After the Senate confirmed him 50-48, Brett Kavanaugh was sworn in as the 114th Supreme Court justice. He starts at the Supreme Court tomorrow and his first cases will include immigration, firearms, and asbestos exposure. Kavanaugh will not vote in a few cases which were heard last week before his confirmation.
Here’s a look at the first cases Kavanaugh will hear once he’s sworn in:
• Tuesday will feature a 1984 federal law that has been before the Supreme Court often: the Armed Career Criminal Act, which sets a 15-year minimum sentence for crimes involving firearms if the offender has three prior serious or violent felony convictions. Questions arise continually regarding what crimes are “serious” or “violent.”
• On Wednesday, the justices will consider another question they’ve heard before: which undocumented immigrants can be detained during deportation proceedings? The case involves an immigrant with a prior criminal record, but who no longer is in custody.
• Also Wednesday, the court will hear a case filed by Navy sailors seeking to recover damages for injuries caused by asbestos exposure. The companies being sued manufactured the equipment, but the asbestos was added later by companies that are now bankrupt.