Key Cases on a Busy Calendar

The following are some important cases on the Supreme Court docket this term:

FCC v. Fox Television Stations: In the "fleeting expletives" case, the court will consider whether the Federal Communications Commission followed the law in adopting a policy that even a one-time utterance of an obscenity on radio or television during daytime or early morning hours can be punished. The issue arose after singer Cher and celebrity Nicole Richie used variations of a four-letter vulgarity during live award shows.

Wyeth v. Levine: The case of a woman who sued the mammoth pharmaceutical company after her forearm was amputated because of complications suffered from an anti-nausea drug. Wyeth, supported by other drug companies, says that it should be shielded from state court lawsuits and that federally regulated warning labels should preempt state standards.

Altria Group v. Good: The court will examine whether tobacco companies can be sued for allegedly deceptive advertising of "light" cigarettes.

Winter v. Natural Resources Defense Council : A dispute over whether the Navy's use of sonar in training exercises off the Southern California coast endangers whales and other marine mammals. The government argues that the exercises are essential for national security, but wildlife groups are concerned about the impact on marine life and implications for environmental litigation.

Pleasant Grove City v. Summum: A city in Utah displayed a Ten Commandments monument in a public park but refused a request by the religious group Summum to erect its "Seven Aphorisms" -- words it contends were also handed down from God to Moses. The court will evaluate whether the city's acceptance of a donated monument obligates it to accept others under the First Amendment.

Crawford v. Nashville and Davidson County: A Nashville government worker says she was fired in retaliation for cooperating in a sexual harassment investigation of her boss. The court will decide whether she is protected under federal law. The Bush administration has filed a brief in support of the plaintiff.

Ashcroft v. Iqbal: The government's domestic crackdown after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks is at issue as the justices consider whether John D. Ashcroft, who was attorney general at the time, and Bush administration officials are protected from a lawsuit filed by a Pakistani man. Javaid Iqbal contends that his treatment at a federal detention center in New York City resulted from unlawful racial and religious discrimination.

Bartlett v. Strickland: The court will evaluate whether a minority group that constitutes less than half the population of a legislative district can claim the protection of a section of the Voting Rights Act. The issue could affect the redrawing of legislative boundaries after the 2010 Census.

-- Jerry Markon