Justices act on tea rite, voting map, patent case

Among their rulings yesterday, Supreme Court justices:

Ruled 8-0 that a small branch of a South American religious sect may use hallucinogenic tea as part of a ritual intended to connect with God.

Added time to the March 28 argument of a case challenging the Bush administration's plans for military tribunals. The court will hear 90 minutes, instead of the usual hour, and decide later whether the case is affected by a new law that limits the legal rights of foreign detainees.

Unanimously overturned an appeals court decision that said the white manager of a chicken plant could not be sued for calling black employees ''boys."

Agreed to hear an appeal from a convicted child molester who is challenging a provision in California's sentencing system that allows judges to use facts not presented to juries to impose longer sentences.

Turned down an appeal from Pennsylvania that sought to overturn an appeals court ruling by the court's new member, Samuel Alito, that overturned inmate Antuan Bronshtein's death sentence.

Said they would decide whether companies in patent disputes must refuse to pay royalties in order to protect their rights to file a lawsuit challenging a patent's legitimacy.

Agreed to weigh in on a dispute between providers of pay phone services and long distance carriers over compensation when consumers dial toll-free numbers.

Heard arguments from Maine and Michigan in cases that test the Clean Water Act.

Revived an attempt by Colorado Republicans to block a congressional election map.

Declined to review an appeal filed by former collegiate journalists at Governors State University, a public college in Illinois, over free-speech rights.

Refused an appeal by two tobacco companies that asserted California's tough antismoking ads smeared their reputations.