The Supreme Court in the United States of America has upheld the Ethic laws. It has reversed the ruling of Nevada High Court ruling on the same matter. The ruling by the Supreme Court means that the members of legislative houses in the country do not have the free right to vote on matters that are having a conflict of interest. In a unanimous decision the court uphold that the first amendment does not cover the legislator that is charged on ethic violation.

The court had ruled in the past that the constitution empowered the legislators with the power to speak freely but excluded the right to vote on matters that have conflict of interest. The court maintained that the right to vote in the legislative houses is a right the legislators are exercise for the people they are representing and not their private right.

This matter arose in the state of Nevada when Michael Carrigan who is a local legislator from Sparks was censored by the Ethics Commission of Nevada for casting a vote in the legislature in favor of hotel and casino project that is said to be owned by his campaign manager. The angle which the commission charged Carrigan is that he violated the state ethic laws adding that the law has required him from voting on the matter because he has a very close relationship with his campaign manager.