The Law Dictionary for Everyone
Following is the case brief for West Virginia State Bd. of Educ. v. Barnette, 319 U.S. 624 (1943) Case Summary of West Virginia State Bd. of Educ. v. Barnette: The West Virginia Board of Education made saluting the flag and reciting the pledge of allegiance compulsory for all public school students. Violation of that rule could result in prosecution of […]
Read moreFollowing is the case brief for Printz v. United States, 521 U.S. 898 (1997) Case Summary of Printz v. United States: The Brady Handgun Violence Prevention Act, a federal law, called for State and local law enforcement officials to conduct background checks people seeking to buy a gun. Two law enforcement officials from Montana and Arizona challenged the law on […]
Read moreFollowing is the case brief for Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt, 136 S. Ct. 2292 (2016) Case Summary of Whole Woman’s Health v. Hellerstedt: Texas passed a law in 2013 with the clear intention of restricting abortions in the State. The Texas law placed two requirements on abortion clinics in the state – the “admitting-privileges” requirement and the “surgical-center” requirement. […]
Read moreFollowing is the case brief for Kyllo v. United States, 533 U.S. 27 (2001) Case Summary of Kyllo v. United States: Federal agents used a thermal imaging device outside of Kyllo’s home, suspecting that Kyllo was growing marijuana in his home, which requires use of heat lamps. The device indicated that more heat was emanating from Kyllo’s residence than from […]
Read moreFollowing is the case brief for McCleskey v. Kemp, 481 U.S. 279 (1987) Case Summary of McCleskey v. Kemp: Petitioner, an African-American man, was convicted in Georgia for murdering a white police officer and was sentenced to death. Seeking habeas corpus relief in federal district court, petitioner claimed that his death sentence was unconstitutional based on statistical study showing that […]
Read moreFollowing is the case brief for Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc., 134 S. Ct. 2751 (2014) Case Summary of Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc.: Several for-profit, closely held companies, including Hobby Lobby, complained that the ACA’s requirement that for-profit employers provide insurance for contraceptives for their female employees infringed on their companies’ First Amendment right of the free […]
Read moreFollowing is the case brief for Reynolds v. Sims, 377 U.S. 533 (1964) Case Summary of Reynolds v. Sims: Voters in several Alabama counties sought a declaration that the State’s legislature did not provide equal representation of all Alabama citizens. The federal district court, unsatisfied with Alabama’s proposals to remedy the representation problem, ordered temporary reapportionment for the 1962 general […]
Read moreFollowing is the case brief for Fletcher v. Peck, 10 U.S. (6 Cranch) 87 (1810) Case Summary of Fletcher v. Peck: The Georgia state legislature conveyed land to four companies in 1795. A year later, a newly elected legislature declared that the land conveyance was invalid. Peck, who acquired part of the conveyed land before the conveyance was declared invalid, […]
Read moreFollowing is the case brief for Hernandez v. Texas, 347 U.S. 475 (1954) Case Summary of Hernandez v. Texas: Hernandez was indicted for murder by a grand jury, and he was ultimately convicted and sentenced to life in prison. He moved to quash his indictment and trial jury panel, alleging that the county that charged him systematically excluded Mexicans from […]
Read moreFollowing is the case brief for Shelby County v. Holder, 133 S. Ct. 2612 (2013) Case Summary of Shelby County v. Holder: Section 4(b) of the Voting Rights Act has a formula to identify any State or political subdivision that maintained tests or devices to suppress the minority vote as a “covered jurisdiction,” which under Section 5 of the Act […]
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