The Law Dictionary for Everyone
Following is the case brief for Yates v. United States, 354 U.S. 298 (1957) Case Summary of Yates v. United States: A group of petitioners were indicted under the Smith Act, which makes it a crime to advocate and teach the violent overthrow of the U.S. Government. In this case, petitioners were accused of recruiting members to the Communist party […]
Read moreFollowing is the case brief for Munn v. Illinois, 94 U.S. 113 (1876) Case Summary of Munn v. Illinois: The State of Illinois passed legislation to regulate the warehousing and inspection of grain. Petitioners were charged and convicted criminally for violating Illinois’ regulations. The Illinois Supreme Court affirmed the convictions. Petitioners appealed, alleging that the regulations violated the Fourteenth Amendment […]
Read moreFollowing is the case brief for United States v. Miller, 307 U.S. 174 (1939) Case Summary of United States v. Miller: Respondent Miller was charged criminally for transporting a sawed-off 12-gauge shotgun in interstate commerce. The district court dismissed the charges as in violation of the Second Amendment. The U.S. Supreme Court reversed. It held that the Second Amendment does […]
Read moreFollowing is the case brief for Dennis v. United States, 341 U.S. 494 (1951) Case Summary of Dennis v. United States: Petitioners were charged and convicted under the Smith Act for advocating the overthrow of the Government by force or violence. Petitioners were organizing meetings of Communist members. Petitioners challenged the Smith Act on First Amendment grounds. The Court of […]
Read moreFollowing is the case brief for Mathews v. Eldridge, 424 U.S. 319 (1976) Case Summary of Mathews v. Eldridge: Respondent Eldridge, who was receiving Social Security disability benefits, was notified that his disability benefits would be terminated based on his answers to a questionnaire and his medical records. Eldridge then sued in federal court, alleging that due process requires an […]
Read moreFollowing is the case brief for New York v. Quarles, 467 U.S. 649 (1984) Case Summary of New York v. Quarles: After officers received a description of an assailant, one officer followed the suspect into a supermarket. Spotting respondent Quarles (the suspect), the officer ordered him to stop. The officer frisked Quarles and discovered that he was wearing an empty […]
Read moreFollowing is the case brief for San Antonio Indep. Sch. Dist. v. Rodriguez, 411 U.S. 1 (1973) Case Summary of San Antonio Indep. Sch. Dist. v. Rodriguez: Texas’ system for funding schools depended, in part, on local property taxes. As a result, the wealthier districts had greater per-pupil expenditures for their students. In response to an equal protection challenge, the […]
Read moreFollowing is the case brief for Zivotofsky v. Kerry, 576 U.S. 1059 (2015) Case Summary of Zivotofsky v. Kerry: Petitioner’s family wanted their son, born of U.S. citizens in Jerusalem, to have “Israel” listed as his birthplace on his passport, in accordance with § 214(d) of the Foreign Relations Authorization Act. The American Embassy refused, based on the Executive Branch’s […]
Read moreFollowing is the case brief for Pena-Rodriguez v. Colorado, 137 S. Ct. 855 (2017) Case Summary of Pena-Rodriguez v. Colorado: Petitioner Pena-Rodriguez was convicted of harassment and unlawful sexual contact by a Colorado jury. After the jury was dismissed, two jurors informed defense counsel that another juror had a racial bias against petitioner and his alibi witness, who was also […]
Read moreFollowing is the case brief for Gertz v. Robert Welch, Inc., 418 U.S. 323 (1974) Case Summary of Gertz v. Robert Welch, Inc.: A Chicago police officer killed someone, and the victim’s family sued in civil court. The family hired Gertz as their lawyer. A magazine published false statements about Gertz, including calling him a “communist” for representing the family […]
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