This just in from the One First Street, N.E., front: The Supreme Court has released its opinions in Exxon v. Baker, the punitive damages case, and Kennedy v. Louisiana, the case regarding the constitutionality of capital punishment for non-homicide child-rape.

In Exxon, eight justices concurred in a decision to remand and vacate the award (Alito did not participate). Scotus blog's Tom Goldstein writes that the Court divided equally on whether maritime law permits punitives for the acts of agents. The Court deemed the punitives...