The Law Dictionary for Everyone
Following is the case brief for Wal-Mart Stores v. Dukes, 564 U.S. 338 (2011) Case Summary of Wal-Mart Stores v. Dukes: Several employees of Wal-Mart sued the company on behalf of the 1.5 million women employees, claiming gender discrimination The District Court certified the class and the Ninth Circuit affirmed. The U.S. Supreme Court reversed. It found that it was […]
Read moreFollowing is the case brief for Calder v. Bull, 3 U.S. 386 (1798) Case Summary of Calder v. Bull: A probate court denied the Bulls inheritance, allowing Calder to inherit instead. The Connecticut legislature then passed a resolution, allowing for a new probate trial and right of appeal. Calder argued that the resolution violated the Constitution’s prohibition on ex post […]
Read moreFollowing is the case brief for Illinois v. Caballes, 543 U.S. 405 (2005) Case Summary of Illinois v. Caballes: A state trooper stopped Caballes for speeding. Another trooper overheard the stop called over the radio. The second trooper went to the location of the stop with a drug-detection dog and walked the dog around Caballes’ car, while the first trooper […]
Read moreFollowing is the case brief for Montgomery v. Louisiana, 136 S. Ct. 718 (2016) Case Summary of Montgomery v. Louisiana: In 1963, 17-year-old Montgomery killed a deputy sheriff in Louisiana. He was convicted and received a mandatory life-without-parole sentence. In 2012, the Supreme Court decided Miller v. Alabama, which held that a mandatory life-without-parole sentence for a juvenile violates the […]
Read moreFollowing is the case brief for Thompson v. Oklahoma, 487 U.S. 815 (1988) Case Summary of Thompson v. Oklahoma: Petitioner Thompson was age 15 when he participated in a murder. He was tried as an adult and eventually sentenced to death. The State appeals court affirmed the conviction and sentence. The U.S. Supreme Court, however, vacated the sentence and remanded […]
Read moreFollowing is the case brief for Safford Unified School District v. Redding, 557 U.S. 364 (2009) Case Summary of Safford Unified School District v. Redding: The Safford middle school Assistant Principal suspected 13-year-old Redding of possessing pain relief pills. After searching her belongings, he directed two female school officials to strip search Redding. The search yielded no pills. Redding’s family […]
Read moreFollowing is the case brief for United States v. O’Brien, 391 U.S. 367 (1968) Case Summary of United States v. O’Brien: Respondent O’Brien burned his draft card to protest the Vietnam War. He was ultimately convicted of violating a federal law, making it a crime to “knowingly destroy” a draft card. The District Court rejected O’Brien’s argument that the law […]
Read moreFollowing is the case brief for Minnesota v. Dickerson, 508 U.S. 366 (1993) Case Summary of Minnesota v. Dickerson: Dickerson left a building known for drug trafficking and was stopped by police. The officer conducted a Terry stop and frisk. He felt a lump in Dickerson’s pocket. He manipulated the lump further in the pocket to determine that it was […]
Read moreFollowing is the case brief for Adarand Constructors, Inc. v. Pena, 515 U.S. 200 (1995) Case Summary of Adarand Constructors, Inc. v. Pena: Federal agency contracts provide a clause that gives financial incentives to contractors that hire minority-owned small businesses to do subcontracting work. It was a way to remedy the inequality that has typically favored white-owned businesses. Adarand Contractors […]
Read moreFollowing is the case brief for United States v. Butler, 297 U.S. 1 (1936) Case Summary of United States v. Butler: In 1933, Congress passed the Agricultural Adjustment Act to stabilize agricultural production in the country and help farmers in need. The Act allowed a tax on certain products so the funds could help other farmers. One farmer who was […]
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