SUPREME COURT OPINIONS: The Roberts Court (2005 - present)

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OOOOFor each opinion, the author's name name is given first and in full, the following justices joining in the opinion. Concurring or separate opinions are those which agree with the result of the Court's opinion but differ with the reasoning, larger implications, or simply wish to add an aspect not touched on by the Court. Dissenting opinions, of course, are those which disagree with the Court's ruling. There may even be several dissenting opinions, depending on the nature of the several justices' disagreement.
2010 Citizens United v Federal Election Commission
Opinion: Justice Anthony M. Kennedy
Concurring: Chief Justice John G. Roberts jr., J. Alito
Concurring: Justice Antonin Scalia, J. Alito, J. Thomas (in part)
Concurring in part and dissenting in part: Justice John Paul Stevens, J. Ginsburg, J. Breyer, J. Sotomayor
Concurring in part and dissenting in part: Justice Clarence Thomas
OOOOCitizens United granted corporations the same first amendment rights to free speech as persons.
OOOOThe ruling struck down Section 203 of the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002 (BCRA) which prohibited corporations and unions from using their general treasury funds to make independent expenditures for speech that is an “electioneering communication” or for speech that expressly advocates the election or defeat of a candidate that is made within 30 days of a primary election, and that is “publicly distributed,”. Although BCRA applied to federal elections only, the ruling also voided similar state laws controlling state elections.