2010 term United States Supreme Court opinions of Clarence Thomas

The 2010 term of the Supreme Court of the United States began October 4, 2010, and concluded October 1, 2011. This was the twentieth term of Associate Justice Clarence Thomas's tenure on the Court.
Clarence Thomas 2010 term statistics
9
Majority or Plurality
8
Concurrence
0
Other
6
Dissent
0
Concurrence/dissent Total = 23
Bench opinions = 22 Opinions relating to orders = 1 In-chambers opinions = 0
Unanimous opinions: 1 Most joined by: Scalia, Kennedy, Alito (11) Least joined by: Kagan (1)
Type Case Citation Issues Joined by Other opinions
201



NASA v. Nelson 562 U.S. 134 (2011)

background check of prospective federal employees  • informational privacy  • Privacy Act of 1974
Alito
Scalia
202



Ortiz v. Jordan 562 U.S. 180 (2011)

Federal Rules of Civil Procedure  • appealability of denial of summary judgment motion after trial on the merits  • qualified immunity  • post-trial judicial review of sufficiency of the evidence Scalia, Kennedy
Ginsburg
403



CSX Transportation, Inc. v. Alabama Dept. of Revenue 562 U.S. 277 (2011)

Railroad Revitalization and Regulatory Reform Act of 1976  • tax discrimination against rail carrier Ginsburg
Kagan
204



Williamson v. Mazda Motor of America, Inc. 562 U.S. 323 (2011)

National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1966  • Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards on seat belt design  • state law torts against auto manufacturers  • federal preemption
Breyer
Sotomayor
205



Michigan v. Bryant 562 U.S. 344 (2011)

Sixth Amendment  • Confrontation Clause  • hearsay exception for statements to help police address ongoing emergency
Sotomayor
Scalia
Ginsburg
406



Pepper v. United States 562 U.S. 476 (2011)

Federal Sentencing Guidelines  • consideration of postsentencing rehabilitation
Sotomayor
Breyer
Alito
407



Skinner v. Switzer 562 U.S. 521 (2011)

postconviction access to DNA testing  • Section 1983  • Rooker–Feldman doctrine Kennedy, Alito
Ginsburg
408



Alderman v. United States • [full text] 562 U.S. 1163 (2011)

Commerce Clause  • James Guelff and Chris McCurley Body Armor Act of 2002 Scalia (in part)
Thomas dissented from the Court's denial of certiorari, in a case involving whether a federal law against felons possessing body armor was constitutional after United States v. Lopez, 514 U.S. 549 (1995), which was the first Supreme Court case since the New Deal to set limits upon Congress's Commerce Clause power. The lower court's opinion held, on the basis of an older case, Scarborough v. United States, 431 U. S. 563 (1977), that the federal law was presumptively constitutional and that it was therefore not subject to the three-part test established in Lopez for analyzing whether a federal law exceeded Commerce Clause powers. In his dissent, Thomas complained that the Court, in its refusal to review the lower court's decision, "tacitly accepts the nullification of our recent Commerce Clause jurisprudence."
109



Connick v. Thompson 563 U.S. 51 (2011)

single violation as basis for Section 1983 claim  • failure to make Brady disclosure  • failure to train prosecutors Roberts, Scalia, Kennedy, Alito
Scalia
Ginsburg
110



Cullen v. Pinholster 563 U.S. 170 (2011)

Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996  • introduction of new evidence in habeas corpus proceedings  • Sixth Amendment  • ineffective assistance of counsel Roberts, Scalia, Kennedy; Ginsburg, Breyer, Alito, Kagan
Alito
Breyer
Sotomayor
111



Sossamon v. Texas 563 U.S. 277 (2011)

prisoners' rights  • Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act  • Spending Clause  • sovereign immunity Roberts, Scalia, Kennedy, Ginsburg, Alito
Sotomayor
212



AT&T Mobility LLC v. Concepcion 563 U.S. 333 (2011)

Federal Arbitration Act  • federal preemption  • class actions
Scalia
Breyer
113



Montana v. Wyoming 563 U.S. 368 (2011)

Yellowstone River Compact  • water law  • change in irrigation methods reducing downstream flow  • doctrine of appropriation  • doctrine of recapture Roberts, Kennedy, Ginsburg, Breyer, Alito, Sotomayor
Scalia
114



Schindler Elevator Corp. v. United States ex rel. Kirk 563 U.S. 401 (2011)

False Claims Act  • bar on qui tam suits based on public disclosures  • Freedom of Information Act responses Roberts, Scalia, Kennedy, Alito
Ginsburg
115



McNeill v. United States 563 U.S. 816 (2011)

Armed Career Criminal Act  • sentencing enhancement for prior serious drug offense convictions Unanimous
216



Sykes v. United States 564 U.S. 1 (2011)

Armed Career Criminal Act  • felony vehicle flight as predicate offense under residual clause
Kennedy
Scalia
Kagan
117



Talk America, Inc. v. Michigan Bell Telephone Co. 564 U.S. 50 (2011)

Telecommunications Act of 1996  • incumbent local exchange carrier interconnection duty  • entrance facility as part of network Roberts, Scalia, Kennedy, Ginsburg, Breyer, Alito, Sotomayor
Scalia
218



Microsoft Corp. v. i4i Ltd. Partnership 564 U.S. 91 (2011)

Patent Act of 1952  • presumption of patent validity  • on-sale bar  • clear and convincing evidence
Sotomayor
Breyer
119



Janus Capital Group, Inc. v. First Derivative Traders 564 U.S. 135 (2011)

SEC Rule 10b-5  • participation of corporate affiliate in making false statements Roberts, Scalia, Kennedy, Alito
Breyer
220



Borough of Duryea v. Guarnieri 564 U.S. 379 (2011)

employer retaliation  • First Amendment  • public employee speech  • Petition Clause
Kennedy
Scalia
421



Turner v. Rogers 564 U.S. 431 (2011)

Due Process Clause  • right to counsel in civil contempt hearing for indigent defendant facing incarceration Scalia; Roberts, Alito (in part)
Breyer
122



PLIVA, Inc. v. Mensing 564 U.S. 604 (2011)

federal generic drug labeling requirements  • federal preemption Roberts, Scalia, Alito; Kennedy (part)
Sotomayor
423



Brown v. Entertainment Merchants Assn. 564 U.S. 786 (2011)

First Amendment  • freedom of speech  • restriction on sale of violent video games to minors
Scalia
Alito
Breyer

References

  • "2010 Term Opinions of the Court". Supreme Court of the United States. Retrieved October 2, 2011.
  • "2010 Term Opinions Relating to Orders". Supreme Court of the United States. Retrieved October 2, 2011.
  • "2010 Term In-Chambers Opinions". Supreme Court of the United States. Retrieved October 2, 2011.