 4) Majority: Roberts, Scalia, Kennedy, Thomas, Alito. Dissenters: Stevens, Souter, Ginsburg, Breyer.
Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire
Ruled that a female manager had waited too long to file her complaint that the company had paid her less than male co-workers.
Vote: (5 to 4) Majority: Roberts, Scalia, Kennedy, Thomas, Alito. Dissenters: Stevens, Souter, Ginsburg, Breyer.
Federal Election Commission v. Wisconsin Right to Life
The court loosened the restrictions on campaign advertising by unions and corporations, weakening the 2002 McCain-Feingold campaign finance law.
Vote: (5 to 4) Majority: Roberts, Scalia, Kennedy, Thomas, Alito. Dissenters: Stevens, Souter, Ginsburg, Breyer.
Massachusetts v. EPA
The court sided with environmentalists and rebuked the Environmental Protection Agency for declining to regulate greenhouse gasses.
Vote: (5 to 4) Majority: Stevens, Kennedy, Souter, Ginsburg, Breyer. Dissenters: Roberts, Scalia, Thomas, Alito.
Morse v. Frederick
The court ruled against a high school student who unfurled a "Bong Hits 4 Jesus" banner at a school event, and said school officials may punish speech that appears to advocate illegal drug use.
Vote: (5 to 4) Majority: Roberts, Scalia, Kennedy, Thomas, Alito. Dissenters: Stevens, Souter, Ginsburg, Breyer.
2007-2008
District of Columbia v. Heller
The court ruled for the first time that the Second Amendent provides an individual right of gun ownership, unrelated to militia service.
Vote: (5 to 4) Majority: Roberts, Scalia, Kennedy, Thomas, Alito. Dissenters: Stevens, Souter, Ginsburg, Breyer)
Boumediene v. Bush
The court ruled Guantanamo detainees have a right to seek their release in federal court.
Vote: (5 to 4) Majority: Stevens, Kennedy, Souter, Ginsburg, Breyer. Dissenters: Roberts, Scalia, Thomas, Alito.
Kennedy v. Louisiana
The court said the death penalty is reserved for murder and crimes against the state, and cannot be imposed on someone who rapes a child.
Vote: (5 to 4) Majority: Stevens, Kennedy, Souter, Ginsburg, Breyer. Dissenters: Roberts, Scalia, Thomas, Alito.
Baze v. Rees
The court ruled Kentucky's method of lethal injection, similar to that used in most states, does not violate prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment.
Vote: (7 to 2) Majority: Roberts, Stevens, Scalia, Kennedy, Thomas, Breyer, Alito. Dissenters: Souter, Ginsburg.
Crawford v. Marion County Election Board
The court ruled Indiana's requirement that voters show a photo id does not violate the Constitution.
Vote: (6 to 3) Majority: Roberts, Stevens, Scalia, Kennedy, Thomas, Alito. Dissenters: Souter, Ginsburg, Breyer.
2008-2009
Ricci v. DeStefano
The court restricted how far employers may go in considering race in hiring and promotion, and that the city of New Haven was wrong to throw out the results of a test on which minorities performed poorly.
Vote: (5 to 4) Majority: Roberts, Scalia, Kennedy, Thomas, Alito. Dissenters: Stevens, Souter, Ginsburg, Breyer.
District Attorney's Office for Third Judicial District v. Osborne
The court said prisoners do not have a constitutional right to DNA testing.
Vote: (5 to 4) Roberts, Scalia, Kennedy, Thomas, Alito. Dissenters: Stevens, Souter, Ginsburg, Breyer.
Caperton v. A.T. Massey Coal
The court said excessive campaign contributions can create an unconstitutional threat to a fair trial.
Vote: (5 to 4) Majority: Stevens, Kennedy, Souter, Ginsburg, Breyer. Dissenters: Roberts, Scalia, Thomas, Alito.
Wyeth v. Levine
The court said drugmakers could not rely on federal regulation to protect them from suits brought under state consumer laws.
Vote: (6 to 3) Majority: Stevens, Kennedy, Souter, Thomas, Ginsburg, Breyer. Dissenters: Roberts, Scalia, Alito.
Altria Group Inc. v. Good
The court said federal laws regarding cigarette labeling do not prohibit suits against tobacco companies under state anti-fraud laws.
Vote: (5 to 4) Majority: Stevens, Kennedy, Souter, Ginsburg, Breyer. Dissenters: Roberts, Scalia, Thomas, Alito
2009-2010
McDonald v. Chicago
The court said the Second Amendment protections on gun ownership apply to gun control laws passed by state and local governments.
Vote: (5 to 4) Majority: Roberts, Scalia, Kennedy, Thomas, Alito. Dissenters: Stevens, Ginsburg, Breyer, Sotomayor
Skilling v. United States
The court limited a federal law making it a crime to deprive one's employer of the "intangible right to honest services" to bribes and kickbacks. The dissenters would have struck the law entirely.
Vote: (6 to 3) Majority: Roberts, Stevens, Ginsburg, Breyer, Alito, Sotomayor. Dissenters: Scalia, Kennedy, Thomas.
Holder v. Humanitarian Law Project
The court said the First Amendment does not protect humanitarian groups who advise foreign terrorist organizations, even about legal activities or peaceful settlement of disputes.
Vote: (6 to 3) Majority: Roberts, Stevens, Scalia, Kennedy, Thomas, Alito. Dissenters: Ginsburg, Breyer, Sotomayor.
Graham v. Florida
The court ruled juveniles could not be sentened to life in prison without the possibility of parole for any crime short of homicide.
Vote: (5 to 4) Majority: Stevens, Kennedy, Ginsburg, Breyer, Sotomayor. Dissenters: Roberts, Scalia, Thomas, Alito.
Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission
The court agreed corporations and union could make unlimited independent expenditures in campaigns, saying restrictions violated free speech.
Vote: (5 to 4) Majority: Roberts, Scalia, Kennedy, Thomas, Alito. Dissenters: Stevens, Ginsburg, Breyer, Sotomayor.
United States v. Stevens
The court said a federal law intended to forbid the sale of depictions of violence against animals was too broad and violated fee speech.
Vote: (8 to 1) Majority: Roberts, Stevens, Scalia, Kennedy, Thomas, Ginsburg, Breyer, Sotomayor. Dissenter: Alito.