A Supreme Term to Remember: Abortion, Guns, and Presidential Crimes

Abstract

The most recent Term of the Supreme Court was remarkable and will be of special interest to mental health professionals. The American Psychological Association filed a special brief in a case involving access to mifepristone (an abortion drug). The Court also considered emergency abortions for the health of the mother. In several decisions, the Court increased federal courts’ scrutiny over federal administrative agencies, which in the future will likely significantly affect health-related regulations. The Court permitted states and cities to make it illegal for unhoused people to sleep on public lands. Several other decisions involved the coming elections, gun possession, expert psychological testimony, and social media. It will be a Term to remember.

It was a difficult, at times contentious, Term for the Court. Nonetheless, the data also show that the Court was unanimous in 44% of the cases and that the 6-3 decisions were not as political as some commentators suggested. The Court has taken several cases for next Term, including those involving states’ laws seeking to control gender identity treatment, the death penalty, and “ghost guns.”