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Brett Kavanaugh

Brett Kavanaugh

Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States

Appears in 7 stories

Born: 1965 (age 60 years), Washington, D.C.
Party: Republican Party
Education: Yale Law School (1990), Yale College (1987), Yale University, and more
Spouse: Ashley Estes Kavanaugh (m. 2004)
Previous office: White House Staff Secretary (2003–2006)

Notable Quotes

Kavanaugh wrote that the old precedent let outside groups 'gain an unwarranted and unfair advantage over competitor political parties.'

Race-based remedies are permissible for a period of time, but they should not be indefinite and should have an end point.

In this case, whether due to confusion, oversight, an overly hurried jury selection process, or some other cause, things broke down, and the ordinary trial-court procedure for resolving Batson claims at step three never occurred.

Stories

Supreme Court lifts limits on political party campaign spending

Rule Changes

Wrote the majority opinion

For 25 years, a national party could spend only a fixed amount working hand-in-hand with its own candidate. In Ohio in 2022, that cap sat between $130,600 and about $4 million for a Senate race. On June 30, 2026, the Supreme Court erased the limit entirely.

Updated Jun 30

Supreme Court weighs the future of the Voting Rights Act in Louisiana v. Callais

Rule Changes

Joined Alito majority in Callais; his time-limit framing was not adopted but the majority's intentional-discrimination standard is a comparable narrowing

The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 on April 29, 2026, in Louisiana v. Callais. Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the main federal tool minority voters have used for four decades to challenge racially discriminatory maps, now requires plaintiffs to prove intentional discrimination before courts can order a remedy.

Updated May 31

Supreme Court reverses Mississippi death sentence over jury selection bias

Rule Changes

Author of the majority opinion

Terry Pitchford has sat on Mississippi's death row for nearly two decades. On May 28, 2026, the Supreme Court threw out his conviction and ordered the state to start over, ruling 5-4 that the prosecutor's jury selection violated his constitutional rights.

Updated May 28

Supreme court rules restitution is criminal punishment

Rule Changes

Associate Justice, U.S. Supreme Court

Federal courts have debated for decades whether restitution is criminal punishment or a civil remedy—a distinction that matters because the Constitution's Ex Post Facto Clause bars retroactive increases in criminal punishment. On January 20, 2026, the Supreme Court unanimously ruled restitution under the Mandatory Victims Restitution Act is criminal punishment, so defendants cannot be held to payment terms that didn't exist when they committed their crimes.

Updated May 22

Supreme Court leaves Atkins protections intact in Alabama death row case

Rule Changes

Pivotal vote to dismiss

Joseph Clifton Smith has been on Alabama's death row since 1997. His five IQ tests came back at 72, 74, 74, 75, and 78. On Thursday, the Supreme Court dismissed Alabama's appeal in Hamm v. Smith, letting stand a lower-court finding that Smith is intellectually disabled and cannot be executed.

Updated May 21

Louisiana's $745 million coastal verdict hangs on WWII contracts

Rule Changes

Questioned both sides during oral arguments

A Louisiana jury ordered Chevron to pay $745 million in April 2025 for wrecking coastal wetlands through decades of oil drilling. Now the Supreme Court will decide if that verdict stands.

Updated May 20

Supreme Court blocks Trump's National Guard deployment to Illinois

Rule Changes

Authored concurring opinion in 6-3 majority

The Supreme Court told President Trump he can't send National Guard troops to Illinois. The 6-3 decision on December 23 marks the first time the modern court has blocked a president from federalizing state Guard units over a governor's objections. Trump claimed protests at an ICE facility in suburban Chicago constituted a rebellion, and the court wasn't buying it.

Updated May 16