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Supreme Court of the United States

From the Chevron rule to Trump's immunity, how the Supreme Court voted in recent rulings

George Petras
USA TODAY

The U.S. Supreme Court ended its term Monday by ruling 6-3 that former President Donald Trump could be tried for attempts he made as a candidate – but not as president – to overturn the 2020 election.

That judgment, which defined Trump’s immunity from prosecution, was the court's most significant opinion and one of a half-dozen highly controversial decisions the justices made on a total of 59 cases this year.

Read more: Details on the Trump decision.

The contentious rulings included an order for a new review of obstruction charges against Trump and Jan. 6 defendants; a ruling that reversed a ban on bump stocks; and another that limited the regulatory authority of federal agencies.

USA TODAY reviewed the Supreme Court’s voting patterns for some of the high-profile cases. Here is what we found.

The court decided 59 cases in latest term

How justices voted in controversial cases

Bump stocks | 6-3

  • Date: June 14
  • Case: Garland v. Cargill
  • What happened: The court ruled 6-3 that bump stocks, devices that turn a semi-automatic weapon into something closer to a machine gun, are legal. The decision overturned a Trump administration ban on bump stocks after a gunman used them to kill 58 people at a Las Vegas concert in 2017.
  • Majority: Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito Jr., John Roberts, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, Amy Coney Barrett
  • Dissenting: Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, Ketanji Brown Jackson

Federal regulators | 6-3

Jan. 6 prosecution | 6-3

  • Date: June 28
  • Case: Fischer v. United States
  • What happened: The court ordered a new review of the law being used to charge hundreds of defendants, including former President Donald Trump, with obstruction in the Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021. The case was sent back to the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals for review.
  • Majority: Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito Jr., John Roberts, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, Ketanji Brown Jackson
  • Dissenting: Amy Coney Barrett, Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan

Homeless people | 6-3

  • Date: June 28
  • Case: City of Grants Pass, Oregon v. Johnson
  • What happened: The court ruled that the Constitution’s Eight Amendment, which prohibits cruel and unusual punishment, does not prevent cities from banning homeless people from living in public parks. Violators could face criminal charges.
  • Majority: Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito Jr., John Roberts, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, Amy Coney Barrett
  • Dissenting: Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, Ketanji Brown Jackson

Trump immunity | 6-3

  • Date: July 1
  • Case: Trump v. United States
  • What happened: The court ruled that while former President Donald Trump can be tried for his efforts as a presidential candidate to overturn the 2020 election loss, he has immunity for official acts he took as president.
  • Majority: Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito Jr., John Roberts, Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, Amy Coney Barrett
  • Dissenting: Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, Ketanji Brown Jackson

What cases did the Supreme Court decide?

The justice who writes the majority or principal opinion often will summarize the opinion from the bench during a court session, according to supremecourt.gov. The justices share principal opinion duties.

Justices and principal opinions

The court’s 2023 term ended on July 1, 2024. The official length of each term begins on the first Monday in October. It ends on the Sunday before the first Monday in October of the following year, according to uscourt.gov.

The Court is usually in recess from late June or early July until the first Monday in October.

Contributing: Maureen Groppe, Bart Jansen, Claire Thornton

Source: USA TODAY Network reporting and research; U.S. Supreme Court; scotusblog.com; Congressional Research Service; uscourt.gov; Reuters

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