Supreme Court rejects three high-profile appeals

JIMMIE JOHNSON: THE SUPREME COURT IS BACK IN SESSION AND THEY ARE MAKING HEADLINES FOR THE CASES THEY’RE REJECTING. 

TUESDAY, THE HIGH COURT DECLINED TO HEAR A CASE THAT WOULD HAVE GRANTED CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS TO EMBRYOS AND FETUSES. IT ALSO WOULD HAVE ALLOWED ANTI-ABORTION ADVOCATES TO IMPOSE GREATER LIMITS ON THE PROCEDURE. 

THE CASE WAS BROUGHT BY PARENTS ON BEHALF OF THEIR UNBORN CHILDREN AND A CATHOLIC ORGANIZATION. THE LAWSUIT CHALLENGED RHODE ISLAND’S LAW THAT UPHOLDS ABORTION RIGHTS AND ARGUES FETUSES AND EMBRYOS, REGARDLESS OF GESTATIONAL AGE, AREN’T ENTITLED TO DUE PROCESS. 

THE SUPREME COURT ALSO REJECTED DYLANN ROOF’S DEATH SENTENCE APPEAL. ROOF KILLED NINE PEOPLE IN A SOUTH CAROLINA CHURCH BACK IN 2015. HE CHALLENGED HIS CONVICTION CITING MENTAL ILLNESS. THE COURT UPHELD HIS DEATH SENTENCE. 

A BLACK TEXAS DEATH ROW INMATE CASE ALSO GOT TURNED DOWN BY THE HIGH COURT. IN 2004, ANDRE THOMAS WAS SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR KILLING HIS ESTRANGED WIFE, WHO WAS WHITE, AND TWO CHILDREN.

THOMAS ARGUED HE DIDN’T GET A FAIR TRIAL BECAUSE JURORS WHO CONVICTED HIM OBJECTED TO INTERRACIAL MARRIAGE.