Supreme Court developments

On Monday, the Supreme Court:

* Turned aside 5-4 an appeal by a Mexican citizen on death row who contends he and 50 other Mexicans should have their death sentences overturned because they were improperly denied legal help from their consulates.

* Ruled 6-3 the government was within its rights to force beef producers to pay for a multimillion-dollar "Beef: It's what's for dinner" marketing program.

* Ruled 7-2 it is unconstitutional to force capital murder defendants to appear before juries in chains and shackles. The ruling comes in a De Soto, Mo., murder case.

* Ruled unanimously that Hawaii did not overstep its authority when it moved to keep gasoline prices in line by imposing caps on the rent paid by dealer-run stations.

* Ruled 6-3 that states may bar a political party from opening its primary election to members of another party.

* Let stand a Louisiana court decision that threw out a $1.3 billion judgment for oystermen over a coastal restoration project. The oystermen had sued Louisiana after a freshwater diversion program destroyed their oyster beds.