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In 1975, Wisconsin Democratic Senator William Proxmire introduced what he called the “golden fleece award of the month.” It was given to governmental agencies that sponsored programs and research the Senator thought to be a waste of tax dollars. On the floor of the Senate, in conferences with his staff, and in a newsletter sent to over 100,000 of his constituents, Senator Proxmire focused on the work of behavioral scientist Ronald Hutchinson, labeling his research as “nonsense.” Mr. Hutchinson sued for libel, arguing that Senator Proxmire’s statements defamed his character and caused him financial loss.

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C‑SPAN Radio’s presents the oral argument in Dennis Lynch, Mayor of Pawtucket, Rhode Island, et al, v Daniel Donnelly, et al, a case involving the legality of some holiday decorations on town property, and the First Amendment and freedom of religion. The city of Pawtucket, Rhode Island annually erected a Christmas display on city property, in the city’s shopping district; a display that included a crèche, or Nativity scene. Respondent Daniel Donnelly and others objected to the crèche and took action against Dennis Lynch, the mayor of Pawtucket and others; the petitioners in this case.

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C‑SPAN Radio concludes its special series of Supreme Court oral arguments with “United States v. Richard Nixon,” a case involving Watergate and executive privilege. President Nixon tried to block a subpoena for the audio tapes of conversations recorded by the president in the Oval Office. He asserted that he was immune from the subpoena, claiming "executive privilege" or the right to withhold information from other government branches, in order to preserve confidential communications within the executive branch, or to secure the national interest.

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Watch a preview of this C‑SPAN interview with the newest member of the United States Supreme Court, Elena Kagan.

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In "Dollree Mapp v. the state of Ohio," she was convicted of possessing obscene materials after police conducted an admittedly illegal search of her home for a fugitive. She appealed her conviction on the basis of freedom of expression. In support of Mapp, the American Civil Liberties Union argued that the improperly obtained evidence should be barred from being introduced in state courts.

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Loving v. Virginia is the eighth case in C‑SPAN Radio's special series, this landmark case looks at the issues of interracial marriage and the Constitutional right to equal protection. The Lovings were charged with violating Virginia's "Racial Integrity Act," banning marriages between a white person and a non-white person. Though they pled guilty, the American Civil Liberties Union filed a motion on their behalf in 1963 to vacate the judgment on the grounds that the law ran counter to the Fourteenth Amendment. This set in motion a series of lawsuits which ultimately reached the U.S. Supreme Court.

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C‑SPAN Radio's special Supreme Court series is winding down, the seventh oral argument is from “Regents of the University of California v. Allan Bakke." The case questions the constitutionaliy of affirmative action and the 1960's civil rights law. Allan Bakke, a thirty-five-year-old white man, was rejected twice by the University of California Medical School at Davis. He was rejected both times. Bakke contended that he was excluded from admission solely on the basis of race as the school's policy reserved 16 of 100 places for "qualified" minorities, as part of the university's affirmative action program.

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In part two of the two part oral argument in “Jane Roe, et al v. Henry Wade,” hear the historic case that launched the legal battle on abortion and the right to privacy. Norma McCorvey hired attorneys Linda Coffee and Sarah Weddington to file a suit under the alias Jane Roe so she could obtain an abortion. The defendant in the case was Dallas County District Attorney Henry Wade.

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The Supreme Court decided 8-1 that the First Amendment gives the Westboro Baptist Church the right to hold anti-gay protests near military funerals, rendering their decision on Tuesday, March 3.

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