1 00:00:03,200 --> 00:00:07,960 Speaker 1: This is Bloomberg Law with June Brussel from Bloomberg Radio. 2 00:00:09,640 --> 00:00:12,720 Speaker 1: A divided Supreme Court has made it easier to sendence 3 00:00:12,800 --> 00:00:16,280 Speaker 1: minors convicted of murder to life in prison without parole. 4 00:00:16,920 --> 00:00:19,600 Speaker 1: It is six to three decision that split the jostices 5 00:00:19,640 --> 00:00:23,200 Speaker 1: along ideological lines. The courts that are judge does not 6 00:00:23,360 --> 00:00:26,920 Speaker 1: have to find a minor to be permanently incorrigible or 7 00:00:26,960 --> 00:00:30,880 Speaker 1: incapable of being rehabilitated before imposing a sentence of life 8 00:00:30,880 --> 00:00:34,520 Speaker 1: without parole. The ruling follows more than a decade where 9 00:00:34,560 --> 00:00:37,960 Speaker 1: the Court had moved toward more leniency from minors convicted 10 00:00:38,000 --> 00:00:41,440 Speaker 1: of murder, treating them differently from adults. Joining me as 11 00:00:41,479 --> 00:00:44,720 Speaker 1: Bloomberg Law reported Jordan Reuben Jordan tell us about the 12 00:00:44,760 --> 00:00:50,160 Speaker 1: defendant in this case. Brett Jones was convicted of murder 13 00:00:50,560 --> 00:00:52,640 Speaker 1: for a crime that he committed when he was fifteen 14 00:00:52,720 --> 00:00:56,840 Speaker 1: years old. He fatally stabbed his grandfather during an argument 15 00:00:56,880 --> 00:01:01,080 Speaker 1: at home, and he was initially sentenced to life without 16 00:01:01,120 --> 00:01:04,360 Speaker 1: the possibility of parole, and his case called into question 17 00:01:04,400 --> 00:01:09,000 Speaker 1: this line of Supreme Court precedents going back years, and 18 00:01:09,120 --> 00:01:13,760 Speaker 1: the Court wound upholding in a previous decision that mandatory 19 00:01:13,880 --> 00:01:17,440 Speaker 1: life without parole sentences for juveniles are unconstitutional, and so 20 00:01:17,520 --> 00:01:21,120 Speaker 1: that raised further appeals in Jones's case, where the Supreme 21 00:01:21,120 --> 00:01:24,440 Speaker 1: Court had to sort out what exactly is required of 22 00:01:24,520 --> 00:01:27,880 Speaker 1: judges when they're handing down these life without parole sentences 23 00:01:27,880 --> 00:01:31,880 Speaker 1: to juveniles in these discretionary schemes. Did a judge review 24 00:01:31,959 --> 00:01:34,920 Speaker 1: his sentence after he was in prison? That's right, the 25 00:01:35,000 --> 00:01:37,959 Speaker 1: judge did do that. However, the judge did not make 26 00:01:38,080 --> 00:01:42,680 Speaker 1: a finding that Jones was quote permanently incorrigible end quote, 27 00:01:42,680 --> 00:01:44,600 Speaker 1: which is some language that had been in some of 28 00:01:44,600 --> 00:01:47,960 Speaker 1: these prior Supreme Court decisions. And he argued that that's 29 00:01:48,040 --> 00:01:52,440 Speaker 1: required before a judge makes a finding that a person 30 00:01:52,520 --> 00:01:54,640 Speaker 1: who was a minor when they committed the crime can 31 00:01:54,640 --> 00:01:57,840 Speaker 1: be sentenced to life without the possibility of parole. So 32 00:01:57,960 --> 00:02:01,120 Speaker 1: what did the Supreme Court rule? The stream Court said 33 00:02:01,120 --> 00:02:04,400 Speaker 1: that that is actually not required by those precedents, and 34 00:02:04,480 --> 00:02:08,560 Speaker 1: that all these prior precedents require is that a statutory 35 00:02:08,680 --> 00:02:13,880 Speaker 1: scheme is that a state's scheme be discretionary, and so 36 00:02:13,880 --> 00:02:18,040 Speaker 1: so long as it's not a mandatory scheme, then that 37 00:02:18,280 --> 00:02:22,480 Speaker 1: is enough under the Constitution. And so this was a 38 00:02:22,600 --> 00:02:27,079 Speaker 1: six to three split tell us about the split right. 39 00:02:27,160 --> 00:02:30,240 Speaker 1: This one split right along party lines. That was a 40 00:02:30,280 --> 00:02:34,400 Speaker 1: decision written by Justice Kavanaugh, and he was joined by 41 00:02:34,440 --> 00:02:38,520 Speaker 1: the other five Republican appointees and the three remaining Democratic 42 00:02:38,520 --> 00:02:43,760 Speaker 1: appointees were in descent. And that's not super unusual in 43 00:02:43,800 --> 00:02:47,919 Speaker 1: these types of cases under the Eighth Amendment. We've seen 44 00:02:48,000 --> 00:02:51,600 Speaker 1: these types of divides before in these cases, and so 45 00:02:51,680 --> 00:02:56,040 Speaker 1: this is continuing that pattern. So Justice Soda Mayor wrote 46 00:02:56,040 --> 00:03:00,640 Speaker 1: the descent, and she said that the majority opinion guts precedent. 47 00:03:00,720 --> 00:03:04,520 Speaker 1: Explain what she meant. So Justice so dom Oral looks 48 00:03:04,520 --> 00:03:06,840 Speaker 1: back at those precedents and said that in order for 49 00:03:06,880 --> 00:03:09,960 Speaker 1: the majority to make this ruling, that a permanent and 50 00:03:09,960 --> 00:03:13,040 Speaker 1: corigibility finding is not required, that a factual finding is 51 00:03:13,080 --> 00:03:15,720 Speaker 1: not required. In order to reach that result, the majority 52 00:03:15,720 --> 00:03:18,640 Speaker 1: really had to contort precedent to a point where, in 53 00:03:18,639 --> 00:03:21,880 Speaker 1: her words, they were gutting precedent without admitting it and 54 00:03:21,919 --> 00:03:25,840 Speaker 1: rewriting those prior precedents in the process without admitting it. 55 00:03:25,919 --> 00:03:28,720 Speaker 1: That was the descents view. The Court in the past 56 00:03:28,840 --> 00:03:34,080 Speaker 1: has treated juveniles more leniently in violent crimes because of 57 00:03:34,120 --> 00:03:38,720 Speaker 1: their lack of maturity. Tell us about that history. So 58 00:03:39,520 --> 00:03:42,520 Speaker 1: there's been a series of decisions where one decision after 59 00:03:42,560 --> 00:03:47,040 Speaker 1: the other, the Court, in a progression, really kept handing 60 00:03:47,040 --> 00:03:50,680 Speaker 1: down rulings that were more and more favorable to people 61 00:03:50,680 --> 00:03:53,360 Speaker 1: who committed crimes when they were miners. Although that was 62 00:03:53,440 --> 00:03:56,720 Speaker 1: back when Justice Kennedy was still on the court before 63 00:03:56,720 --> 00:04:01,240 Speaker 1: he retired and was replaced by Justice Kavanaugh. So this 64 00:04:01,320 --> 00:04:04,480 Speaker 1: case really marked a halt to that progression, is one 65 00:04:04,480 --> 00:04:07,360 Speaker 1: way to look at it. And it's obvious why that happened. 66 00:04:07,360 --> 00:04:10,200 Speaker 1: It's because of the change in personnel on the court 67 00:04:10,360 --> 00:04:14,640 Speaker 1: since those prior rulings were handed down. Explain how this 68 00:04:14,720 --> 00:04:19,120 Speaker 1: case highlights the divide on the Court when it comes 69 00:04:19,160 --> 00:04:24,799 Speaker 1: to the Eighth Amendment and cruel and unusual punishment cases. So, 70 00:04:24,920 --> 00:04:26,720 Speaker 1: I think what we've seen in a lot of these 71 00:04:26,839 --> 00:04:30,279 Speaker 1: Eighth Amendment cases, which is the backdrop for this cruel 72 00:04:30,279 --> 00:04:33,960 Speaker 1: and unusual punishment, that's what the Eighth Amendment prohibits. However, 73 00:04:34,000 --> 00:04:36,960 Speaker 1: there are pretty stark disagreements over what exactly that means. 74 00:04:37,080 --> 00:04:39,479 Speaker 1: The same sort of divide that we've seen in death 75 00:04:39,480 --> 00:04:43,640 Speaker 1: penalty cases, which are also Eighth Amendment cases. Issues that 76 00:04:43,680 --> 00:04:47,039 Speaker 1: are implicated there, and so we see that same divide, 77 00:04:47,080 --> 00:04:50,840 Speaker 1: and so this case is an example of really what 78 00:04:51,040 --> 00:04:55,000 Speaker 1: the Republican appointees have seen as required under the Eighth 79 00:04:55,040 --> 00:04:58,760 Speaker 1: Amendment as opposed to what the Democratic appointees have seen 80 00:04:59,120 --> 00:05:01,960 Speaker 1: as required. And this case is really a perfect reflection 81 00:05:02,279 --> 00:05:05,159 Speaker 1: of that split. I was surprised the United States is 82 00:05:05,200 --> 00:05:10,719 Speaker 1: the only country that allows juveniles to be given life 83 00:05:10,720 --> 00:05:14,920 Speaker 1: without parole. That's right. We're an outlier in the world, again, 84 00:05:15,000 --> 00:05:18,000 Speaker 1: similar to the death penalty, where we're not the only one, 85 00:05:18,080 --> 00:05:21,240 Speaker 1: but certainly in the minority of countries, certainly in so 86 00:05:21,320 --> 00:05:24,360 Speaker 1: called developed nations that have it. And so this is 87 00:05:24,400 --> 00:05:29,280 Speaker 1: another criminal justice aspect of our country where we're an 88 00:05:29,279 --> 00:05:31,800 Speaker 1: outlier compared to the rest of the world, certainly the 89 00:05:31,880 --> 00:05:35,480 Speaker 1: so called developed world. And what about the States? Where 90 00:05:35,480 --> 00:05:39,080 Speaker 1: do the States stand on this issue? Right? So that's 91 00:05:39,080 --> 00:05:41,520 Speaker 1: a very good question, June. I'm glad you asked, because, 92 00:05:41,760 --> 00:05:44,839 Speaker 1: as in a lot of criminal justice spaces, we're seeing 93 00:05:44,839 --> 00:05:48,279 Speaker 1: more attention being put on the state, especially where reformers 94 00:05:48,320 --> 00:05:50,800 Speaker 1: are not seeing success at the Supreme Court, and so 95 00:05:51,160 --> 00:05:53,680 Speaker 1: they've been making a stride there in their view in 96 00:05:53,760 --> 00:05:56,960 Speaker 1: order to either curtail or ban the use of, for example, 97 00:05:57,600 --> 00:06:01,400 Speaker 1: life without parole for juvenile offenders. And so as it 98 00:06:01,440 --> 00:06:03,880 Speaker 1: stands down. More than half the state's either ban the 99 00:06:03,920 --> 00:06:07,320 Speaker 1: practice or don't have anyone serving these types of sentences, 100 00:06:07,360 --> 00:06:11,559 Speaker 1: And that's really where reformers are focusing their energy now 101 00:06:11,720 --> 00:06:15,520 Speaker 1: is on the states. Jordan. The Court often takes cases 102 00:06:15,720 --> 00:06:18,159 Speaker 1: when there's a split in the circuits. Was there a 103 00:06:18,160 --> 00:06:21,920 Speaker 1: split in the circuits here? So they definitely took it 104 00:06:21,960 --> 00:06:26,200 Speaker 1: in order to try and explain really these prior precedents, 105 00:06:26,279 --> 00:06:30,760 Speaker 1: because it was not clear what exactly they meant in 106 00:06:30,880 --> 00:06:34,560 Speaker 1: terms of what exactly was required. As Jones's case showed 107 00:06:34,600 --> 00:06:37,719 Speaker 1: so fair at least, it was an incredibly important issue 108 00:06:37,760 --> 00:06:40,280 Speaker 1: that the Court felt the need to explain, and there 109 00:06:40,279 --> 00:06:43,320 Speaker 1: really could be still more left to explain. Although in 110 00:06:43,320 --> 00:06:46,560 Speaker 1: this case the Court said judges don't need to make 111 00:06:46,680 --> 00:06:50,520 Speaker 1: this certain finding. Perhaps we could see future cases falling 112 00:06:50,560 --> 00:06:52,919 Speaker 1: somewhere in the middle between a judge saying nothing and 113 00:06:52,960 --> 00:06:56,480 Speaker 1: a judge making this permanent and corige ability finding. There 114 00:06:56,480 --> 00:06:59,479 Speaker 1: could still be a lingering question of what exactly do 115 00:06:59,839 --> 00:07:02,640 Speaker 1: or do not judges have to do. So there's no 116 00:07:02,800 --> 00:07:05,000 Speaker 1: rule right now, or does it depend on the states 117 00:07:05,080 --> 00:07:07,800 Speaker 1: as to what a judge has to find in order 118 00:07:07,839 --> 00:07:12,680 Speaker 1: to put a juvenile in prison for life. So it 119 00:07:12,840 --> 00:07:15,600 Speaker 1: is it is clear now under the Supreme Court's latest 120 00:07:15,600 --> 00:07:18,840 Speaker 1: decision in Jones's case, what's not required. A judge does 121 00:07:18,880 --> 00:07:22,880 Speaker 1: not specifically have to say, I find this person to 122 00:07:23,000 --> 00:07:27,480 Speaker 1: be permanently incorrigible. It's enough, according to this latest decision, 123 00:07:27,720 --> 00:07:30,680 Speaker 1: for there to have been discretion for the judge to 124 00:07:30,720 --> 00:07:36,560 Speaker 1: have considered youth as midgaining factor under those prior precedents. 125 00:07:37,040 --> 00:07:41,840 Speaker 1: There just could potentially be another case delving further into 126 00:07:42,000 --> 00:07:46,080 Speaker 1: perhaps there's an unclear situation of whether a judge made 127 00:07:46,080 --> 00:07:50,000 Speaker 1: this consideration or not, because we have this pretty bright 128 00:07:50,120 --> 00:07:52,600 Speaker 1: line rule from the Supreme Court now, So there could 129 00:07:52,600 --> 00:07:55,800 Speaker 1: still be further challenges. But as I said, I really 130 00:07:55,800 --> 00:07:59,200 Speaker 1: think the focus for people making these challenges is going 131 00:07:59,240 --> 00:08:02,200 Speaker 1: to be more so putting their energy into the state 132 00:08:02,280 --> 00:08:05,720 Speaker 1: level then necessarily hoping for success at the Supreme Court, 133 00:08:05,760 --> 00:08:09,040 Speaker 1: at least as it's constructed now. I was struck in 134 00:08:09,120 --> 00:08:13,280 Speaker 1: your story. You spoke to John Neeman, who had argued 135 00:08:13,280 --> 00:08:15,520 Speaker 1: for the state in the Miller case when he was 136 00:08:15,560 --> 00:08:19,920 Speaker 1: Alabama Solicitor General, and he said, we're all capable of redemption. 137 00:08:20,120 --> 00:08:22,080 Speaker 1: I thought that was interesting because as he was on 138 00:08:22,120 --> 00:08:24,200 Speaker 1: the other side of it, right and so I think 139 00:08:24,280 --> 00:08:28,560 Speaker 1: ultimately he agreed with this decision. In the Jones case, 140 00:08:28,600 --> 00:08:33,320 Speaker 1: he was raising an interesting point where this permanent incorrigibility standard, 141 00:08:33,400 --> 00:08:35,640 Speaker 1: and it wasn't taken out of tanair, it was taken 142 00:08:35,679 --> 00:08:40,240 Speaker 1: from prior precedence what Jones was arguing for. It raises 143 00:08:40,320 --> 00:08:43,240 Speaker 1: interesting questions of what exactly is a judge doing when 144 00:08:43,240 --> 00:08:46,959 Speaker 1: they're making this finding, Because the point that Mr Neeman 145 00:08:47,080 --> 00:08:50,280 Speaker 1: was raising was if you're a person who finds that 146 00:08:50,440 --> 00:08:53,559 Speaker 1: no one is beyond redemption, then it would be impossible 147 00:08:53,920 --> 00:08:57,640 Speaker 1: for a judge to make this finding against a defendant. 148 00:08:57,800 --> 00:09:00,760 Speaker 1: So that could be part of what was animating the 149 00:09:00,800 --> 00:09:04,800 Speaker 1: majority's concerned here in the Jones case that if that's 150 00:09:04,840 --> 00:09:08,679 Speaker 1: the rule, and then it ties the judge's hands. In effect, 151 00:09:08,720 --> 00:09:11,880 Speaker 1: they have to say, I believe this person is beyond 152 00:09:12,000 --> 00:09:16,920 Speaker 1: redemption and that's something that can cross different ideological and 153 00:09:17,240 --> 00:09:20,760 Speaker 1: religious lines, what have you. And so it could be 154 00:09:20,800 --> 00:09:22,880 Speaker 1: just a matter of the court saying we don't want 155 00:09:23,000 --> 00:09:26,959 Speaker 1: judges to get into that specific type of business. So, now, 156 00:09:27,000 --> 00:09:31,160 Speaker 1: as far as Jones is concerned, does he have any 157 00:09:31,320 --> 00:09:34,040 Speaker 1: avenues left? Does he get to go back to the 158 00:09:34,120 --> 00:09:36,120 Speaker 1: judge and say anything, or is this the end of 159 00:09:36,120 --> 00:09:38,200 Speaker 1: the road. So I think it is the end of 160 00:09:38,240 --> 00:09:41,480 Speaker 1: the road in Justice Kavanaugh's opinion. At the end, he 161 00:09:41,600 --> 00:09:46,040 Speaker 1: had an interesting paragraph where he noted, in his view, 162 00:09:46,160 --> 00:09:48,760 Speaker 1: in Justice Kavanaugh's view that it's not necessarily the end 163 00:09:48,800 --> 00:09:51,280 Speaker 1: of the road, because there could be a state reform 164 00:09:51,920 --> 00:09:56,640 Speaker 1: or Jones could ask for clemency. But that's true in 165 00:09:56,760 --> 00:10:00,400 Speaker 1: every case, whether the Supreme Court makes that or not. 166 00:10:00,559 --> 00:10:03,840 Speaker 1: And so I don't know of any particular reason why 167 00:10:04,040 --> 00:10:07,560 Speaker 1: Jones would be successful on that front. It's possible, but 168 00:10:08,760 --> 00:10:11,560 Speaker 1: the point is, if nothing else happened in his case, 169 00:10:11,679 --> 00:10:14,080 Speaker 1: there's no reason to think that he will not be 170 00:10:14,400 --> 00:10:17,880 Speaker 1: dying in prison. Has the Supreme Court taken up any 171 00:10:18,160 --> 00:10:23,520 Speaker 1: other juvenile justice cases recently? Not very recently. No. Before 172 00:10:23,559 --> 00:10:26,559 Speaker 1: this case, there was the same issue being raised in 173 00:10:26,600 --> 00:10:30,440 Speaker 1: the case of one of the DC snipers, one of 174 00:10:30,480 --> 00:10:33,760 Speaker 1: the two there, but that case wound up settling after 175 00:10:33,800 --> 00:10:36,520 Speaker 1: a change in state law, and so this case, Brett 176 00:10:36,600 --> 00:10:39,440 Speaker 1: Jones's case wound up being a replacement for that. But 177 00:10:39,480 --> 00:10:42,480 Speaker 1: we don't have anything on the horizon now. As I said, 178 00:10:42,520 --> 00:10:44,600 Speaker 1: I think we're going to be looking to the states 179 00:10:44,679 --> 00:10:48,240 Speaker 1: for upcoming action there. Thanks for being on the Bloomberg 180 00:10:48,280 --> 00:10:53,200 Speaker 1: Laws show Jordan's that's Bloomberg Law reporter Jordan Reuben. With 181 00:10:53,280 --> 00:10:56,320 Speaker 1: the nation reeling from a series of mass shootings, the 182 00:10:56,400 --> 00:10:59,160 Speaker 1: Supreme Court has decided to hear a major News Second 183 00:10:59,160 --> 00:11:02,120 Speaker 1: Amendment case involving the right to carry a handgun in 184 00:11:02,200 --> 00:11:05,400 Speaker 1: public for self defense. Joining me is Bloomberg News Supreme 185 00:11:05,400 --> 00:11:09,160 Speaker 1: Court reporter Greg Store explain what gun rights are an 186 00:11:09,200 --> 00:11:12,320 Speaker 1: issue in this case June. The Supreme Court has never 187 00:11:12,320 --> 00:11:15,520 Speaker 1: said whether the Second Amendment applies outside the home, and 188 00:11:15,960 --> 00:11:18,640 Speaker 1: in this case, that's really the core issue. New York 189 00:11:19,040 --> 00:11:22,160 Speaker 1: and about seven other states sharply restrict who can get 190 00:11:22,200 --> 00:11:26,360 Speaker 1: a license to carry a weapon handgun in public. New 191 00:11:26,400 --> 00:11:29,360 Speaker 1: York requires people to show some special need beyond that 192 00:11:29,480 --> 00:11:32,240 Speaker 1: of the average member of the public, and gun rights 193 00:11:32,240 --> 00:11:34,360 Speaker 1: groups have been trying for years to get the Supreme 194 00:11:34,360 --> 00:11:37,160 Speaker 1: Court to take up this issue and say that the 195 00:11:37,200 --> 00:11:40,520 Speaker 1: Second Amendment does apply outside the home and gives people 196 00:11:40,520 --> 00:11:44,160 Speaker 1: a right to carry handguns with them in public for 197 00:11:44,240 --> 00:11:46,360 Speaker 1: self defense purposes. And that's what the Court is going 198 00:11:46,360 --> 00:11:49,559 Speaker 1: to consider the next term. In June, the Supreme Court 199 00:11:49,600 --> 00:11:53,240 Speaker 1: refused to take up challenges to the New Jersey, Massachusetts, 200 00:11:53,240 --> 00:11:56,760 Speaker 1: and Maryland laws which are similar to New York's. So 201 00:11:56,960 --> 00:12:00,000 Speaker 1: is the difference here the fact that Justice Amy Coney 202 00:12:00,000 --> 00:12:02,760 Speaker 1: are it is now on the court. It would seem 203 00:12:02,800 --> 00:12:04,840 Speaker 1: that way certainly from the outside. Of course, we don't 204 00:12:04,840 --> 00:12:07,520 Speaker 1: know who which justice is voted to take up occasion 205 00:12:07,559 --> 00:12:10,360 Speaker 1: which justices didn't, And this is a case where lower 206 00:12:10,400 --> 00:12:13,520 Speaker 1: courts for quite a number of years have disagreed. So 207 00:12:13,760 --> 00:12:16,360 Speaker 1: a number of people, myself included, kind of expected the 208 00:12:16,360 --> 00:12:18,960 Speaker 1: Court to take up this issue a long time ago. 209 00:12:19,280 --> 00:12:21,120 Speaker 1: That said, the one thing that does seem to be 210 00:12:21,559 --> 00:12:23,960 Speaker 1: clearly different from the outside is that you do have 211 00:12:24,320 --> 00:12:28,400 Speaker 1: another conservative justice. Justice Ginsburg, of course was a dissenter 212 00:12:28,600 --> 00:12:31,720 Speaker 1: from the Court's previous gun rights decisions. Based on what 213 00:12:31,800 --> 00:12:34,720 Speaker 1: we know about Justice Barrett, there's a good chance she'll 214 00:12:34,760 --> 00:12:37,160 Speaker 1: be on the side of gun rights, so it's not 215 00:12:37,200 --> 00:12:39,880 Speaker 1: a big jump to say that she probably made the 216 00:12:39,880 --> 00:12:43,200 Speaker 1: difference here. Has there been a split among federal appeals 217 00:12:43,240 --> 00:12:46,480 Speaker 1: courts in handling this issue, There have been. Most federal 218 00:12:46,480 --> 00:12:51,360 Speaker 1: appeals courts have said that the Constitution does not protect 219 00:12:51,400 --> 00:12:53,560 Speaker 1: gun rights outside their home, or at least they've said 220 00:12:53,559 --> 00:12:56,240 Speaker 1: that these laws that restrict the ability of people to 221 00:12:56,360 --> 00:13:01,560 Speaker 1: get carry permits are constitutional. There's one federal appeals court 222 00:13:01,840 --> 00:13:04,080 Speaker 1: I believe that has gone the other way, so there 223 00:13:04,280 --> 00:13:08,160 Speaker 1: is a split on the issue. It's been the issue 224 00:13:08,240 --> 00:13:11,920 Speaker 1: that probably more than any other, gun rights advocates have 225 00:13:12,000 --> 00:13:15,199 Speaker 1: asked of Supreme Courts to take up and to really 226 00:13:15,200 --> 00:13:18,800 Speaker 1: expand the Second Amendment. In its last two gun rights 227 00:13:18,840 --> 00:13:21,920 Speaker 1: decisions in two thousand and eight and two thousand and ten, 228 00:13:22,520 --> 00:13:26,000 Speaker 1: the Court did expand gun rights. So is it likely 229 00:13:26,080 --> 00:13:29,120 Speaker 1: that the Court is taking up this case in order 230 00:13:29,160 --> 00:13:33,240 Speaker 1: to reverse New York's restrictions and expand gun rights again. 231 00:13:34,160 --> 00:13:36,840 Speaker 1: That would seem the most likely, especially given the makeup 232 00:13:36,960 --> 00:13:40,280 Speaker 1: of the court. Now that being said, there has been 233 00:13:40,320 --> 00:13:43,320 Speaker 1: something holding the court back over these last few years. 234 00:13:43,360 --> 00:13:46,280 Speaker 1: There's been some reporting that Chief Justice roberts is one 235 00:13:46,360 --> 00:13:50,400 Speaker 1: justice who is reluctant to expand the Second Amendment in 236 00:13:50,400 --> 00:13:53,880 Speaker 1: this sort of way. That said, the Conservatives don't need 237 00:13:54,000 --> 00:13:57,480 Speaker 1: him in the majority anymore. If the three Trump appointed 238 00:13:57,520 --> 00:14:02,560 Speaker 1: justices there, Kavanaugh, and gorst All agree that these people 239 00:14:02,600 --> 00:14:04,480 Speaker 1: in this case do have a right to get a 240 00:14:04,559 --> 00:14:09,359 Speaker 1: confield carry permit, then John Robertson's vote won't be necessary. 241 00:14:09,600 --> 00:14:13,520 Speaker 1: Do we know where those three justices stand on gun rights? 242 00:14:13,559 --> 00:14:16,520 Speaker 1: Have any of them dealt with gun rights issues when 243 00:14:16,520 --> 00:14:19,640 Speaker 1: they were on circuit courts. Well, we know first of 244 00:14:19,640 --> 00:14:24,320 Speaker 1: all that Kavanaugh and Corset have both expressed a desire 245 00:14:24,360 --> 00:14:27,560 Speaker 1: for the Court to take more Second Amendment cases, including 246 00:14:27,920 --> 00:14:30,920 Speaker 1: this very issue, So they had given us some indication 247 00:14:31,360 --> 00:14:34,120 Speaker 1: that they are eager to get involved, at least in 248 00:14:34,160 --> 00:14:37,880 Speaker 1: this particular issue. Justice bear It, as a lower court 249 00:14:38,120 --> 00:14:41,920 Speaker 1: judge didn't consider this precise issue, but she has handled 250 00:14:41,960 --> 00:14:46,600 Speaker 1: some other Second Amendment issues, including a case involving whether 251 00:14:46,720 --> 00:14:49,160 Speaker 1: a non violence fellone could be banned for life from 252 00:14:49,200 --> 00:14:52,960 Speaker 1: having a handgun, and she has indicated she is going 253 00:14:53,000 --> 00:14:56,320 Speaker 1: to be an advocate of Second Amendment rights. So certainly 254 00:14:56,600 --> 00:14:59,360 Speaker 1: New York has an uphill fight with this particular court. 255 00:15:00,040 --> 00:15:02,160 Speaker 1: This is going to put the justices in the middle 256 00:15:02,280 --> 00:15:06,400 Speaker 1: of one of the country's most divisive issues during a 257 00:15:06,520 --> 00:15:11,640 Speaker 1: national crisis in firearm violence. And we've talked before about 258 00:15:11,720 --> 00:15:15,280 Speaker 1: how the Court has been sort of reluctant to get 259 00:15:15,280 --> 00:15:19,040 Speaker 1: into these kinds of divisive issues at this point. So 260 00:15:19,400 --> 00:15:21,600 Speaker 1: does this look like a turning point for the court. 261 00:15:22,200 --> 00:15:24,480 Speaker 1: It might be, and of course it could also be 262 00:15:24,680 --> 00:15:26,560 Speaker 1: a one off of they felt like they just had 263 00:15:26,600 --> 00:15:29,640 Speaker 1: to take up this particular issue, but yeah, something has 264 00:15:29,640 --> 00:15:32,800 Speaker 1: been holding the court back. The court did, it's somewhat 265 00:15:32,840 --> 00:15:36,320 Speaker 1: interestingly to meet wait for several weeks to decide to 266 00:15:36,320 --> 00:15:39,200 Speaker 1: take this case up. It was relifted at their private 267 00:15:39,240 --> 00:15:42,880 Speaker 1: conference four straight times, so and then they kind of 268 00:15:42,920 --> 00:15:46,280 Speaker 1: modified the exact question about what exactly they're going to decide. 269 00:15:46,640 --> 00:15:49,600 Speaker 1: So there may have been some hesitation from within the 270 00:15:49,600 --> 00:15:52,360 Speaker 1: court about exactly how they wanted to jump in here, 271 00:15:53,000 --> 00:15:57,080 Speaker 1: but certainly given the uh, I think not exaggeration to 272 00:15:57,080 --> 00:15:59,520 Speaker 1: say dozens of cases over the years from gun Right 273 00:15:59,560 --> 00:16:01,880 Speaker 1: to Advocate that the Court has refused to take up, 274 00:16:02,160 --> 00:16:05,320 Speaker 1: this does seem like a turning point moment. So what 275 00:16:05,400 --> 00:16:08,640 Speaker 1: they're going to decide is whether a state has to 276 00:16:08,760 --> 00:16:13,840 Speaker 1: issue carry permits that's right to two typical people, people 277 00:16:13,840 --> 00:16:16,640 Speaker 1: who don't show some special need that sets them apart. 278 00:16:17,080 --> 00:16:20,920 Speaker 1: So New York does issue a very limited number of 279 00:16:21,160 --> 00:16:24,040 Speaker 1: carry permits to people who can show there is something 280 00:16:24,040 --> 00:16:27,840 Speaker 1: about their particular situation beyond just um, I live in 281 00:16:27,840 --> 00:16:31,160 Speaker 1: a dangerous neighborhood and I want to protect myself. So 282 00:16:31,440 --> 00:16:33,800 Speaker 1: it won't mean that every single person couldn't get a 283 00:16:33,840 --> 00:16:36,560 Speaker 1: carry permit states uh, No, doubt will still be able 284 00:16:36,600 --> 00:16:40,560 Speaker 1: to exclude, for example, convicted violent felons from from getting 285 00:16:40,600 --> 00:16:43,760 Speaker 1: a handgun license, and those people are actually barret under 286 00:16:43,800 --> 00:16:47,440 Speaker 1: federal law, but it would mean the average person, or 287 00:16:47,440 --> 00:16:49,960 Speaker 1: potentially could mean the average person would be able to 288 00:16:50,000 --> 00:16:52,680 Speaker 1: get a license to carry a handgun. Thanks Graig, that's 289 00:16:52,720 --> 00:16:57,560 Speaker 1: Bloomberg News. Supreme Court reporter Greg's store. A Supreme Court 290 00:16:57,600 --> 00:17:02,160 Speaker 1: case pits inventors against their former employers. The Supreme Court 291 00:17:02,200 --> 00:17:04,960 Speaker 1: is considering how to balance the rights of companies to 292 00:17:05,040 --> 00:17:08,960 Speaker 1: protect patent rights created with their resources against the ability 293 00:17:08,960 --> 00:17:12,440 Speaker 1: of inventors to move freely between employers. The Court is 294 00:17:12,480 --> 00:17:15,280 Speaker 1: reviewing a US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit 295 00:17:15,359 --> 00:17:18,399 Speaker 1: decision that the inventor of a surgical device and his 296 00:17:18,560 --> 00:17:22,760 Speaker 1: current company, Minervous Surgical, can't argue two patents on the 297 00:17:22,800 --> 00:17:26,920 Speaker 1: device are invalid to defeat infringement claims by his former employer, 298 00:17:27,160 --> 00:17:29,959 Speaker 1: Whole Logic, which now owns the rights to the inventions. 299 00:17:30,359 --> 00:17:33,280 Speaker 1: Joining me is Joseph Ray, a partner Kenobi Martin and 300 00:17:33,359 --> 00:17:37,440 Speaker 1: president of the American Intellectual Property Law Association, which submitted 301 00:17:37,440 --> 00:17:40,800 Speaker 1: an amigas brief in the case. So start by explaining 302 00:17:40,840 --> 00:17:44,280 Speaker 1: the facts here. What the issue is well, the facts 303 00:17:44,280 --> 00:17:48,640 Speaker 1: here involve the application of an ancient UH patent law 304 00:17:48,720 --> 00:17:53,080 Speaker 1: doctrine called assin or a stople and this is when 305 00:17:53,480 --> 00:17:57,600 Speaker 1: somebody cannot challenge the validity of a patent that they 306 00:17:57,720 --> 00:18:03,119 Speaker 1: previously sold for value. So in this case, the inventor 307 00:18:03,760 --> 00:18:07,720 Speaker 1: sold the patent to a subsequent company and then later 308 00:18:07,880 --> 00:18:13,560 Speaker 1: began competing with that company, and then the inventor was sued, 309 00:18:13,680 --> 00:18:17,320 Speaker 1: his company was sued for patent infringement, and the appellate 310 00:18:17,320 --> 00:18:21,840 Speaker 1: court said that the inventor could not challenge the validity 311 00:18:21,880 --> 00:18:26,000 Speaker 1: of the patent that he had previously sold. This falls 312 00:18:26,000 --> 00:18:29,240 Speaker 1: in all the other a stopples we have in the law, 313 00:18:30,240 --> 00:18:32,560 Speaker 1: and you're you're familiar with lots of a stopples. We 314 00:18:32,640 --> 00:18:35,760 Speaker 1: have traditional a stopple, we have collateral a stopple, we 315 00:18:35,800 --> 00:18:39,360 Speaker 1: have equitable a stopple. Here we're dealing with asson or 316 00:18:39,359 --> 00:18:43,720 Speaker 1: a stopple, and asson or stopple should be less of 317 00:18:43,760 --> 00:18:46,320 Speaker 1: a legal ground and more of an equitable one, and 318 00:18:46,320 --> 00:18:49,399 Speaker 1: that's what we're fighting over. The appellate court treated it 319 00:18:49,480 --> 00:18:53,280 Speaker 1: as a legal a stopple, and really I think the 320 00:18:53,359 --> 00:18:57,120 Speaker 1: court thinks that should be treated more equitably, like equitable 321 00:18:57,119 --> 00:18:59,840 Speaker 1: as stopple, and that is, let's actually look at what 322 00:18:59,880 --> 00:19:03,879 Speaker 1: the representation was, to what extent was their reliance and 323 00:19:03,960 --> 00:19:06,439 Speaker 1: treat it more like a traditionalist stop rather than a 324 00:19:06,520 --> 00:19:09,560 Speaker 1: rigid legal as stop them. Tell us a little bit 325 00:19:09,600 --> 00:19:13,800 Speaker 1: more about the facts here. The employee sells the patent 326 00:19:14,240 --> 00:19:16,720 Speaker 1: or give the rights to the patents to his employer. 327 00:19:17,200 --> 00:19:20,240 Speaker 1: Then he leaves the company and he challenges that patent 328 00:19:20,640 --> 00:19:23,880 Speaker 1: or is it more more discreet than that? Well, that's 329 00:19:23,960 --> 00:19:27,440 Speaker 1: that's close enough. What happened was there was some transfers 330 00:19:27,480 --> 00:19:31,320 Speaker 1: to subsequent companies. So the company was sold, and he 331 00:19:31,359 --> 00:19:33,919 Speaker 1: was the founder of the original company, and he was 332 00:19:34,000 --> 00:19:38,919 Speaker 1: paid and he he did receive some money for the 333 00:19:38,960 --> 00:19:42,160 Speaker 1: sale of the company as a shareholder, and then there 334 00:19:42,160 --> 00:19:46,119 Speaker 1: were successor companies. And so this rule applies to anybody 335 00:19:46,200 --> 00:19:49,639 Speaker 1: in privaty. So he obviously was in privity with the 336 00:19:49,680 --> 00:19:53,480 Speaker 1: sale of the patent initially, and so he was precluded 337 00:19:53,480 --> 00:19:56,320 Speaker 1: by the appellate court, the United States Court of Appeals 338 00:19:56,320 --> 00:19:59,200 Speaker 1: for the Federal Circuit in Washington, d c. They held 339 00:19:59,520 --> 00:20:02,239 Speaker 1: that the but these really didn't matter that since he 340 00:20:02,840 --> 00:20:06,720 Speaker 1: was the seller of the patent initially or the patent application, 341 00:20:07,119 --> 00:20:11,160 Speaker 1: he has precluded no matter what happens in subsequent prosecution 342 00:20:11,520 --> 00:20:14,720 Speaker 1: of the patent application. I think I think the the 343 00:20:14,920 --> 00:20:17,760 Speaker 1: Supreme Court will think the Appellate Court was way too 344 00:20:17,880 --> 00:20:21,480 Speaker 1: rigid in its application of the rule. They should have 345 00:20:21,560 --> 00:20:27,040 Speaker 1: considered how the invention changed over time. So remember in 346 00:20:27,160 --> 00:20:31,960 Speaker 1: patent sometimes the prosecution takes ten fifteen years before the 347 00:20:31,960 --> 00:20:35,800 Speaker 1: patent office, and so I could sell you a disclosure 348 00:20:36,000 --> 00:20:40,240 Speaker 1: on an automobile, but the ultimate claim that issues from 349 00:20:40,240 --> 00:20:43,959 Speaker 1: the patent office may happen ten fifteen years later, and 350 00:20:44,080 --> 00:20:48,160 Speaker 1: the claim may be much broader then simply the disclosure 351 00:20:48,240 --> 00:20:50,560 Speaker 1: in the patent application. So if I sell you an 352 00:20:50,560 --> 00:20:55,639 Speaker 1: application to a car, you could effectively prosecuted to have 353 00:20:55,760 --> 00:20:59,920 Speaker 1: it covered any transport mechanism, something much broader than a car. 354 00:21:00,560 --> 00:21:03,880 Speaker 1: And so that's what makes this different than real property 355 00:21:03,960 --> 00:21:08,240 Speaker 1: where the boundaries are set. Those are the facts. So now, 356 00:21:08,320 --> 00:21:11,679 Speaker 1: during the Supreme Court oral arguments, what were some of 357 00:21:11,720 --> 00:21:16,800 Speaker 1: the main concerns the justices were expressing in their questioning, Well, 358 00:21:17,119 --> 00:21:19,359 Speaker 1: there were many, and this case could be decided on 359 00:21:19,400 --> 00:21:22,680 Speaker 1: many many grounds. First of all, is it settled doctrine? 360 00:21:22,880 --> 00:21:26,000 Speaker 1: That's the first question, and there's much debate about whether 361 00:21:26,119 --> 00:21:30,400 Speaker 1: or not this doctrine still survived much tortuous case law. 362 00:21:31,040 --> 00:21:33,840 Speaker 1: The second question is is this a job for Congress? 363 00:21:34,080 --> 00:21:38,080 Speaker 1: Should this be left alone? Did Congress ever adopt or 364 00:21:38,280 --> 00:21:42,000 Speaker 1: sanction such a doctrine, and so the justices were not 365 00:21:42,240 --> 00:21:46,080 Speaker 1: sure whose role it would be to cabineist doctrine in 366 00:21:47,080 --> 00:21:50,639 Speaker 1: The third thing is also should the doctrine be curtailed? 367 00:21:51,119 --> 00:21:53,920 Speaker 1: That was the main focus of the argument. It appears 368 00:21:53,960 --> 00:21:58,320 Speaker 1: the doctrine will survive, but in a very modified scale 369 00:21:58,359 --> 00:22:02,200 Speaker 1: down version. Did so of the justices expressing opinion that 370 00:22:02,400 --> 00:22:05,200 Speaker 1: you know, why disturb this doctrine? It's been in place 371 00:22:05,280 --> 00:22:08,920 Speaker 1: for so long. Yes, the best example of that would 372 00:22:08,960 --> 00:22:13,879 Speaker 1: be Justice Kavanaugh. He specifically asked the petitioner, why should 373 00:22:13,880 --> 00:22:17,000 Speaker 1: we upset a doctrine that has been around for so long? 374 00:22:17,080 --> 00:22:20,040 Speaker 1: That's exactly what his point was. So, where do you 375 00:22:20,080 --> 00:22:24,639 Speaker 1: think the Court is going to come out? I do 376 00:22:24,800 --> 00:22:28,880 Speaker 1: think the Court will preserve the doctrine, but scale it back. 377 00:22:29,680 --> 00:22:32,880 Speaker 1: Let the court's focus on some of the key equitable 378 00:22:32,920 --> 00:22:36,880 Speaker 1: facts to show that the doctrine makes sense. The doctrine 379 00:22:36,880 --> 00:22:39,680 Speaker 1: may not make sense under the facts of this case 380 00:22:40,160 --> 00:22:44,840 Speaker 1: because the patent changed form, it did not claim the 381 00:22:44,920 --> 00:22:47,960 Speaker 1: exact same invention that was transferred at the time of 382 00:22:48,000 --> 00:22:51,439 Speaker 1: the initial assignment. And that's what makes intellectual property cases 383 00:22:51,520 --> 00:22:56,440 Speaker 1: or patent cases so difficult. The legal rights change over 384 00:22:56,520 --> 00:23:00,639 Speaker 1: time because there's continuing prosecution before the at in office, 385 00:23:00,880 --> 00:23:05,399 Speaker 1: which changes the boundaries of the patent rights. So how 386 00:23:05,440 --> 00:23:09,160 Speaker 1: would the Supreme Court then frame the ruling in order 387 00:23:09,240 --> 00:23:12,480 Speaker 1: to reach some kind of middle ground? Is this going 388 00:23:12,520 --> 00:23:15,879 Speaker 1: to be on a case by case basis, well, case 389 00:23:15,920 --> 00:23:21,000 Speaker 1: by case basis by actually looking exactly what was assigned, 390 00:23:21,520 --> 00:23:25,960 Speaker 1: What did the action or actually believe he was transferring? 391 00:23:27,119 --> 00:23:29,640 Speaker 1: That's the key fact, and that's the position the government 392 00:23:29,680 --> 00:23:33,359 Speaker 1: has taken. The government did advance a middle ground, as 393 00:23:33,400 --> 00:23:36,000 Speaker 1: did we at the a I p l A, that 394 00:23:36,440 --> 00:23:38,879 Speaker 1: you should look to the facts and actually try to 395 00:23:39,000 --> 00:23:44,159 Speaker 1: determine what did the assonaur believe he was transferring and 396 00:23:44,320 --> 00:23:47,840 Speaker 1: warranting at the time of the assignment. What's the position 397 00:23:47,880 --> 00:23:51,760 Speaker 1: of tech companies? Are they afraid that this is going to, 398 00:23:52,560 --> 00:23:57,959 Speaker 1: you know, erode their rights and intellectual properties? No? And 399 00:23:58,000 --> 00:24:00,840 Speaker 1: it's it's funny how you label tech. These tech companies 400 00:24:00,880 --> 00:24:04,480 Speaker 1: fall all over the spectrum. Many of the large tech 401 00:24:04,520 --> 00:24:10,160 Speaker 1: companies normally are defendants in patent cases. So um, they 402 00:24:10,160 --> 00:24:13,919 Speaker 1: are not as dependent on patents as smaller companies. So 403 00:24:14,040 --> 00:24:18,159 Speaker 1: really we divide uh the markets and normally by the 404 00:24:18,280 --> 00:24:21,680 Speaker 1: size of the company. Smaller companies tend to be more 405 00:24:22,200 --> 00:24:25,919 Speaker 1: dependent on the patent system than larger tech companies. Does 406 00:24:25,960 --> 00:24:31,840 Speaker 1: the Supreme Court take patent cases very often? Well, no, um, 407 00:24:31,880 --> 00:24:35,080 Speaker 1: And depends what window of time you're looking at. I 408 00:24:35,119 --> 00:24:38,199 Speaker 1: do remember in the nineties or in the eighties and nineties, 409 00:24:38,200 --> 00:24:41,720 Speaker 1: they might take one or two a decade. Now they're 410 00:24:41,720 --> 00:24:46,399 Speaker 1: taking three, four a year um. And so there the 411 00:24:46,520 --> 00:24:49,800 Speaker 1: Court is showing much more interest in patent cases because 412 00:24:49,840 --> 00:24:52,760 Speaker 1: they recognize the importance of our patent system. Thanks for 413 00:24:52,800 --> 00:24:56,159 Speaker 1: being on the Bloomberg Laws Show. That's Joseph ray, a 414 00:24:56,240 --> 00:24:59,719 Speaker 1: partner Canoby Martin and President of the American Intellectual Property 415 00:24:59,800 --> 00:25:02,399 Speaker 1: Law Association. And that's it for the edition of the 416 00:25:02,440 --> 00:25:05,240 Speaker 1: Bloomberg Law Show. Remember you can always get the latest 417 00:25:05,280 --> 00:25:07,920 Speaker 1: legal news on our Bloomberg Lawn podcast. You can find 418 00:25:07,920 --> 00:25:12,080 Speaker 1: them on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and at www dot Bloomberg 419 00:25:12,119 --> 00:25:15,720 Speaker 1: dot com, slash podcast slash Law. I'm June Grosso and 420 00:25:15,720 --> 00:25:17,040 Speaker 1: you're listening to Bloomberg