Court Review: Volume 39, Issue 1 - Recent Criminal Decisions of the United States Supreme Court: The 2001-2002 Term

The United States Supreme Court’s 2001-2002 term at least gave the appearance of a more unified Supreme Court— at least when compared to the previous term, which was marked by an overwhelming number of 5-4 decisions—and featured several unanimous or near unanimous decisions. Specifically in the Fourth Amendment area, but also in other cases, the Court seemed at times to break free from the typical conservative-liberal divide that was so salient a year ago. This term, the Court confronted significant issues regarding the increased susceptibility to searches and seizures of bus passengers, students, and probationers; the death penalty and its limitations; the assistance of counsel in minor criminal cases; the constitutionally required roles of the judge and jury in criminal cases; and further interpretation of the Anti-terrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act.