Court Boosts Civil Rights Law for Disabled ; by Ruling in Favor of a Paraplegic Who Crawled Up to a Second-Floor Courtroom, Justices Signal Possible Shift Away from States' Rights

Warren Richey writer of The Christian Science Monitor, The Christian Science Monitor

The US Supreme Court has upheld the right of disabled individuals to sue states for equal access to public services and facilities.

In a major 5-to-4 decision announced Monday, the nation's highest court ruled that Congress acted within its authority when it made states liable in federal court for failing to comply with the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA).

The ruling marks an important exception to the high court's recent federalism precedents, with a majority of justices upholding the portion of the disabilities law that empowers individuals to sue states for noncompliance with the landmark civil rights statute.

The decision comes in a Tennessee case …

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Publication information: Article title: Court Boosts Civil Rights Law for Disabled ; by Ruling in Favor of a Paraplegic Who Crawled Up to a Second-Floor Courtroom, Justices Signal Possible Shift Away from States' Rights. Contributors: Warren Richey writer of The Christian Science Monitor - Author. Newspaper title: The Christian Science Monitor. Publication date: May 18, 2004. Page number: 1. © 2009 The Christian Science Publishing Society. Provided by ProQuest LLC. All Rights Reserved.

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