Supreme Court

Conservative Justices Rule 2011 Term

With decisions that favor corporations.

The Supreme Court ended the 2011 term with a 7-2 decision overturning a ban of the sale of violent video games to minors in California—a rare consensus. One-fifth of the court’s decisions this term, or 16 cases, were decided 5-4, with Justice Anthony Kennedy casting the deciding vote 14 times. Usually, those votes went the conservatives’ way: Key conservative victories include campaign-finance decisions favoring free speech for corporations and victories for corporations, like Walmart, in class-action cases. The biggest victory for liberals was, perhaps, the decision to order California to address prison overcrowding.