Supreme Court Rules on Taxes, Porn

The Supreme Court issued four decisions this morning, including long-awaited rulings on municipal bonds and child pornography. In Department of Revenue of Kentucky v. Davis, the justices said it was constitutional for states to exempt from taxation the interest on bonds from their own states and municipalities, while taxing the interest on bonds from other states.

By another 7-2 majority in United States v. Williams, the Court upheld the latest effort by Congress to combat the distribution of child pornography. The law prohibits promotion and distribution of material purported to contain materials that fit the definition of child pornography. Critics voiced concern that the law would chill everything from documentaries to ads for Hollywood movies. But the Court found the law was neither overbroad nor impermissibly vague.

The session got off to an awkward start, when Justice Samuel Alito Jr. sat down before the marshal had completed her "Oyez Oyez" summons for the session to begin. He quickly stood up again when he realized his error. When he started off the proceedings by summarizing his decision in United States v. Rodriquez, he sheepishly said the audience could tell how eager he had been to announce his opinion. The other case announced today was United States v. Rassam. Check back later at LegalTimes.com for more on today's decisions.