Anthony Kennedy

It may come as a disappointment to Gov. Jerry Brown — but it certainly should not come as a surprise — that a panel of federal judges rejected his request that they return control of California's still-overcrowded prison system to the state....

It seems these days as if everyone is speculating about how Justice Anthony M. Kennedy will approach the two same-sex marriage cases before the U.S. Supreme Court. But I haven't heard anyone wondering which side Antonin Scalia will be on. He has made...

All but eclipsed by the speculation about how the Supreme Court will rule on same-sex marriage is the fact that the court will also hand down a decision in the next few months about the constitutionality of affirmative action at state universities.  But...

In their recent consideration of legislation banning same-sex marriage, some Supreme Court justices expressed uninformed concern over how little we know about the long-term impact of such unions. Justice Anthony Kennedy said that because same-sex...

Between now and July, the Supreme Court is expected to rule on two cases dealing with same-sex marriage: one testing the constitutionality of California's Proposition 8, the other involving the Defense of Marriage Act, which defines marriage for federal...

Pity the Supremes. Not Diana Ross, Florence Ballard and Mary Wilson but Alito, Breyer, Roberts, Thomas, Sotomayor, Ginsburg, Kagan, Kennedy and Scalia. After two days of testimony last week on two separate issues of gay rights -- or as we should think of...

Given the lack of interest in Congress in protecting children from guns, it was nice to hear a grown-up in Washington speak on behalf of kids, any kids — in this case, the nearly 40,000 kids who live with same-sex parents in California. "They want...

It is not always easy to follow the audio transcript of the last two days’ Supreme Court arguments over gay marriage. Just when you think you grasp what’s going on, someone starts talking about “suspect classes” and “...

WASHINGTON — The Supreme Court, hearing arguments on the emotionally charged issue of gay marriage for the first time, appeared willing Tuesday to restore marital rights to gays and lesbians in California but uncomfortable with legalizing same-sex...

For the last decade, Tom Carpenter and his husband, Art Andrade, have taken every step forward – and back – in the changing landscape of rights for gay couples in California. They are one of the estimated 18,000 gay married couples who are...

Some members of the U.S. Supreme Court appeared concerned Wednesday that a  federal law barring recognition of same-sex marriages interfered with state rights, a law professor said. Loyola law professor Dougles NeJaime, after reading a transcript of...

Legal experts said Wednesday that U.S. Supreme Court justices suggested they might strike down the Defense of Marriage Act that denies federal benefits to legally married gay couples. It marked the second landmark gay-rights case the justices considered...