Supreme Court of the United States, 1993

The Court, in an opinion by Justice Stevens joined by Justices Blackmun, O'Connor, Scalia, Kennedy, and Souter, held that Cincinnati's selective ban on newsracks distributing commercial handbills violated the First Amendment.

Justice White, joined by Chief Justice Rehnquist and Justices Blackmun, Stevens, and Kennedy, held that excusable neglect under Bankruptcy Rule 9006(b)(1) can encompass an attorney's inadvertent or negligent failure to file a timely proof of claim.

The Court held that the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act's commercial-activity exception did not confer jurisdiction over the Nelsons' claims arising from Saudi authorities' alleged detention and torture of Scott Nelson.

The Court held that a federal appellate court may not dismiss a criminal appeal merely because the defendant fled before the appeal and was recaptured before the appellate court obtained jurisdiction, unless the flight materially interferes with the appellate process.

The Court held that a court of appeals may not automatically dismiss an appeal merely because the defendant fled while the case was pending in the district court and was recaptured before invoking appellate jurisdiction.

Justice Scalia's opinion for the Court held that shippers sued for tariff undercharges may assert statutory unreasonable-rate claims as counterclaims, notwithstanding the filed-rate doctrine. When asserted only in recoupment, those claims are not barred by the statutory limitations period.

Justice Blackmun delivered the unanimous opinion holding that the NLRA does not pre-empt Massachusetts Water Resources Authority's enforcement of a valid project labor agreement through a bid specification for the Boston Harbor cleanup.

The Court, in an opinion by Justice Blackmun, held that liability under 18 U.S.C. § 1962(c) requires participation in the operation or management of the enterprise itself. This requirement does not restrict liability to upper management or persons holding formal positions, but does require some part in directing the…

Chief Justice Rehnquist, writing for a unanimous Court, held that federal courts may not impose a heightened pleading standard on § 1983 claims alleging municipal liability. Rule 8 requires a short and plain statement, and Rule 9(b) does not include municipal-liability claims among those requiring particularity…

The Court unanimously held, in an opinion by Justice Scalia, that the District Court improperly displaced Minnesota's state-court redistricting proceedings. Federal courts must defer to timely state legislative or judicial redistricting efforts absent evidence that the State will fail to produce a lawful plan in time…

The Court, in an opinion by Justice Kennedy, held that enhancing a defendant’s sentence under Sentencing Guideline §3C1.1 for willful perjury at trial does not violate the defendant’s right to testify.

The Supreme Court held that Gary Graham's claim that his capital sentencing jury could not give adequate Eighth Amendment effect to mitigating evidence of his youth, family background, and positive character traits under Texas's three special issues is barred by Teague v.

The Court held that mutually antagonistic defenses do not require severance as a matter of law under Federal Rule of Criminal Procedure 14. Severance is warranted only when a joint trial presents a serious risk of compromising a specific trial right or preventing a reliable determination of guilt or innocence; less…

The Court affirmed the Fifth Circuit, holding that Herrera's newly discovered evidence of innocence did not entitle him to federal habeas relief. Actual innocence ordinarily serves as a gateway to consideration of otherwise barred constitutional claims, rather than an independent ground for relief.

Chief Justice Rehnquist, writing for seven Justices, held that counsel's failure to raise a sentencing objection supported by subsequently overruled precedent did not establish Strickland prejudice because the omission deprived Fretwell of no legal entitlement and rendered his sentencing neither fundamentally unfair…

Justice White delivered the Court’s opinion, rejecting the Ninth Circuit’s rule that unfair or predatory conduct alone could establish attempted monopolization without proof of a relevant market or market power.

Justice Scalia's opinion for the Court, joined by Chief Justice Rehnquist and Justices White, Kennedy, and Thomas, held that the clinic blockades did not establish a claim under the deprivation clause of 42 U.S.C. § 1985(3).

The Court held that only natural persons may proceed in forma pauperis under 28 U. S. C. § 1915. The statute’s provisions concerning counsel, poverty, affidavits, and inability to pay supply contextual indications sufficient to displace the Dictionary Act’s broader definition of “person.” The Court also rejected the…

Justice White's opinion for eight Justices held that States and entities claiming to be arms of the State may immediately appeal orders denying Eleventh Amendment immunity under the collateral order doctrine.

The Court held that due process permits Kentucky to presume the regularity of final convictions and impose a burden of production on a recidivism defendant challenging prior guilty pleas under Boykin.