U.S. Supreme Court

A decision from the U.S. Supreme Court Thursday gives more power to states to collect taxes on Internet sales. It could be a boon to Illinois, but not as much as in other states.

As shopping shifted away from physical stores and onto the Internet, sales taxes began evaporating, too.

But Carol Portman, who runs the Taxpayers’ Federation of Illinois, says the state has been in a relatively good position on this issue.

The Supreme Court won't reconsider its decision to reject former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich's of his corruption convictions.

The justices on Monday denied without comment a long-shot petition urging the court to take another look at the case.

The court first turned down Blagojevich's appeal on March 28. He challenged an appeals court ruling that said Blagojevich crossed the line when he sought money in exchange for naming someone to fill the vacant Senate seat once occupied by President Barack Obama.

The U.S. Supreme Court rejected an appeal Monday by former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich to throw out his 2008 corruption convictions, which include an attempt to sell the U.S. Senate seat vacated by President Barack Obama. 

An appeals court threw out five of the governor’s 18 convictions last year, but Supreme Court justices said they “drew a line” when he sought money for the vacant seat.  

Blagojevich is awaiting a resentencing trial in July. He currently is serving a 14-year prison sentence.

The newly chosen Illinois Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate, Tammy Duckworth, says she backs President Barack Obama's choice for the U.S. Supreme Court.  She's calling on her opponent to do the same. 

The U.S. Senate's Republican leader says he'll block Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland. 

But Rep. Duckworth says Garland has "impeccable credentials."

Duckworth is campaigning to take Republican Mark Kirk's Senate seat from him. 

Who will replace Justice Antonin Scalia is a campaign issue, as evidenced by Saturday’s Republican debate. The GOP presidential candidates agreed the Senate should not confirm President Obama's nominee, whoever it is.

The President has the Constitutional duty to name a successor to the late Supreme Court Associate Justice.

About 100 convicted Illinois murderers sentenced as teenagers to life without parole are assured of resentencing after a U.S. Supreme Court ruling Monday.

The high court ruled that its 2012 opinion barring automatic life terms for young offenders is retroactive.

The Illinois Supreme Court decreed the same thing two years ago.

Heidi Lambros, of the Office of the State Appellate Defender, says sentencing in two Illinois cases  already has been reconsidered.

The U.S. Supreme Court has rejected an appeal from gun owners who challenged a Chicago suburb's ban on assault weapons.

The justices on Monday refused to hear the case of a Highland Park pediatrician who objected to the city's 2013 ban on semi-automatic weapons and large-capacity magazines. The federal appeals court in Chicago upheld the Highland Park law, ruling that local governments have leeway in deciding how to regulate firearms.

In a highly anticipated ruling, the Supreme Court ruled the federal Defense of Marriage Act is unconstitutional.

The 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, or DOMA, was signed into law by President Bill Clinton, barring federal recognition of same-sex marriages for purposes such as Social Security survivors' benefits, insurance benefits, immigration and tax filing.

One of the Supreme Court's most anticipated cases of its current term — a challenge to the University of Texas' affirmative action admissions process — has ended with a ruling that does not revisit the fundamental issue of whether such programs discriminate against whites.

In a 7-1 ruling, the high court "vacated and remanded" an earlier decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit, which had upheld the university's program. (Justice Elena Kagan recused herself because when she was a lawyer at the Justice Department she had been involved in the case.)

Illinois now has until July 22nd to enact a concealed-carry law. That's after the U.S. Supreme Court granted a request by the state Attorney General to push back the deadline.

The U.S. Supreme Court says it’s unconstitutional to sentence a juvenile offender to life in prison without parole. It’s been a year since that ruling was handed down. But Illinois has yet to update its law to reflect the ruling.

Cook County State’s attorney Anita Alvarez says she’s disappointed that the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear a petition she filed on citizens recording police officers. An appeals court decision earlier this year found Illinois’ Eavesdropping statute unconstitutional.

Chief Justice of the United States John Roberts says the Supreme Court decision on the Obama administration's Affordable Health Care Act likely will be announced on Thursday. WNIJ will provide coverage and reaction throughout the day. We'll also have an NPR News special on the decision and what it means at 6pm Thursday.

Attorneys for imprisoned former Illinois Gov. George Ryan say a U.S. Supreme Court decision today could eventually lead to a new trial for their client.

Defense lawyer Albert Alschuler said the high court asked the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago to reconsider Ryan's appeal. The high court found the appellate judges erred by not considering aspects of the appeal on their merits.