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ARGUMENT ANALYSIS

Court divided on Texas age-verification law for porn sites

at 3:05 p.m.

The court on Wednesday was divided over a First Amendment challenge from an adult entertainment industry trade group to a Texas law that requires pornography sites to verify the age of their users before providing access. Last year a federal appeals court in New Orleans allowed the state to enforce the law, holding that it was rationally related to the government’s interest in preventing young people from viewing porn.

Man speaking before camera

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton speaking to reporters in front of the court on Wednesday. (Mark Walsh)

RELIST WATCH

In a slew of new cases, the justices take in closer look

 at 2:11 p.m.

A regular round-up of “relisted” petitions. This week: Friday’s conference will likely be the justices’ last opportunity to add new cases to the docket in time for them to review and decide the disputes by the summer recess. Among 27 new relists, they will consider the constitutionality of delegating regulatory authority over horse racing to a private company, the need for jury factfinding for restitution, and the constitutionality of assault-weapons bans.

ARGUMENT ANALYSIS

Supreme Court considers Chicago alderman’s “false statement” charges

The court heard arguments on Tuesday in a Chicago politician’s challenge to his conviction for making false statements to bank regulators about loans he failed to pay. After an hour of oral arguments, it wasn’t clear whether the justices would actually decide whether the federal law he was convicted under applies, or whether a majority of the justices believed that a ruling on that question would even help him.

ARGUMENT ANALYSIS

Justices debate right to renew lawsuit after voluntary dismissal

 at 7:57 p.m.

At Tuesday’s argument in Waetzig v. Halliburton Energy Services, a case about the standard for allowing a claimant to reopen a case that he had voluntarily dismissed, the justices seemed to find the dispute uncontentious. Gary Waetzig asked the court to interpret the applicable federal law to allow him to reopen his age discrimination lawsuit against his former employer.

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