The Supreme Court’s Biggest Decisions in 2019

Census

In Department of Commerce v. New York, the court sent back to a lower court a case on whether the census should contain a citizenship question, leaving in doubt whether the question would be on the 2020 census.

Partisan Gerrymandering

In two cases, Rucho v. Common Cause and Lamone v. Benisek, the court ruled that the Constitution does not bar extreme partisan gerrymandering.

First Amendment

In Iancu v. Brunetti, the court struck down a federal law barring the registration of vulgar trademarks, saying it ran afoul of the First Amendment.

Race Discrimination

In Flowers v. Mississippi, the court decided that a white prosecutor violated the Constitution in excluding potential black jurors at the sixth trial of Curtis Flowers, who is on death row in Mississippi.

Separation of Church and State

In American Legion v. American Humanist Association, the court allowed a 40-foot cross honoring soldiers from World War I to remain on government land.

Double Jeopardy

In Gamble v. United States, the court refused to overrule precedents allowing two prosecutions for the same crimes, one in federal court and one in state court.

Antitrust

In Apple v. Pepper, the court allowed an enormous antitrust class action against Apple to move forward, saying consumers should be allowed to try to prove that the technology giant had used monopoly power to raise the prices of iPhone apps.

Civil Forfeiture

In Timbs v. Indiana, the court limited the ability of police to seize private property used to commit crimes.

Native Americans

The court announced on June 27 that Carpenter v. Murphy, a case considering whether much of eastern Oklahoma is an Indian reservation, will be reargued next term.