THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, October 7, 1996 TAG: 9610070067
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A2 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: CHICAGO TRIBUNE
DATELINE: WASHINGTON LENGTH: 46 lines
With a host of controversial issues before it, the Supreme Court returns to work today to confront cases that touch on virtually every aspect of human life - and death.
From abortion protests and bans on assisted suicide to gun control and whether English should be an official language, many of the issues already have divided the public, just as they now will the nine justices.
And there are more matters for hot debate: Paula Jones' sexual harassment lawsuit against President Clinton, challenges to race-based voting districts, and another opportunity to define the relationship between the states and the federal government.
``I think it's going to be a very exciting term. The court has taken cases in almost every area of controversy: sex, drugs, life and death,'' said David Cole, a professor at Georgetown Law Center. ``The only thing missing is rock 'n roll.''
In addition to the cases the court already has agreed to hear, it will take on dozens more as the term progresses. Legal observers expect the court to pick up a number of timely cases, including a challenge to the federal law banning indecency on the Internet.
The right-to-die cases ask whether states can ban doctor-assisted suicide. More than 40 states consider assisted suicide a crime, but two lower courts have said bans in the states of Washington and New York violate the Constitution.
The court will have several opportunities this term to consider the role of the states, including a case that challenges the federal Brady Bill that requires local police to conduct background checks on gun buyers. Opponents argue that Congress exceeded its authority under the Constitution when it imposed the requirements on the states.
As for the responsibilities of the executive, the court will decide whether a president can be sued during his term or whether he can postpone the lawsuit until he leaves office. The case, which involves a lawsuit alleging that Clinton propositioned Jones in a Little Rock, Ark., hotel room, will not be heard until after the presidential election.
There are several important First Amendment cases, including one involving an Arizona law that requires English to be the ``language of the ballot, the public schools and all government functions and actions.''
KEYWORDS: SUPREME COURT by CNB