Latest Rulings From the U.S. Supreme Court

Updates on current cases heard by the nation’s high court.

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Setting Precedents - A look at some of the rulings the Supreme Court has handed down this term. — Britt Middleton(Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

United States V. Windsor - In a 5-4 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the Defense of Marriage Act of 1996 and ruled it as unconstitutional on June 26. This decision allows married same-sex couples to have equal federal benefits as straight couples. The court also ruled out proposition 8, which banned gay marriage in California.   (Photo: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

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United States V. Windsor - In a 5-4 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the Defense of Marriage Act of 1996 and ruled it as unconstitutional on June 26. This decision allows married same-sex couples to have equal federal benefits as straight couples. The court also ruled out proposition 8, which banned gay marriage in California.  (Photo: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

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Shelby County v. Holder - In a 5-4 vote, the Supreme Court struck down Section 4 of the Voting Rights Act on June 25. The high court says Congress needs to update the act as the provisions no longer reflect race relations in the present-day south. The justices found it unconstitutional to subject jurisdictions, with a history of blocking Black voters from casting ballots, to pre-clearance in the present day. (Photo: Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin - On June 24, the U.S. Supreme court ruled 7-1 to send the affirmative-action case back to a lower federal appeals court for further judicial review. The justices decided that the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals did not hold the University of Texas’ admission policy under thorough legal scrutiny.(Photo: REUTERS/Jose Luis Magana)

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Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin - On June 24, the U.S. Supreme court ruled 7-1 to send the affirmative-action case back to a lower federal appeals court for further judicial review. The justices decided that the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals did not hold the University of Texas’ admission policy under thorough legal scrutiny.(Photo: REUTERS/Jose Luis Magana)

That Was Fast - Southern states blocked by the Voting Rights Act from implementing tougher new voting rules are already taking advantage of the Supreme Court's ruling freeing them from seeking permission to change voting procedures. Texas and Mississippi plan to immediately implement voter ID laws, and North Carolina is hoping to follow suit, the Associated Press reports.  (Photo: AP Photo/Lynne Sladky, File)

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Arizona v.The Inter Tribal Council of Arizona, Inc. - In a 7-2 vote, the court struck down Arizona's law requiring prospective voters to show additional documentation proving U.S. citizenship before allowing them to use a federal form designed to make registration easier. (Photo: AP Photo/Lynne Sladky, File)

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Federal Trade Commission v. Actavis - The court ruled in a 5-3 decision that it can be illegal for agreements made between makers of name-brand and generic drugs to delay the generic drugs’ availability to consumers. (Photo: Jeffrey Coolidge/Getty Images)

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Federal Trade Commission v. Actavis - The court ruled in a 5-3 decision that it can be illegal for agreements made between makers of name-brand and generic drugs to delay the generic drugs’ availability to consumers. (Photo: Jeffrey Coolidge/Getty Images)

Photo By Photo: Jeffrey Coolidge/Getty Image

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Salinas v. Texas - In a 5-4 decision, justices affirmed that when a person of interest voluntarily responds to some questions by police about a murder, the prosecution, in some cases, may use the individual's silence in response to another question as evidence of guilt at trial without violating the Fifth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution (protection against self-incrimination). (Photo: Frances Twitty/Getty Images)

Housing - "The president rightly called for housing finance reform that keeps the American Dream of homeownership alive for this and future generations. This dream accounts for $10 trillion of our nation’s economy and is a proven path towards upward mobility for millions of Americans," according to a statement issued by the Center for Responsible Housing. (Photo: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

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Housing Discrimination - The court said on June 17 it would decide at its next term a case involving race and whether federal housing law requires proof of intentional discrimination. (Photo: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

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Minimum Prison Terms - In a 5-4 decision, the high court ruled that judges may not increase mandatory minimum prison terms when sentencing defendants unless the facts supporting the increase have been found by a jury. (Photo: Dennis Brack /Landov)

Maracich v. Spears - The justices ruled in a 5-4 vote that lawyers are banned from obtaining state driver license records to recruit potential clients. The court said to do so violates the federal Drivers’ Privacy Protection Act. (Photo: David McNew/Getty Images)

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Maracich v. Spears - The justices ruled in a 5-4 vote that lawyers are banned from obtaining state driver license records to recruit potential clients. The court said to do so violates the federal Drivers’ Privacy Protection Act. (Photo: David McNew/Getty Images)

Photo By Photo: David McNew/Getty Images