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High court decisions in major cases

By TIMES WIRES
Published June 26, 2007

The Supreme Court issued 5-4 rulings on Monday in cases involving campaign finance, free speech and religion.

Same majority: Voting in the majority in all three cases were Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Samuel Alito, Anthony Kennedy, Antonin Scalia and Clarence Thomas. Dissenting were Justices Stephen Breyer, Ruth Bader Ginsburg, David Souter and John Paul Stevens.

Campaign finance: The court ruled that free speech rights take precedence over government restrictions on political advertising in a decision that opens the door for greater influence by interest groups in the closing days of an election. The ruling eased legal barriers aimed at corporate- and union-financed television ads.

Free speech: The court curbed students' rights to advocate drug use or even joke about it, ruling against a former Alaska high school student who raised a banner at a sports rally in Juneau that read "Bong Hits 4 Jesus." Not amused by the 2002 antic, and unpersuaded by free-speech arguments, the court ruled that a school principal acted reasonably in suspending the sign-waving student even though he wasn't on school grounds.

Religion: The court shielded President Bush's "faith-based initiative" from challenge in the courts, allowing federal money to flow to church groups and religious organizations that do charitable work or provide social services. A group of atheists and agnostics said the initiative amounted to government promotion of religion.

[Last modified June 26, 2007, 00:30:19]