The Supreme Court issued five more rulings on Friday, including one that upheld a federal ban on domestic abusers possessing firearms. The nation's highest court is expected to issue more opinions this coming Wednesday.
The top court has 14 rulings left to issue before they depart for summer break near the end of June. Rulings on hot-button issues like abortion rights, gun access and former President Donald Trump’s criminal cases could have real implications for the 2024 presidential race, especially as President Biden and Trump prepare to face off in their first debate of the campaign next week on June 27.
Here are some of the major cases the 6-3 conservative-majority court is expected to decide in the coming weeks. Check back with Yahoo News for updates as the rulings come in.
Gun access for alleged domestic abusers
Gun access for alleged domestic abusers
Case: United States v. Rahimi
Decided: June 21, 2024
Case argued: Nov. 7, 2023
The ruling: In an 8-1 ruling, the justices upheld a federal ban on domestic abusers possessing firearms. Justice Clarence Thomas dissented.
What it means: The justices ruled in favor of a ban that aims to protect victims of domestic violence. Gun control groups and advocates for domestic violence victims had pushed for the Supreme Court to uphold the ban.
Ban on bump stocks
Ban on bump stocks
Case: Garland v. Cargill
Decided: June 14, 2024
Case argued: Feb. 28, 2024
The ruling: In a 6-3 ruling, the court struck down a Trump-era ban on bump stocks, which are rifle attachments that increase the speed at which bullets are fired. Justice Clarence Thomas, who delivered the opinion, said that bump stocks do not make semiautomatic rifles into fully automatic machine guns. In her dissent, Justice Sonia Sotomayor said the majority opinion would have "deadly consequences."
What it means: The court found that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives overstepped its authority by enacting the ban on bump stocks when it determined that the devices were classified as machine guns. Civilians now have access to bump stocks again. In the aftermath of the 2017 Las Vegas mass shooting that killed dozens of people, the ATF issued a rule that said rifles equipped with bump stocks should fall under the legal definition of machine guns, which have been banned since 1986. The Supreme Court decision did away with the bump stock ban, eradicating one of the few existing gun control measures in the U.S.