From his appointment by President Gerald Ford in 1975 through his retirement in June 2010, he shaped decisions that touched countless aspects of American life.

The 5-4 decision fulfills a longtime wish of conservatives to get rid of the so-called fair share fees that non-members pay to unions in roughly two dozen states. The court ruled that the laws violate the First Amendment by compelling workers to support unions they may disagree with.

The Supreme Court says a California law that forces anti-abortion crisis pregnancy centers to provide information about abortion probably violates the Constitution. The 5-4 ruling Tuesday also casts doubts on similar laws in Hawaii and Illinois.

The outcome of the court case could make it easier to use state money to pay for private, religious schooling in many states.

The justices voted 5-3 in the court's biggest abortion case in nearly a quarter century.

The justices' one-sentence opinion on Thursday effectively kills the plan for the rest of Obama's presidency.

A divided Supreme Court bolstered police powers on Monday, ruling that evidence of a crime in some cases may be used against a defendant even if the police did something wrong or illegal in obtaining it.The 5-3 decision drew heated dissents from liberal justices who warned that the ou

The four liberal justices seem likely to vote to uphold the accommodation offered to faith-based colleges, charities and advocacy groups.

Antonin Scalia, the influential conservative and most provocative member of the Supreme Court, has died. He was 79.The U.S. Marshals Service in Washington confirmed Scalia's death at a private residence in the Big Bend area of West Texas. Spokeswoman Donna Sellers said Scalia had retired the pre