U.S. Supreme Court Notebook

U.S. Supreme Court won't hear appeal over airport runway HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) - The U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear Connecticut's appeal of a ruling that overturned a state law limiting the length of Tweed-New Haven Airport's main runway, handing the small airport a victory in its attempts to expand airline service. The justices gave no reason Monday for the decision, under their normal practice. A three-judge panel of the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New York ruled in July that the 2009 state law is pre-empted by federal aviation law, overturning a 2017 ruling by a federal magistrate judge in Hartford who upheld the state law. Officials at the public airport argued the state law that limited the main runway to its current 5,600 feet (1,707 meters) has prevented the airport from drawing more commercial airlines and flights, because the runway is too short for most commercial planes to take off. The runway is one of the shortest commercial airport runways in the country. Officials have proposed lengthening Runway 2/20 to about 7,200 feet (2,195 meters) on existing airport property. At Tweed, American Airlines currently offers daily flights to and from Philadelphia and weekly flights to and from Charlotte, North Carolina. "After ten years of limitations, Tweed-New Haven Airport is finally free to pursue expanding our runway within our existing property lines and to meet the growing demand for more frequent air service in southern Connecticut," Sean Scanlon, the airport's executive director, said in a written statement. "We are very excited about what this will mean in terms of new air service in New Haven and to our local economy and we look forward to working with all local stakeholders including our neighbors to determine how best to move forward now that this case is finally over," he said. A message seeking comment was left for state Attorney General William Tong's office, which had defended the state law. In 2002, the state and the Federal Aviation Administration approved a master plan for Tweed that included extending the main runway to 7,200 feet. The 2009 state law was passed as part of a large state budget bill - without a public hearing - as New Haven-area lawmakers said they were concerned a longer runway and more air traffic at Tweed would harm nearby residents' quality of life and the environment. New Haven officials and area business leaders had praised the decision by the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, saying area residents deserve better airline services. Many of the region's residents travel out of either Bradley International Airport north of Hartford or the airports in New York and New Jersey. Tweed-New Haven Airport lies in both New Haven and East Haven along Long Island Sound and is run by an airport authority appointed by mayors of both municipalities. High court won't hear case of Arizona man freed from prison WASHINGTON (AP) - The Supreme Court is leaving in place a decision that a man freed after more than 40 years in prison can't sue for damages. The high court on Monday turned away a lawsuit by Louis Taylor. Taylor was convicted of starting a 1970 fire at the Pioneer Hotel in Tucson, Arizona, that killed nearly 30 people. He was serving a life sentence when he was freed in 2013 after an expert determined the fire was not arson, a finding the government disputed. In order to be released, Taylor entered a no contest plea to the original charges against him. Lower courts ruled that because of the no contest plea Taylor could not sue for damages. As is usual, the Supreme Court did not comment in turning away the case. The high court announced its decision not to hear the case and many others in an order posted online. The court previously postponed arguments that had been scheduled for this week and next because of the coronavirus and closed the Supreme Court to the public. Supreme Court rules states can bar insanity defense WASHINGTON (AP) - The Supreme Court ruled Monday that states can prevent criminal defendants from pleading insanity without violating their constitutional rights. The decision could prompt states across the country to toughen standards for defendants who wish to plead not guilty by reason of insanity. The justices' 6-3 decision came in a case from Kansas, where James Kraig Kahler was sentenced to death for killing his estranged wife, two teenage daughters and his wife's grandmother. Kahler wanted to mount an insanity defense, but Kansas is one of four states that eliminated a defendant's ability to plead not guilty by reason of insanity. Idaho, Montana and Utah are the others. Alaska also limits the insanity defense. Justice Elena Kagan wrote for the court that "Kansas takes account of mental health at both trial and sentencing. It has just not adopted the particular insanity defense Kahler would like. That choice is for Kansas to make - and, if it wishes, to remake and remake again as the future unfolds," Kagan wrote in upholding a ruling from the Kansas Supreme Court. Kagan's three liberal colleagues dissented. Kansas "has eliminated the core of a defense that has existed for centuries: that the defendant, due to mental illness, lacked the mental capacity necessary for his conduct to be considered morally blameworthy," Justice Stephen Breyer wrote for himself and Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sonia Sotomayor. Published: Tue, Mar 24, 2020