Supreme Court Limits SEC and Marriage Rights

In a landmark decision, the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that the SEC must bring cases seeking civil penalties for securities fraud to federal court for a jury trial, invoking the Seventh Amendment. Justice Sonia Sotomayor, in a strong dissent joined by Justices Elena Kagan and Ketanji Brown Jackson, criticized the majority for disrupting the balance of powers and ignoring precedent. This ruling dismantles part of the Dodd-Frank Act, which allowed SEC administrative proceedings for such penalties. In another 6-3 decision, the Court ruled that U.S. citizens do not have a fundamental liberty interest in their noncitizen spouses being admitted to the country, sparking further dissent from Sotomayor who warned of threats to marriage rights. Sotomayor's dissent in both cases underscores a growing ideological rift within the Court, highlighting concerns over individual rights and separation of powers.