The Latest Breaking News from Harry Blackmun

The scourge of the death penalty hangs over America

The restoration of capital punishment in 1976 was based on a fantasy of fairness. It must be abolished

The Guardian - US · Jul 2

New in Civitas: "The Roberts Court Needs To Reboot The Machinery Of Death"

"The way for judges to stop tinkering with the machinery of death is to stop tinkering with the machinery of death."

Reason · Jun 2

Chief Justice Burger Set the Stage for the Originalist Revolution

While conservative criticisms of the Burger Court may be justified, those criticisms do not apply to the "The Chief." He had only one vote on the Court ... and, too often, too little support from his colleagues to reach originalist results.

Reason · Oct 6, 2025

I read the 1973 Roe v Wade ruling to see what we lost. Everyone should

What I admire most is how the ruling, at once profound and lyrical, describes the atmosphere surrounding the issue of abortion. It is beautiful

The Guardian - US · Jul 1, 2022

Commentary: How to move forward after the destruction of Roe v. Wade

There are virtually no precedents in American law in which a right — declared fundamental by the Supreme Court — was erased. While the court has overhauled constitutional protections before, the complete retraction of the right to abortion sets the nation on a course it has never seen.

Los Angeles Times · Jun 28, 2022

Abortion and the Supreme Court: A short legal history of Roe

WASHINGTON — The early American laws prohibiting abortion were adopted in the 19th century in an era when women could not vote or hold elective office.

Los Angeles Times · Jun 24, 2022

U.S. Supreme Court rules there’s no right to abortion, setting up Texas ban

The high court’s monumental ruling will have major impact on Texas, which has a trigger law banning abortions that goes into effect soon.

The Texas Tribune · Jun 24, 2022

There Is a Reason Why Roe v. Wade's Defenders Focus on Its Results Rather Than Its Logic

The abortion precedent has faced withering criticism, including damning appraisals by pro-choice legal scholars, for half a century.

Reason · May 10, 2022

Commentary: Dobbs case tests our commitment to the Constitution

“Here, sir, the people govern,” Alexander Hamilton said when explaining the republican form of government recently established in America. “Here, they act by their immediate representatives.” Most Americans agree, at least in theory, but theory is easy. It’s in practice, when this system does not deliver everything you want, that…

Tribune News Service · May 10, 2022

Stephen L. Carter: The Supreme Court has always been political

In the swirling days since what I suppose we should just call The Leak, a significant theme has been the argument that the Supreme Court has grown deeply politicized. But there never existed a golden age when the court was anything else.

Tribune News Service · May 8, 2022