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WASHINGTON (AP) - A deep, sometimes bitter, split emerged between the Supreme Court's liberal and conservative justices in a 2006-07 term that brought limits on abortion rights, restrictions on school integration programs and greater freedom for political advertising.
It was a significant if unsurprising term for divining the direction of the court under Chief Justice John Roberts. It underscored the controlling influence of Justice Anthony Kennedy and also how a change of just one justice — in this case, Samuel Alito in the seat formerly held by Sandra Day O'Connor — could alter the outcome of important cases.
There also was a sharp drop in unanimous decisions, from just under half the cases a year ago to less than 40 percent in the term just ended.
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