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Supreme Court rejects appeal challenging Hawaii gun licensing requirements under Second Amendment
Read full article: Supreme Court rejects appeal challenging Hawaii gun licensing requirements under Second AmendmentThe Supreme Court has rejected a challenge to Hawaii’s gun-licensing law, though three justices expressed a willingness to hear arguments over the issue later.
Supreme Court rejects appeal from Boston parents over race bias in elite high school admissions
Read full article: Supreme Court rejects appeal from Boston parents over race bias in elite high school admissionsThe Supreme Court has rejected an appeal from Boston parents who claimed a temporary admissions policy for the city’s elite high schools discriminated against white students and those of Asian descent.
Supreme Court rejects Wisconsin parents' challenge to school guidance for transgender students
Read full article: Supreme Court rejects Wisconsin parents' challenge to school guidance for transgender studentsThe Supreme Court has rejected an appeal from Wisconsin parents who wanted to challenge a school district’s guidance for supporting transgender students.
Cornel West loses Supreme Court bid to get on the Pennsylvania presidential ballot
Read full article: Cornel West loses Supreme Court bid to get on the Pennsylvania presidential ballotThird-party presidential candidate Cornel West has lost a Supreme Court bid to be included on the presidential ballot in the key battleground state of Pennsylvania.
A Supreme Court reshaped by Trump has a low profile in this presidential campaign
Read full article: A Supreme Court reshaped by Trump has a low profile in this presidential campaignWhen he was president, Donald Trump remade the Supreme Court with three nominees, and in the process shifted the court's ideological balance to the conservative right.
Supreme Court allows rule limiting pollution from coal-fired power plants to remain in effect
Read full article: Supreme Court allows rule limiting pollution from coal-fired power plants to remain in effectThe Supreme Court has allowed a Biden administration rule aimed at limiting planet-warming pollution from coal-fired power plants to remain in place as legal challenges play out.
Former Sen. Tim Johnson, the last Democrat to hold statewide office in South Dakota, dies at 77
Read full article: Former Sen. Tim Johnson, the last Democrat to hold statewide office in South Dakota, dies at 77Former Sen. Tim Johnson, a centrist who was the last Democrat to hold statewide office in South Dakota and who spent nearly three decades in Congress, has died.
Supreme Court Justice Alito reports German princess gave him $900 concert tickets
Read full article: Supreme Court Justice Alito reports German princess gave him $900 concert ticketsJustice Samuel Alito has reported that he accepted $900 worth of concert tickets from a German princess, but disclosed no trips paid for by other people.
Supreme Court won't allow Oklahoma to reclaim federal money in dispute over abortion referrals
Read full article: Supreme Court won't allow Oklahoma to reclaim federal money in dispute over abortion referralsThe Supreme Court has rejected Oklahoma’s emergency appeal seeking to restore a $4.5 million grant for family planning services in an ongoing dispute over the state’s refusal to refer pregnant women to a nationwide hotline that provides information about abortion and other options.
Supreme Court shuts down Missouri’s long shot push to lift Trump’s gag order in hush-money case
Read full article: Supreme Court shuts down Missouri’s long shot push to lift Trump’s gag order in hush-money caseThe Supreme Court has shut down a long-shot push from Missouri seeking to remove a gag order in former President Donald Trump’s hush-money case and delay his sentencing in New York.
Justice Kagan says there needs to be a way to enforce the US Supreme Court's new ethics code
Read full article: Justice Kagan says there needs to be a way to enforce the US Supreme Court's new ethics codeJustice Elena Kagan says the U.S. Supreme Court should bolster its new ethics code by adding a way to enforce it.
Big wins for Trump and sharp blows to regulations mark momentous Supreme Court term
Read full article: Big wins for Trump and sharp blows to regulations mark momentous Supreme Court termDonald Trump and the conservative interests that helped him reshape the Supreme Court have gotten most of what they wanted this term — from substantial help for Trump’s political and legal prospects to sharp blows against the administrative state they revile.
Highlights from Supreme Court term: Rulings on Trump, regulation, abortion, guns and homelessness
Read full article: Highlights from Supreme Court term: Rulings on Trump, regulation, abortion, guns and homelessnessThe Supreme Court ended its term by ruling for the first time that former presidents have broad immunity from prosecution, a decision that almost certainly means Donald Trump won’t stand trial before the November election.
US Supreme Court Latest: Court sends Trump’s immunity case back to lower court
Read full article: US Supreme Court Latest: Court sends Trump’s immunity case back to lower courtThe U.S. Supreme Court justices have sent Donald Trump’s immunity case back to a lower court in Washington, dimming the prospect of a pre-election trial.
The Supreme Court nears the end of another momentous term. A decision on Trump's immunity looms
Read full article: The Supreme Court nears the end of another momentous term. A decision on Trump's immunity loomsIn the last 10 days of June, on a frenetic pace of its own making, the Supreme Court has touched a wide swath of American society in decisions on abortion, guns, the environment, health, the opioid crisis, securities fraud and homelessness.
What it means for the Supreme Court to throw out Chevron decision, undercutting federal regulators
Read full article: What it means for the Supreme Court to throw out Chevron decision, undercutting federal regulatorsExecutive branch agencies will likely have more difficulty regulating the environment, public health, workplace safety and other issues under a far-reaching decision Friday by the Supreme Court.
7 in 10 Americans think Supreme Court justices put ideology over impartiality: AP-NORC poll
Read full article: 7 in 10 Americans think Supreme Court justices put ideology over impartiality: AP-NORC pollAs the U.S. Supreme Court is expected to rule on a major case involving former President Donald Trump, 7 in 10 Americans think its justices are more likely to shape the law to fit their own ideology, rather than serving as neutral arbiters of government authority.
The Supreme Court rules for Biden administration in a social media dispute with conservative states
Read full article: The Supreme Court rules for Biden administration in a social media dispute with conservative statesThe Supreme Court has sided with the Biden administration in a dispute with Republican-led states over how far the federal government can go to combat controversial social media posts on topics including COVID-19 and election security.
Is Trump shielded from criminal charges as an ex-president? A nation awaits word from Supreme Court
Read full article: Is Trump shielded from criminal charges as an ex-president? A nation awaits word from Supreme CourtThe Supreme Court will soon confront a perfect storm mostly of its own making: a trio of decisions stemming directly from the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol attack.
Las Vegas shooting survivors alarmed at US Supreme Court's strike down of ban on rifle bump stocks
Read full article: Las Vegas shooting survivors alarmed at US Supreme Court's strike down of ban on rifle bump stocksThe U.S. Supreme Court Friday struck down a ban on the rapid-fire rifle bump stock used by the gunman who rattled off over 1,000 bullets in 11 minutes in Las Vegas in 2017.
What to know about bump stocks and the Supreme Court ruling striking down a ban on the gun accessory
Read full article: What to know about bump stocks and the Supreme Court ruling striking down a ban on the gun accessoryThe gun accessory the Supreme Court just ruled on allows a rifle to fire dozens of bullets within seconds.
Justice Clarence Thomas took more trips paid for by donor Harlan Crow, Senate panel reveals
Read full article: Justice Clarence Thomas took more trips paid for by donor Harlan Crow, Senate panel revealsSenate Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin says his committee has uncovered at least three additional luxury trips given to Justice Clarence Thomas by donors as part of the panel’s ethics investigation into the Supreme Court.
3 Nixon justices helped end his presidency. Will the 3 Trump appointees force him to stand trial?
Read full article: 3 Nixon justices helped end his presidency. Will the 3 Trump appointees force him to stand trial?Fifty years ago, three of the justices Richard Nixon appointed to the Supreme Court joined in an 8-0 decision in the Watergate tapes case that effectively ended his presidency.
Justice Alito questions possibility of political compromise in secret recording
Read full article: Justice Alito questions possibility of political compromise in secret recordingSupreme Court Justice Samuel Alito is heard questioning whether compromise between the left and right is possible in a conversation posted on social media.
Thomas acknowledges more travel paid for by Harlan Crow. Colleagues report six-figure book payments
Read full article: Thomas acknowledges more travel paid for by Harlan Crow. Colleagues report six-figure book paymentsJustice Clarence Thomas is belatedly acknowledging more travel paid for by Republican megadonor Harlan Crow, while several colleagues reported six-figure payments as part of book deals.
Upside-down American flag reappears as a right-wing protest symbol after Trump's guilty verdict
Read full article: Upside-down American flag reappears as a right-wing protest symbol after Trump's guilty verdictRight-wing commentators and supporters of former President Donald Trump have flooded social media with images of upside-down American flags in protest of his historic guilty verdict.
Roberts rejects Senate Democrats' request to discuss Supreme Court ethics and Alito flag controversy
Read full article: Roberts rejects Senate Democrats' request to discuss Supreme Court ethics and Alito flag controversyChief Justice John Roberts has declined an invitation to meet with Democratic senators to talk about Supreme Court ethics and flags that flew outside Justice Samuel Alito's homes.
To recuse or refuse? A look at Supreme Court justices’ decisions on whether to step aside in cases
Read full article: To recuse or refuse? A look at Supreme Court justices’ decisions on whether to step aside in casesIn declining to step aside from two high-profile Supreme Court cases, Justice Samuel Alito has provided a rare window on the opaque process by which justices decide to recuse themselves.
Alito rejects calls to quit Supreme Court cases on Trump and Jan. 6 because of flag controversies
Read full article: Alito rejects calls to quit Supreme Court cases on Trump and Jan. 6 because of flag controversiesFormer President Donald Trump is congratulating Justice Samuel Alito for rejecting calls to step aside from Supreme Court cases involving Trump and Jan. 6 defendants because of the controversy over flags that flew over Alito's homes.
The Washington Post said it had the Alito flag story 3 years ago and chose not to publish
Read full article: The Washington Post said it had the Alito flag story 3 years ago and chose not to publishThe Washington Post says it reported on a story about a controversial flag being flown outside the home of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito years ago, but chose not to write about it.
Democratic senators request meeting with Chief Justice Roberts over flags flown at Alito's homes
Read full article: Democratic senators request meeting with Chief Justice Roberts over flags flown at Alito's homesTwo Democratic senators are requesting a meeting with Chief Justice John Roberts after reports that two separate flags carried by rioters at the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol had flown outside of houses owned by Justice Samuel Alito.
The 'Appeal to Heaven' flag evolves from Revolutionary War symbol to banner of the far right
Read full article: The 'Appeal to Heaven' flag evolves from Revolutionary War symbol to banner of the far rightU.S. Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito is embroiled in a second flag controversy in as many weeks, this time over a banner that in recent years has come to symbolize Christian nationalism and the false claim that the 2020 presidential election was stolen.
Second flag carried by Jan. 6 rioters displayed outside house owned by Justice Alito, report says
Read full article: Second flag carried by Jan. 6 rioters displayed outside house owned by Justice Alito, report saysA second flag of a type carried by rioters during the attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, was displayed outside a house owned by Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito.
Can Medicare money protect doctors from abortion crimes? It worked before, desegregating hospitals
Read full article: Can Medicare money protect doctors from abortion crimes? It worked before, desegregating hospitalsThe Supreme Court's decision regarding Idaho's abortion ban may hinge on whether federal spending power can protect doctors against a state's criminal code.
Upside-down flag at Justice Alito's home another blow for Supreme Court under fire
Read full article: Upside-down flag at Justice Alito's home another blow for Supreme Court under fireWhen an upside-down U.S. flag flew over the home of Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito in January 2021, it was largely seen in connection with the false claim by then-President Donald Trump’s supporters that the 2020 election had been marred by fraud.
Supreme Court seems skeptical of Trump's claim of absolute immunity but decision's timing is unclear
Read full article: Supreme Court seems skeptical of Trump's claim of absolute immunity but decision's timing is unclearThe Supreme Court seems highly skeptical of former President Donald Trump’s claim of absolute immunity from prosecution.
Supreme Court will take up the legal fight over ghost guns, firearms without serial numbers
Read full article: Supreme Court will take up the legal fight over ghost guns, firearms without serial numbersThe Supreme Court has agreed to take up a Biden administration appeal over the regulation of difficult-to-trace ghost guns that was struck down by lower courts.
Supreme Court extends block on Texas law that would allow police to arrest migrants
Read full article: Supreme Court extends block on Texas law that would allow police to arrest migrantsThe Supreme Court has extended its block, for now, on a Texas law that would give police broad powers to arrest migrants suspected of illegally entering the U.S. while the legal battle it sparked over immigration authority plays out.
How Texas' plans to arrest migrants for illegal entry would work if allowed to take effect
Read full article: How Texas' plans to arrest migrants for illegal entry would work if allowed to take effectTexas’ plan to arrest migrants who cross the U.S.-Mexico border illegally is on hold while the U.S. Supreme Court considers a challenge to Republican Gov. Greg Abbott’s latest move over immigration.
Supreme Court casts doubt on GOP-led states' efforts to regulate social media platforms
Read full article: Supreme Court casts doubt on GOP-led states' efforts to regulate social media platformsThe Supreme Court has cast doubt with state laws that could affect how Facebook, TikTok, X, YouTube and other social media platforms regulate content posted by their users.
The Supreme Court leaves in place the admissions plan at an elite Virginia public high school
Read full article: The Supreme Court leaves in place the admissions plan at an elite Virginia public high schoolThe Supreme Court has left in place the admissions policy at an elite public high school in Virginia, despite claims that it discriminates against highly qualified Asian Americans.
Takeaways from the Supreme Court arguments over whether Trump is ineligible to be president again
Read full article: Takeaways from the Supreme Court arguments over whether Trump is ineligible to be president againThe prevailing view among legal experts before the Supreme Court heard argument in a case to remove Donald Trump from the 2024 ballot was that the justices wouldn't take that step.
The Supreme Court wrestles with major challenges to the power of federal regulators
Read full article: The Supreme Court wrestles with major challenges to the power of federal regulatorsConservative Supreme Court justices have voiced support for weakening the power of federal regulators, but it's unclear whether a majority would overturn a major 40-year-old decision.
A little fish at the Supreme Court could take a big bite out of regulatory power
Read full article: A little fish at the Supreme Court could take a big bite out of regulatory powerBusiness and conservative interest groups hoping to limit the power of regulators believe they have a winner in the Atlantic herring and the boats that sweep the modest fish into their holds by the millions.
Chief Justice Roberts casts a wary eye on the uses of artificial intelligence in the federal courts
Read full article: Chief Justice Roberts casts a wary eye on the uses of artificial intelligence in the federal courtsChief Justice John Roberts is turning his focus to the promise and shortcomings of artificial intelligence in the federal courts.
The Supreme Court will rule on limits on a commonly used abortion medication
Read full article: The Supreme Court will rule on limits on a commonly used abortion medicationThe Supreme Court has agreed to take up a dispute over a medication used in the most common method of abortion in the United States.
The Supreme Court rejects an appeal over bans on conversion therapy for LGBTQ+ children
Read full article: The Supreme Court rejects an appeal over bans on conversion therapy for LGBTQ+ childrenThe Supreme Court has refused to take up a case about whether state and local governments can enforce laws banning conversion therapy for LGBTQ+ children.
Supreme Court signals it will uphold a tax on foreign income and leave a wealth tax for another day
Read full article: Supreme Court signals it will uphold a tax on foreign income and leave a wealth tax for another dayThe Supreme Court seems inclined to uphold a tax on foreign income while leaving broader questions about a never-enacted tax on wealth for another day.
The Supreme Court won’t allow Florida to enforce its new law targeting drag shows during appeal
Read full article: The Supreme Court won’t allow Florida to enforce its new law targeting drag shows during appealThe Supreme Court will not allow Florida to enforce its new law targeting drag shows, while a court case proceeds.
The Supreme Court won't allow Florida to enforce its new law targeting drag shows during appeal
Read full article: The Supreme Court won't allow Florida to enforce its new law targeting drag shows during appealThe Supreme Court will not allow Florida to enforce its new law targeting drag shows, while a court case proceeds.
The Supreme Court says it is adopting a code of ethics, but it has no means of enforcement
Read full article: The Supreme Court says it is adopting a code of ethics, but it has no means of enforcementThe new Supreme Court code of conduct agreed to by all nine justices does not appear to impose any significant new requirements on them.
The Supreme Court allows the White House to continue work to combat controversial social media posts
Read full article: The Supreme Court allows the White House to continue work to combat controversial social media postsThe Supreme Court says it will indefinitely block a lower court order curbing Biden administration efforts to combat controversial social media posts on topics including COVID-19 and election security.
The Supreme Court seems likely to side with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
Read full article: The Supreme Court seems likely to side with the Consumer Financial Protection BureauThe Supreme Court seems likely to preserve the work of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau against a conservative-led challenge.
The Supreme Court opens its new term with a case about prison terms for drug dealers
Read full article: The Supreme Court opens its new term with a case about prison terms for drug dealersThe Supreme Court has opened its new term with a case about prison terms for drug dealers and rejections of hundreds of appeals, including one from an attorney who pushed a plan to keep former President Donald Trump in power.
Justice Alito rejects Senate Democrats’ call to step aside from an upcoming Supreme Court case
Read full article: Justice Alito rejects Senate Democrats’ call to step aside from an upcoming Supreme Court caseJustice Samuel Alito is rejecting demands from Senate Democrats that he step aside from an upcoming Supreme Court case because of his interactions with one of the lawyers, in a fresh demonstration of tensions over ethical issues.
Supreme Court Justice Kavanaugh predicts 'concrete steps soon' to address ethics concerns
Read full article: Supreme Court Justice Kavanaugh predicts 'concrete steps soon' to address ethics concernsU.S. Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh has told attendees at a judicial conference in Ohio that addressing recent ethics concerns can increase public confidence in the institution.
Justice Clarence Thomas reports he took 3 trips on Republican donor's plane last year
Read full article: Justice Clarence Thomas reports he took 3 trips on Republican donor's plane last yearSupreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas is acknowledging that he took three trips last year aboard a private plane owned by Republican megadonor Harlan Crow.
US Supreme Court Justice Barrett says she welcomes public scrutiny of court
Read full article: US Supreme Court Justice Barrett says she welcomes public scrutiny of courtU.S. Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett told attendees at a judicial conference in Wisconsin on Monday that she welcomed public scrutiny of the court.
Supreme Court reinstates regulation of ghost guns, firearms without serial numbers
Read full article: Supreme Court reinstates regulation of ghost guns, firearms without serial numbersThe Supreme Court is reinstating a regulation aimed at reining in the proliferation of firearms without serial numbers, called ghost guns.
Senate committee approves legislation to impose stronger ethics standards on Supreme Court justices
Read full article: Senate committee approves legislation to impose stronger ethics standards on Supreme Court justicesThe Supreme Court would have to abide by stronger ethics standards under legislation approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Supreme Court lets stand ruling that protects people with gender dysphoria under disability law
Read full article: Supreme Court lets stand ruling that protects people with gender dysphoria under disability lawThe U.S. Supreme Court has declined to review a first-of-its-kind ruling from a federal appeals court that found people with gender dysphoria are entitled to the protections of the Americans With Disabilities Act.
Supreme Court lets lawsuits over team doctor's sexual abuse proceed against Ohio State
Read full article: Supreme Court lets lawsuits over team doctor's sexual abuse proceed against Ohio StateThe Supreme Court is leaving in place a decision that allows more than 230 men to sue Ohio State University over decades-old sexual abuse by a university doctor, the late Richard Strauss.
Justice Alito accepted Alaska resort vacation from GOP donors, report says
Read full article: Justice Alito accepted Alaska resort vacation from GOP donors, report saysSupreme Court Justice Samuel Alito accepted a 2008 trip to a luxury fishing lodge in Alaska from two wealthy Republican donors, one of whom repeatedly had interests before the court.
Supreme Court rules for nursing home patient's family, declines to limit civil rights lawsuits
Read full article: Supreme Court rules for nursing home patient's family, declines to limit civil rights lawsuitsThe Supreme Court has ruled for the family of a nursing home resident with dementia that had sued over his care.
Justice Jackson reports flowers from Oprah, designer clothing as Thomas delays filing disclosure
Read full article: Justice Jackson reports flowers from Oprah, designer clothing as Thomas delays filing disclosureJustice Ketanji Brown Jackson has disclosed that she received a $1,200 congratulatory floral display from Oprah Winfrey and $6,580 in designer clothing for a magazine photo shoot in her first months as the first Black woman on the Supreme Court.
Supreme Court limits regulation of some US wetlands, making it easier to develop and destroy them
Read full article: Supreme Court limits regulation of some US wetlands, making it easier to develop and destroy themThe Supreme Court is curtailing the federal government’s power to protect some wetlands.
Connecticut high court nominee regrets signing 2017 letter supporting Amy Coney Barrett
Read full article: Connecticut high court nominee regrets signing 2017 letter supporting Amy Coney BarrettA nominee to the Connecticut Supreme Court has told state lawmakers that she would not have signed a 2017 letter supporting Amy Coney Barrett for a federal appeals court position if she knew Barrett would later vote to overturn Roe v. Wade abortion protections as a member of the U.S. Supreme Court.
Supreme Court to decide important case on government power
Read full article: Supreme Court to decide important case on government powerThe Supreme Court says it will decide whether or not to overrule a decades-old decision that has been a frequent target of conservatives and, if overruled, could make it harder to sustain governmental regulations.
Supreme Court case tests religious tolerance on Sunday work
Read full article: Supreme Court case tests religious tolerance on Sunday workSupreme Court justices seemed in broad agreement that businesses can’t cite minor costs or hardships to reject requests from workers who need schedule or other accommodations because of their religious practices.
High court temporarily blocks restrictions on abortion pill
Read full article: High court temporarily blocks restrictions on abortion pillThe Supreme Court is temporarily keeping in place federal rules for use of an abortion drug, while it takes time to more fully consider the issues raised in a court challenge.
High court: Trans girl can run girls track in West Virginia
Read full article: High court: Trans girl can run girls track in West VirginiaThe Supreme Court is allowing a 12-year-old transgender girl in West Virginia to continue competing on her middle school’s girls sports teams while a lawsuit over a state ban continues.
High court: Trans girl can run girls track in West Virginia
Read full article: High court: Trans girl can run girls track in West VirginiaThe Supreme Court is allowing a 12-year-old transgender girl in West Virginia to continue competing on her middle school’s girls sports teams while a lawsuit over a state ban continues.
Supreme Court: Justices interviewed as part of leak probe
Read full article: Supreme Court: Justices interviewed as part of leak probeEight months, 126 formal interviews and a 23-page report later, the Supreme Court has failed to discover who leaked a draft of the court’s opinion overturning abortion rights.
Bill over abortion court leak struck down in North Dakota
Read full article: Bill over abortion court leak struck down in North DakotaMonths after the unprecedented leak of the U.S. Supreme Court draft opinion that overturned Roe v. Wade, lawmakers in North Dakota have struck down a bill to criminalize court leaks.
Justices skeptical of elections case that could alter voting
Read full article: Justices skeptical of elections case that could alter votingThe Supreme Court seems skeptical of making a broad ruling that would leave state legislatures virtually unchecked when making rules for elections for Congress and the presidency.
Letter: 'Nothing to suggest' Alito violated ethics standards
Read full article: Letter: 'Nothing to suggest' Alito violated ethics standardsThe Supreme Court says in a letter to Congress that there is “nothing to suggest” that Justice Samuel Alito violated ethics standards following a report that a 2014 decision he wrote was leaked in advance of its announcement.
Lawmakers urge action after report of other high court leak
Read full article: Lawmakers urge action after report of other high court leakThe Senate Judiciary Committee chairman is among those urging action in response to a report that a former anti-abortion leader knew in advance the outcome of a 2014 Supreme Court case involving health care coverage of contraception.
High court rules against Arizona GOP leader in records fight
Read full article: High court rules against Arizona GOP leader in records fightThe Supreme Court has cleared the way for the House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol to get phone records belonging to the leader of the Arizona Republican Party.
Justices cheered at conservative group's anniversary dinner
Read full article: Justices cheered at conservative group's anniversary dinnerFour of the five Supreme Court justices who overturned the constitutional right to abortion showed up at the conservative Federalist Society’s black-tie dinner marking its 40th anniversary.
High court told jurors were misled in Arizona death row case
Read full article: High court told jurors were misled in Arizona death row caseA lawyer for a man on Arizona’s death row has told the U.S. Supreme Court that jurors in the case were wrongly told that the only way to ensure the man would never walk free was to sentence him to death.