Samuel Anthony Alito
Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court
Incumbent
Assumed office  January 31, 2006
Nominated by	George W. Bush
Preceded by	Sandra Day O'Connor
Born	April 1, 1950 (1950-04-01) (age 58) Trenton, New Jersey
Spouse	Martha Alito
Alma mater	Princeton University Yale University
Religion	Roman Catholic

Samuel Anthony Alito, Jr. Associate Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States are the members of the Supreme Court of the United States other than the Chief Justice of the United States Events 1504 - France cedes Naples to Aragon. 1606 - Gunpowder Plot: Guy Fawkes Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. George Walker Bush ( born July 6 1946 is the forty-third and current President of the United States. Sandra Day O'Connor (born March 26, 1930) is an American Jurist. Events 527 - Byzantine Emperor Justin I names his nephew Justinian I as co-ruler and successor to the throne Year 1950 ( MCML) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Trenton is the Capital of the US state of New Jersey and the County seat of Mercer County. New Jersey ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. Alma mater is Latin for "nourishing mother" It was used in Ancient Rome as a title for the mother Goddess, and in Medieval Princeton University is a private Coeducational research university located in Princeton, New Jersey. (born April 1, 1950) is an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. Events 527 - Byzantine Emperor Justin I names his nephew Justinian I as co-ruler and successor to the throne Year 1950 ( MCML) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Associate Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States are the members of the Supreme Court of the United States other than the Chief Justice of the United States The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest judicial body in the United States and leads the federal judiciary. Appointed by Republican President George W. Bush, Alito is generally considered a fairly conservative jurist and since becoming a member of the Supreme Court he has often voted with conservative members of the court, but not to the extent of Clarence Thomas or Antonin Scalia. George Walker Bush ( born July 6 1946 is the forty-third and current President of the United States. Clarence Thomas (born June 23, 1948) is an American Jurist. He has been serving as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United (born March 11, 1936) is an American Jurist and the second most senior Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States

Educated at Princeton University and Yale Law School, Alito served as a United States attorney and a judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit prior to joining the Supreme Court. Princeton University is a private Coeducational research university located in Princeton, New Jersey. Yale Law School, or YLS, is the Law school of Yale University in New Haven Connecticut. United States Attorneys (also known as federal prosecutors) represent the United States federal government in United States district court and The United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit is a federal court with Appellate jurisdiction over the district courts for the following He is the 110th justice^[1][2] and the second Italian-American on the Supreme Court. An Italian American is an American of Italian descent and/or dual citizenship

Personal life

Alito was born in Trenton, New Jersey, to Italian American parents: Samuel A. Trenton is the Capital of the US state of New Jersey and the County seat of Mercer County. New Jersey ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. An Italian American is an American of Italian descent and/or dual citizenship Alito, Sr. , and the former Rose Fradusco. ^[3][4] He is a Roman Catholic. ^[5] Alito grew up in Hamilton Township, New Jersey, a suburb of Trenton. Not to be confused with Hamilton Township Atlantic County, New Jersey. ^[6] He attended Steinert High School in Hamilton Township^[7] and graduated from Princeton University's Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs with a Bachelor of Arts in 1972 before attending Yale Law School, where he served as editor on the Yale Law Journal and earned a Juris Doctor in 1975. Steinert High School (also called Hamilton High School East) is a four year comprehensive Public high school, one of three secondary high schools that are part of Princeton University is a private Coeducational research university located in Princeton, New Jersey. The Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs (often truncated to Woodrow Wilson School or abbreviated WWS; known as "Woody Woo" in Yale Law School, or YLS, is the Law school of Yale University in New Haven Connecticut. The Yale Law Journal is a student-run journal of legal scholarship affiliated to the Yale Law School. Juris Doctor (abbreviated JD or JD, from the Latin, Teacher of Law) is a first professional graduate degree and Professional

Alito's father, now deceased, was a high school teacher and then became the first Director of the New Jersey Office of Legislative Services, a position he held from 1952 to 1984. Alito's mother is a retired schoolteacher. Alito's sister Rosemary is regarded as one of New Jersey's top employment lawyers. Labour law (also known as employment or labor law is the body of Laws administrative rulings and precedents which address the legal rights of and restrictions

At Princeton, Alito led a student conference in 1971 called "The Boundaries of Privacy in American Society" which, among other things, supported curbs on domestic intelligence gathering, called for the decriminalization of sodomy, and urged for an end to discrimination against homosexuals in hiring by employers. Decriminalization is the reduction or abolition of criminal penalties in relation to certain acts but regulated permits or fines might still apply (for contrast Sodomy (ˈsɒdəmi is a term used today predominantly in Law (derived from traditional Christian usage to describe the act of Anal intercourse, Oral intercourse Homosexuality refers to sexual behavior with or attraction to people of the same sex or to a Homosexual orientation. ^[8]

Alito was a member of the Concerned Alumni of Princeton, which was formed in October 1972 at least in part to oppose Princeton's decisions regarding affirmative action. The Concerned Alumni of Princeton ( CAP) was a group of politically conservative former Princeton University students that existed between 1972 and 1986 Apart from Alito's written 1985 statement of membership of CAP on a job application, which Alito says was truthful, there is no other documentation of Alito's involvement with or contributions in the group. Alito has cited the banning and subsequent treatment of ROTC by the university as his reason for belonging to CAP. ROTC links here For other uses see ROTC (disambiguation A Reserve Officers' Training Corps ( ROTC) ROTC produces officers in all branches

Standing in front of a portrait of former President Bill Clinton, Martha Alito (right), daughter Laura (left) and son Philip (center) look on as President George W. Bush announces Samuel Alito's nomination on October 31, 2005

While a sophomore at Princeton, Alito received the (low) lottery number 32, in a Selective Service drawing on December 1, 1969. William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton (born William Jefferson Blythe III, August 19 1946 served as the forty-second President of the United States George Walker Bush ( born July 6 1946 is the forty-third and current President of the United States. Events 445 BC – Ezra reads the Book of the Law to the Israelites in Jerusalem (see Nehemiah 91 NLTse Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The Selective Service System is the means by which the United States administers military Conscription. In 1970, he became a member of the school's Army ROTC program, attending a six-week basic summer camp that year at Fort Knox, Kentucky, in lieu of having been in ROTC during his first two years in college. Fort Knox is a United States Army post in Kentucky south of Louisville and north of Elizabethtown. The Commonwealth of Kentucky ( is a state located in the East Central United States of America. Graduating in 1972, Alito left a sign of his lofty aspirations in his yearbook, which said that he hoped to "eventually warm a seat on the Supreme Court. "^[9]

He was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Signal Corps after his graduation and assigned to the United States Army Reserve. The United States Army Reserve is the federal reserve force of the United States Army. Following his graduation from Yale Law School in 1975, he served on active duty from September to December 1975, while attending the Officer Basic Course for Signal Corps officers at Fort Gordon, Georgia. Fort Gordon (formerly known as Camp Gordon) is a United States Army Installation and the current home of the United States Army Signal Corps and Signal The State of Georgia ( is a state in the United States and was one of the original Thirteen Colonies that revolted against British rule The remainder of his time in the Army was served in the inactive Reserves. He had the rank of Captain when he received an Honorable Discharge in 1980. ^[10][11]

Since 1985, Alito has been married to Martha-Ann Alito (born Martha-Ann Bomgardner), once a law librarian with family roots in Oklahoma. A librarian is an information Professional trained in Library and information science, which is the organization and management of information services or materials Oklahoma ( is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. They have two college age children: Philip and Laura. Alito resided with his family in West Caldwell, New Jersey before his Supreme Court nomination. West Caldwell is an Upper-middle class township located in the West Essex area in northwestern Essex County, New Jersey. ^[12] He has since moved to a home in Washington. Washington DC ( formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, the District, or simply D

Career

Alito upon his induction as a judge for the U. S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, 1990

• 1976 – 1977 — Law clerk for Leonard I. Garth of the Third Circuit. A law clerk or a judicial clerk is a person who provides assistance to a Judge in researching issues before the Court and in writing opinions Judge Leonard I Garth (born 1921 in Brooklyn New York) is a senior judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. The United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit is a federal court with Appellate jurisdiction over the district courts for the following
• 1977 – 1981 — Assistant United States Attorney, District of New Jersey. United States Attorneys (also known as federal prosecutors) represent the United States federal government in United States district court and The United States District Court for the District of New Jersey is the federal district court whose jurisdiction is the state of New Jersey.
• 1981 – 1985 — Assistant to Solicitor General Rex E. Lee. The United States Solicitor General is the individual appointed to argue for the Government of the United States in front of the Supreme Court of the United States Rex E Lee ( February 27, 1935 — March 11, 1996) from St Johns, Arizona was a respected Constitutional
• 1985 – 1987 — Deputy Assistant to Attorney General Edwin Meese. The United States Attorney General is the head of the United States Department of Justice (see) concerned with legal affairs and is the chief law enforcement Edwin "Ed" Meese III (born December 2, 1931 in Oakland California) served as the seventy-fifth Attorney General of the United
• 1987 – 1990 — United States Attorney for the District of New Jersey. The United States District Court for the District of New Jersey is the federal district court whose jurisdiction is the state of New Jersey.
• 1990 – 2006 — Judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit
• 1999 – 2004 — Adjunct Professor of Law at Seton Hall University School of Law in Newark, New Jersey. The United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit is a federal court with Appellate jurisdiction over the district courts for the following The meaning of the word professor ( Latin: professor, person who professes to be an expert in some art or science teacher of highest rank) varies The Seton Hall University School of Law (also known as Seton Hall Law) is part of Seton Hall University, and is located in downtown Newark. Newark is the largest city in New Jersey, United States and the County seat of Essex County.
• 2006 – (current) — Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. Associate Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States are the members of the Supreme Court of the United States other than the Chief Justice of the United States

Alito argued twelve cases before the Supreme Court for the federal government during his tenure as assistant to the Solicitor General. While serving as an Assistant U. S. Attorney for New Jersey, he prosecuted many cases that involved drug trafficking and organized crime. The illegal drug trade or drug trafficking is a global Black market consisting of the cultivation manufacture distribution and sale of illegal Drugs "Crime syndicate" redirects here For the DC Comics group of villains see Crime Syndicate. ^[13]

In his 1985 application for Deputy Assistant to the Attorney General, Alito espoused conservative views, naming William F. Buckley, Jr., the National Review, Alexander Bickel, and Barry Goldwater's 1964 presidential campaign as major influences. Conservatism in the United States includes a variety of political ideologies including Fiscal conservatism, Supply-side economics, Social conservatism William Frank Buckley Jr ( November 24 1925  – February 27 2008) was an American Author and conservative National Review ( NR) is a biweekly Magazine and Web site, founded by the late author William F Alexander Mordecai Bickel ( December 17 1924 – November 8 1974) was a law professor and expert on the United States Constitution. Please DO NOT flip the colors -->The United States presidential election of 1964 was one of the most lopsided presidential elections in the history of the United States

He also expressed concern about Warren Court decisions in the areas of criminal procedure, the Establishment Clause, and reapportionment. Earl Warren ( March 19, 1891 July 9, 1974) was the 14th Chief Justice of the United States and the only person ever elected thrice The Establishment Clause of the First Amendment refers to the first of several pronouncements in the First Amendment to the United States Constitution, stating that " Apportionment is the process of allocating political power among a set of principles (or defined constituencies ^[14]

Alito was nominated by President George H. W. Bush on February 20, 1990 to the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. George Herbert Walker Bush (born June 12 1924 served as the forty-first President of the United States from 1989 to 1993 Events 1472 - Orkney and Shetland are left by Norway to Scotland, due to a Dowry payment Year 1990 ( MCMXC) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar) The United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit is a federal court with Appellate jurisdiction over the district courts for the following Alito was rated by the American Bar Association as "Well Qualified" at the time of his nomination. The American Bar Association ( ABA) founded August 21 1878 is a voluntary Bar association of Lawyers and law students which is not specific He was confirmed by unanimous consent in the Senate on April 27, 1990. In Parliamentary procedure, unanimous consent, also known as general consent, or in the case of the parliaments under the Westminster system leave of the house The United States Senate is the Upper house of the bicameral United States Congress, the Lower house being the House of Representatives Events 1124 - David I becomes King of Scotland. 1296 - Battle of Dunbar: The Scots are defeated Year 1990 ( MCMXC) was a Common year starting on Monday (link displays the 1990 Gregorian calendar) ^[15] As a Third Circuit judge, his chambers were in Newark, New Jersey. Newark is the largest city in New Jersey, United States and the County seat of Essex County.

As adjunct professor at Seton Hall University School of Law in Newark, Alito has taught courses in Constitutional law and an original course on terrorism and civil liberties. The Seton Hall University School of Law (also known as Seton Hall Law) is part of Seton Hall University, and is located in downtown Newark. Constitutional law is the study of foundational or basic Laws of nation states and other political organizations Terrorism is the systematic use of terror especially as a means of coercion thumb| |Broken Liberty Istanbul Archaeology Museum Civil liberties are freedoms that protect the Individual from the Government. In 1995, Judge Alito was presented with that law school's Saint Thomas More Medal, "in recognition of his outstanding contributions to the field of law. Sir Thomas More (7 February 1478 – 6 July 1535 from 1935 Saint Thomas More, was an English Lawyer, author and statesman who in his lifetime gained "^[16] On May 25, 2007, he delivered the commencement address at Seton Hall Law's commencement ceremony and received an honorary law degree from the law school. ^[17][18]

He has been a member of the Federalist Society, a group of conservatives and libertarian lawyers and legal students interested in conservative legal theory. The Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy Studies, most frequently called simply the Federalist Society, is an organization of Conservatives and Libertarians Libertarianism is a term used by a broad spectrum of political philosophies which prioritize individual Liberty and seek to minimize or even abolish the ^[19]

Opinions as court of appeals judge

Federalism

• A dissenting opinion in United States v. Rybar, 103 F. United States of America v Raymond Rybar Jr, 103 F3d 273 (3d Cir 3d 273 (3d Cir. 1996), arguing that a U. S. law banning private citizens from owning submachine guns was similar to one struck down by the Supreme Court in United States v. Lopez and thus outside the authority of Congress under the Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitution. A submachine gun (SMG is a Firearm that combines the automatic fire of a Machine gun with the cartridge of a Pistol, and is United States v Lopez, was the first United States Supreme Court case since the Great Depression to set limits to Congress's power under the Article 1 Section 8 Clause 3 of the United States Constitution, known as the Commerce Clause, states that Congress has the power to regulate commerce with foreign The Constitution of the United States of America is the supreme Law of the United States.
• A majority opinion in Chittister v. Department of Community & Economic Development, 226 F. Chittister v Department of Community & Economic Development was a U 3d 223 (3d Cir. 2000). This case concerned an employee's claim of wrongful termination under the Family and Medical Leave Act against the state of Pennsylvania. Parental leaveThe Family and Medical Leave Act of 1993 ( enacted February 5, 1993) is a United States Labor law allowing an employee to take The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania ( often colloquially referred to as PA (its abbreviation by natives and Northeasterners is a state located in the Northeastern States are free to maintain sovereign immunity under the U.S. Constitution. Sovereign immunity, or crown immunity, is a type of immunity that in Common law Jurisdictions traces its origins from early English law The Constitution of the United States of America is the supreme Law of the United States. Since Pennsylvania had maintained its immunity to such suits, Alito affirmed the lower court's dismissal of the employee’s claims.

First Amendment

• A majority opinion in Saxe v. State College Area School District, 240 F. Saxe v State College Area School District, 240 F3d 200 ( 3d Cir 3d 200 (3d Cir. 2001), holding that a public school district's anti-harassment policy was unconstitutionally overbroad and therefore violated First Amendment guarantees of free speech. The First Amendment to the United States Constitution is part of the United States Bill of Rights that expressly prohibits the United States Congress Freedom of speech is the freedom to speak freely without Censorship or Limitation.
• A majority opinion in ACLU v. Schundler, 168 F. ACLU v Schundler (1999 is a United States federal case establishing standards for a government-sponsored Holiday display to contain Religious symbols 3d 92 (3d Cir. 1999), holding that a government-sponsored holiday display consisting solely of religious symbols was impermissible, but that a mixed display including both secular and religious symbols was permissible if balanced in a generally secular context.
• A dissenting opinion in C. H. v. Oliva et al. (3rd Cir. C H v Oliva et al was a Religious freedom case in which mother Carol Hood sued Grace Oliva her son Zachary's first grade teacher and related administrators for 2000), arguing that the removal and subsequent replacement in "a less conspicuous spot" of a kindergartener's religious themed poster was, at least potentially, a violation of his right to free expression.

Fourth and Eighth Amendments

• A dissenting opinion in Doe v. Groody, arguing that qualified immunity should have protected police officers from a finding of having violated constitutional rights when they strip-searched a mother and her ten-year-old daughter while carrying out a search warrant that authorized the search of a residence. The Doe v Groody ( 2004) Lawsuit concerned a Strip-search of a 10 year old girl and her mother despite the fact that neither were criminal Qualified immunity is a doctrine in US federal Law that arises in cases brought against state officials under 42 U A strip search is the stripping ( removal of clothing, Search of person and/or personal effects of a person to check for weapons or other Contraband A search warrant is a Court order issued by a Judge or Magistrate that authorizes law enforcement to conduct a Search
• A unanimous opinion in Chadwick v. Janecka (3d Cir. 2002), holding that there was "no federal constitutional bar" to the "indefinite confinement" of a man imprisoned for civil contempt because he claimed he could not pay his $2. Contempt of court is a court ruling which in the context of a court trial or hearing deems an individual as having been disrespectful of the court its process and its invested 5 million debt to his wife.

Civil rights

• A majority opinion in Williams v. Price, 343 F. Williams v Price (343 F3d 223 (3d Cir 2003 was a 2003 Legal case decided in the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. 3d 223 (3d Cir. 2003), granting a writ of habeas corpus to a black state prisoner after state courts had refused to consider the testimony of a witness who stated that a juror had uttered derogatory remarks about blacks during an encounter in the courthouse after the conclusion of the trial. Habeas corpus (ˈheɪbiəs ˈkɔɹpəs ( Latin: command that you have the body is the name of a legal action or Writ, through which a person can seek relief ^[20]
• A dissenting opinion in Glass v. Philadelphia Electric Company, 34 F. 3d 188 (3rd Cir. 1994), arguing that a lower court did not abuse its discretion in excluding certain evidence of past conduct that defendant had created a hostile and racist work environment.
• A majority opinion in Robinson v. City of Pittsburgh, 120 F. 3d 1286 (3rd Cir. 1997), rejecting a female police officer's Equal Protection-based sexual harassment and retaliation claims against the city and certain police officials and rejecting her Title VII-based retaliation claim against the city, but allowing her Title VII-based sexual harassment claim against the city. The Equal Protection Clause, part of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, provides that "no state shall… deny to any person Origins The bill was introduced by President John F Kennedy in his civil rights speech of June 11 1963, in which he asked for legislation "giving Origins The bill was introduced by President John F Kennedy in his civil rights speech of June 11 1963, in which he asked for legislation "giving

Nomination to U. S. Supreme Court and confirmation hearings

Samuel Alito acknowledges his nomination.

Main article: Samuel Alito Supreme Court nomination

On July 1, 2005, Associate Justice Sandra Day O'Connor announced her retirement from the Supreme Court effective upon the confirmation of a successor. On October 31, 2005, Samuel Alito was nominated by President George W "July 1st" redirects here For the Ayumi Hamasaki song see H (song. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Associate Justices of the Supreme Court of the United States are the members of the Supreme Court of the United States other than the Chief Justice of the United States Sandra Day O'Connor (born March 26, 1930) is an American Jurist. The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest judicial body in the United States and leads the federal judiciary. President George W. Bush first nominated John Roberts to the vacancy; however, when Chief Justice William Rehnquist died on September 3, Bush withdrew Roberts' nomination to fill O'Connor's seat and instead nominated Roberts to the Chief Justiceship. John Glover Roberts Jr (born January 27 1955) is the seventeenth and current Chief Justice of the United States. The Chief Justice of the United States is the head of the judicial branch of the government of the United States, and presides over the U William Hubbs Rehnquist (October 1 1924 – September 3 2005 was an American lawyer, jurist, and a political figure who served as an Associate Justice Events 36 BC - In the Battle of Naulochus, Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, Admiral of Octavian, defeats Sextus Pompeius On October 3, President Bush nominated Harriet Miers to replace O'Connor. Events 42 BC - First Battle of Philippi: Triumvirs Mark Antony and Octavian fight an indecisive battle with Caesar's Harriet Ellan Miers (born August 10 1945 is an American Lawyer and former White House Counsel. However, Miers withdrew her acceptance of the nomination on October 27 after encountering widespread opposition. Events 312 - Constantine the Great is said to have received his famous Vision of the Cross.

On October 31, President Bush announced that he was nominating Alito to O'Connor's seat, and he submitted the nomination to the Senate on November 10, 2005. Events 445 BC – Ezra reads the Book of the Law to the Israelites in Jerusalem (see Nehemiah 91 NLTse Events 1444 - Battle of Varna: The crusading forces of King Vladislaus III of Varna (aka Ulaszlo I of Hungary and Wladyslaw Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Judge Alito was unanimously rated "well qualified" to fill the Associate Justice post by the American Bar Association's Standing Committee on Federal Judiciary, which measures the professional qualifications of a nominee. The American Bar Association ( ABA) founded August 21 1878 is a voluntary Bar association of Lawyers and law students which is not specific The committee rates judges as "not qualified," "qualified," or "well qualified. "^[21]

Alito's confirmation hearing was held from January 9 to January 13, 2006. Events 475 - Byzantine Emperor Zeno is forced to flee his capital at Constantinople. Events 532 - Nika riots in Constantinople. 888 - Odo Count of Paris becomes King of the Franks Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. On January 24, his nomination was voted out of the Senate Judiciary Committee on a 10-8 party line vote. Events 41 - Gaius Caesar (Caligula, known for his eccentricity and cruel Despotism, is Assassinated by his disgruntled Democratic Senators characterized Alito as a hard right conservative in the mold of a Clarence Thomas or Robert Bork. Clarence Thomas (born June 23, 1948) is an American Jurist. He has been serving as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United Robert Heron Bork (born March 1, 1927) is a conservative American legal scholar who advocates the judicial philosophy of Originalism. Alito professed reluctance to commit to any type of ideology, stating he would act as an impartial referee. On the abortion issue, he stated that he would look at that with an open mind but would not state how he would rule on Roe v. Wade if that issue were to come up before the court. Roe v Wade, 410 US 113 (1973 is a controversial United States Supreme Court case that resulted in a Landmark decision regarding Some pro-life activists, however, claim Alito's confirmation as a victory for their cause. ^[22]

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) formally opposed Alito's nomination. The American Civil Liberties Union ( ACLU) consists of two separate Non-profit organizations the ACLU Foundation a 501(c(3 organization which focuses The ACLU has only taken this step two other times in its entire history, the last time being with the nomination of Robert Bork who was rejected by a 58-42 vote in the Senate. Robert Heron Bork (born March 1, 1927) is a conservative American legal scholar who advocates the judicial philosophy of Originalism. In releasing their report on Alito ACLU Executive Director Anthony Romero justified the decision saying that "At a time when our president has claimed unprecedented authority to spy on Americans and jail terrorism suspects indefinitely, America needs a Supreme Court justice who will uphold our precious civil liberties. Anthony D Romero is the American executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union. Unfortunately, Judge Alito's record shows a willingness to support government actions that abridge individual freedoms. " [4]

Debate on the nomination began in the full Senate on January 25. Events 41 - After a night of negotiation Claudius is accepted as Roman Emperor by the Senate After a failed filibuster attempt by Senator John Kerry, on January 31, the Senate confirmed Alito to the Supreme Court by a vote of 58-42, with four Democratic senators voting for confirmation and one Republican and an Independent voting against. A filibuster, or "talking out a bill", is a form of obstruction in a Legislature or other decision-making body } John Forbes Kerry (born December 11 1943 is an American Politician who is currently serving his fourth term as the junior United States Senator Events 1504 - France cedes Naples to Aragon. 1606 - Gunpowder Plot: Guy Fawkes

U. S. Supreme Court career

Because Alito joined the court mid-term, he had not heard arguments for many cases which had yet to be decided. The decisions in most of those cases were released without his participation (i. e. , with an 8-member Court); none were 4-4, so Alito would not have been the deciding vote in any of them if he had participated. Three cases — Garcetti v. Ceballos, Hudson v. Michigan, and Kansas v. Marsh — were reargued, since a tie needed to be broken. Garcetti v Ceballos, 547 US 410 ( 2006) is a decision by the Supreme Court of the United States involving the First Amendment Hudson v Michigan, 547 U S 586 (2006, is a decision of the United States Supreme Court holding that a violation of the Fourth Amendment Kansas v Marsh, 548 US 163 (2006 is a case decided by the United States Supreme Court.

Justice Alito delivered his first written opinion on May 1, 2006 in the case Holmes v. South Carolina, a case involving the right of criminal defendants to present evidence that a third-party committed the crime. Events 305 - Diocletian and Maximian retire from the office of Roman Emperor. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Holmes v South Carolina, 547 US 319 ( 2006) was a decision by the United States Supreme Court involving the right of a criminal Defendant (Since the beginning of the Rehnquist Court, new justices have been given unanimous opinions to write as their first majority court opinion, often done as a courtesy "breaking in" of new justices, so that every justice has at least one unanimous, uncontroversial opinion under his/her belt with which to battle critics). William Hubbs Rehnquist (October 1 1924 – September 3 2005 was an American lawyer, jurist, and a political figure who served as an Associate Justice Alito wrote for a unanimous court in ordering a new trial for Bobby Lee Holmes due to South Carolina's rule that barred such evidence based on the strength of the prosecution's case, rather than on the relevance and strength of the defense evidence itself. His other majority opinions in his first term were in Zedner v. United States, Woodford v. Ngo, and Arlington Central School District Board of Education v. Murphy. Zedner v United States, 547 US 489 (2006 was a United States Supreme Court case involving the right to a Speedy trial. Woodford v Ngo, 548 US 81 ( 2006) was a United States Supreme Court case about the procedures determining when Prison litigation Arlington Central School District Board of Education v Murphy, 548 U

Alito ceremonially sworn in by Chief Justice John Roberts the day after his confirmation, February 1, 2006. The Chief Justice in many countries is the name for the presiding member of a Supreme Court in Commonwealth or other countries with an Anglo-Saxon justice system based on English John Glover Roberts Jr (born January 27 1955) is the seventeenth and current Chief Justice of the United States. Events 1327 - Teenaged Edward III is crowned King of England, but the country is ruled by his mother Queen Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar.

In his first term, Alito voted fairly conservatively. For example, in the three reargued cases (Garcetti v. Ceballos, Hudson v. Michigan and Kansas v. Marsh), Alito created a 5-4 majority by voting with four other conservative Justices — Chief Justice Roberts and Justices Scalia, Kennedy, and Thomas. John Glover Roberts Jr (born January 27 1955) is the seventeenth and current Chief Justice of the United States. (born March 11, 1936) is an American Jurist and the second most senior Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States Anthony McLeod Kennedy (born July 23, 1936) has been an Associate Justice of the U Clarence Thomas (born June 23, 1948) is an American Jurist. He has been serving as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United He further voted with the conservative wing of the court on Sanchez-Llamas v. Oregon and Rapanos v. United States. Rapanos v United States, 547 US 715 ( 2006) was a United States Supreme Court case challenging the Clean Water Act. Alito was also a dissenter in Hamdan v. Rumsfeld, alongside Justices Scalia and Thomas. Hamdan v Rumsfeld, 548 US 557 (2006 is a case in which the Supreme Court of the United States held that military commissions set up by the

While Alito's voting record is conservative, he does not always join the most conservative Justices on the Court. On February 1, 2006, in Alito's first decision sitting on the Supreme Court, he voted with the majority (6-3) to refuse Missouri's request to vacate the stay of execution issued by the Eighth Circuit for death-row inmate Michael Taylor; Chief Justice Roberts and Justices Scalia and Thomas were in favor of vacating the stay. Events 1327 - Teenaged Edward III is crowned King of England, but the country is ruled by his mother Queen Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. A stay of execution is a court order to temporarily suspend the execution of a court judgement The United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit is a federal court with Appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following For the screenwriter see Michael Taylor (screenwriter, and for others of this name see Michael Taylor (disambiguation. Missouri had twice asked the justices to lift the stay and permit the execution. ^[23]

On the abortion issue, it appears that Alito believes some restrictions on the procedure are Constitutionally permitted, but has not signaled a willingness to overturn Roe v. Wade. The Constitution of the United States of America is the supreme Law of the United States. Roe v Wade, 410 US 113 (1973 is a controversial United States Supreme Court case that resulted in a Landmark decision regarding

In 2003, Congress passed the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act, which led to a lawsuit in the case of Gonzales v. Carhart. The Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act (Public Law 108-105 HR 760 S 3 18 U Gonzales v Carhart, 550 US ___ ( 2007) is a United States Supreme Court case which upheld the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act of The Court had previously ruled in Stenberg v. Carhart that a state's ban on partial birth abortion was unconstitutional because such a ban did not have an exception in the case of a threat to the health of the mother. Stenberg Attorney General of Nebraska et al v Carhart, 530 US The membership of the Court changed after Stenberg, with John Roberts and Samuel Alito replacing William Rehnquist (a dissenter in Roe) and Sandra Day O'Connor (a supporter of Roe) respectively. Further, the ban at issue in Gonzales v. Carhart was a federal statute, rather than a state statute as in the Stenberg case.

On April 18, 2007, the Supreme Court handed down a decision upholding the constitutionality of the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act. Events 1025 - Bolesław Chrobry is crowned in Gniezno, becoming the first King of Poland. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote for the five-justice majority that Congress was within its power to generally ban the procedure, although the Court left the door open for as-applied challenges. Kennedy's opinion implied but did not absolutely reach the question whether the Court's prior decisions in Roe v. Wade, Planned Parenthood v. Casey, and Stenberg v. Roe v Wade, 410 US 113 (1973 is a controversial United States Supreme Court case that resulted in a Landmark decision regarding Planned Parenthood v Casey, 505 US 833 ( 1992) was a case decided by the Supreme Court of the United States in which the Constitutionality Carhart were valid, and instead the Court said that the challenged statute is consistent with those prior decisions whether or not those prior decisions were valid.

Alito joined fully in the majority as did Chief Justice Roberts. Justice Thomas filed a concurring opinion, joined by Justice Scalia, contending that the Court's prior decisions in Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey should be reversed, and also noting that the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act may exceed the powers of Congress under the Commerce Clause. Alito, Roberts, and Kennedy did not sign on to that assertion. Justices Ginsburg, Souter, Breyer, and Stevens dissented, contending that the ruling ignored Supreme Court abortion precedent.

Moreover, despite having been at one time nicknamed "Scalito" (a portmanteau of "Scalia" and "Alito" that appears to have originated in a 1992 National Law Journal article), Alito's views have differed from those of Scalia (and Thomas), as in the Michael Taylor case cited above and various other cases of the 2005 term. The National Law Journal, a US Periodical founded in 1978, reports legal information of national importance to attorneys including federal Scalia, a fierce critic of reliance on legislative history in statutory interpretation, was the only member of the Court in Zedner v. United States not to join a section of Alito's opinion that discussed the legislative history of the statute in question. Zedner v United States, 547 US 489 (2006 was a United States Supreme Court case involving the right to a Speedy trial. In two higher-profile cases, involving the constitutionality of political gerrymandering and campaign finance reform (LULAC v. Perry and Randall v. Sorrell), Alito adopted narrow positions, declining to join the bolder positions advanced by either philosophical side of the Court. League of United Latin American Citizens v Perry, 548 U S 399 (2006 is a Supreme Court of the United States case in which the Court ruled that only Randall v Sorrell, 548 US 230 (2006 is a decision by the Supreme Court of the United States involving a Vermont law which placed a cap on financial According to a scotusblog. com analysis of 2005 term decisions, Alito and Scalia concurred in the result of 86 percent of decisions (in which both participated), and concurred in full in only 75 percent. ^[24] (By scotusblog. com's reckoning, this is less agreement than between Scalia and Kennedy, O'Connor and Souter, or Stevens and Ginsburg. ) On the recent abortion ruling, Alito simply joined Anthony Kennedy's opinion rather than join Scalia in Thomas's stronger assertion.

In the 2007 landmark free speech case Morse v. Frederick, Alito joined Roberts' majority decision that speech advocating drug use can be banned in public schools, but also warned that the ruling must be circumscribed that it does not interfere with political speech, such as the discussion of the medical marijuana debate. Morse v Frederick, 127 S Ct 2618 ( 2007) was a First Amendment student free speech case in which the Supreme Court of the Medical cannabis refers to the use of the Cannabis plant as a physician-recommended Herbal therapy as well as synthetic THC and Cannabinoids

Alito's majority opinion in the 2008 worker protection case Gomez-Perez v. Potter cleared the way for federal workers who experience retaliation after filing age discrimination complaints to sue for damages. He sided with the liberal block of the court, infering protection against retaliation in the federal-sector provision of the Age Discrimination in Employment Act despite the lack of an explicit provision concerning retaliation. The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 Pub L No 90-202 81 Stat

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See also

• Judicial Restraint
• Unitary Executive theory

Notes

References

• Bazelon, Emily (October 31, 2005). Events 445 BC – Ezra reads the Book of the Law to the Israelites in Jerusalem (see Nehemiah 91 NLTse Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. "Alito v. O'Connor". Slate. Slate is an English-language online current affairs and culture Magazine created in 1996 by former New Republic editor Michael
• "Bush choice sets up court battle". BBC.
• Collins, Ronald K. L. (October 31, 2005). Events 445 BC – Ezra reads the Book of the Law to the Israelites in Jerusalem (see Nehemiah 91 NLTse Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Judge Alito: fairly strong on free expression.
• Collins, Ronald K. L. (November 3, 2005). Events 644 - Umar ibn al-Khattab, the second Muslim Caliph, is killed by a Persian slave in Medina. Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Alito as government lawyer: '84 broadcast-regulation case.
• Davis, Elliott M. (Summer 2007). The Newer Textualism: Justice Alito's Statutory Interpretation. Harvard Journal of Law & Public Policy
• Dickerson, John (October 31, 2005). Events 445 BC – Ezra reads the Book of the Law to the Israelites in Jerusalem (see Nehemiah 91 NLTse Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. "Ready To Rumble". Slate.
• Federal Judicial Center. Judges of the United States (official curriculum vitae).
• Hook, Janet (November 1, 2005). Events 996 - Emperor Otto III issues a deed to Gottschalk Bishop of Freising which is the oldest known document using the name Ostarrîchi Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. "Bush's Supreme Court Nominee: A Phillies Fan With Blue-Chip Legal Stats. " Los Angeles Times. P. A1.

External links

• Washington Post Profile
• Daily Princetonian profile
• Federal Judicial Center profile
• SourceWatch article on Alito
• People For The American Way's Preliminary Review of Judge Alito- a liberal group's analysis (PDF).
• Read Congressional Research Service (CRS) Reports regarding Samuel Alito
• Samuel Alito, JURIST
• National Archives Alito links