Per SCOTUSblog, the Supreme Court has just issued opinions in two of the much-watched cases of the term. I may have more later, but here’s the quick bottom-line:

In Graham v. Florida, the Court ruled by a 6-3 vote that it is unconstitutional to sentence a juvenile offender to life in prison without parole for a crime that does not involve murder. Justice Kennedy wrote the 5-justice majority opinion (which was joined by Stevens, Ginsburg, Breyer, and Sotomayor). The Chief wrote an opinion concurring in the judgment. Justice Thomas wrote a dissent, joined by Justice Scalia and in part by Justice Alito. Justice Alito also wrote a dissent. (In Sullivan v. Florida, a companion case of sorts, the Court dismissed the writ as improvidently granted—which evidently means that the rationale of Graham disposes of Sullivan.)

In United States v. Comstock, the Court ruled by a 7-2 vote that Congress had the constitutional power to enact a federal civil-commitment program under which the Department of Justice may detain a mentally ill, sexually dangerous federal prisoner beyond the date the prisoner would otherwise be released. Justice Breyer wrote the 5-justice majority opinion (joined by the Chief, Stevens, Ginsburg, and Sotomayor). Justice Kennedy and Justice Alito each filed opinions concurring in the judgment. And Justice Thomas wrote a dissent, joined in large part by Justice Scalia.

There was also a 6-3 ruling in Abbott v. Abbott, which involves a parental right of custody under an international convention.