Posted on 03/09/2021 7:12:42 AM PST by SeekAndFind
Chief Justice John Roberts was the only dissenter in the U.S Supreme Court’s most recent ruling favoring a couple of Christian students who challenged their university for restricting when, where, and how they could speak about their faith and disseminate materials on campus.
Today's 8-1 decision in Uzuegbunam v. Preczewski marks the first time Chief Justice John Roberts has ever been the sole dissenting justice during his entire tenure. https://t.co/6Ux9HvXiDL
— SCOTUSblog (@SCOTUSblog) March 8, 2021
Uzuegbunam et al. v. Preczewski et al. first materialized after Chike Uzuegbunam, a student at Georgia Gwinnett College, was stopped by campus police for handing out religious materials on campus, a reported violation of the school’s “Freedom of Expression Policy,” which limited distributions and other expressions to free speech zones only with permission from the administration. Even after Uzuegbunam moved to the designated areas with permission, however, campus police attempted to stop him from speaking and handing out religious literature, prompting him and another student, Joseph Bradford, to take legal action against the university for violating their First and 14th Amendment rights and seek nominal damages.
The students’ attempts to sue the school, however, were shot down by both a district court and the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit after Georgia Gwinnett College changed its “Freedom of Expression” policy to remove barriers on when and where students could speak on campus and filed a motion to dismiss the case as moot. The Supreme Court took up the case after Uzuegbunam and Bradford noted that their rights were still violated no matter what the university modified its policy to reflect and still required a ruling on nominal damages.
Justice Clarence Thomas authored the opinion of the court, agreeing with the students’ case.
“Applying this principle here is straightforward. For purposes of this appeal, it is undisputed that Uzuegbunam experienced a completed violation of his constitutional rights when respondents enforced their speech policies against him. Because ‘every violation [of a right] imports damage,’ Webb, 29 F. Cas., at 509, nominal damages can redress Uzuegbunam’s injury even if he cannot or chooses not to quantify that harm in economic terms,” Thomas concluded.
Roberts, however, in his first solo dissent, wrote that the court was acting as “a moot court” in deciding this case and their ruling.
“When plaintiffs like Uzuegbunam and Bradford allege neither actual damages nor the prospect of future injury, an award of
nominal damages does not change their status or condition at all. Such an award instead represents a judicial determination that the plaintiffs’ interpretation of the law is correct — nothing more,” Roberts stated.
There is something seriously, seriously wrong with this POS...
TSA
DHS
“Who owns Roberts?“
The Uniparty, of course. The guy has been a proud Uniparty (R) man since Mr. Uniparty himself, King George II nominated him.
There is a difference with Muslims tho. They don’t have a religion. It is a death cult.
Chief Justice Benedict Arnold II is George W. Bush’s legacy.
This is what real free speech and real religious freedom is.
Hah. She could have been much worse, alhough unlikely to have been elevated to CJ.
The major political parties give us garbage candidates. What to do? Gore would have been worse than Bush. Kerry too. Romney, Ryan, McCain ... ugh.
Garbage POTUS yields garbage justices. At this point the government is 80% or more rot.
Disreputable
Dishonest
Dishonorable
Thanks. I should have posted the comment to which I was responding to allow more people to connect the dots.
However, I like the line attributed to More in Man for All Seasons “I trust I make myself obscure.” (I just looked that one up as to source—but it does fit like a glove).
Yep. To use hyperbole to make a point: What if the penalty was expulsion from school? Would they have a damages claim, “even though the school policy is NOW different?
I don’t think he’s necessarily a dumbass though. I just think he thinks enough of the rest of us are. i.e. I think he’s owned by someone.
Never heard that one, will steal shamelessly.
Robert’s was already on the bench when she was nominated. Alito replaced her and he has been solid.
“Who owns Roberts?”
Lucifer
Roberts thought the matter was moot. A position more than a tad different from what is represented in the article.
It’s not widely known, but George W. Bush destroyed trades education in public schools. His ‘No Child Left Behind’ Act tested for math and English, but NOT for the trades.
And woe to the principal whose school scored low on NCLB tests. In the interests of self-preservation, most principals and school superintendents eliminated their trades programs. The trades students were then shoved into advanced math and English classes...classes they neither wanted nor needed.
The urban high school where I taught had a superb carpentry program. It was probably the best one in the state. It’s gone now, thanks to George W. Bush and his fellow travelers in Congress.
“Who owns Roberts?
_____________________________
The $64,000 dollar question!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
His picture should be next to POS in the dictionary.
Roberts is a closet homosexual and a lifelong statist leftist. No blackmail is needed.
“Who owns Roberts?”
The Liberals and especially the democratic party.
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