The Law Dictionary for Everyone
Following is the case brief for NFIB v. Sebelius, 132 S. Ct. 2566 (2012). Case Summary of NFIB v. Sebelius: Petitioners challenged the constitutionality of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA). Petitioners found fault with the ACA’s “individual mandate” (requiring people to obtain minimum health coverage), and “Medicaid expansion” (requiring States to cover more individuals under Medicaid). The Eleventh […]
Read moreFollowing is the case brief for Tennessee v. Garner, 471 U.S. 1 (1985). Case Summary of Tennessee v. Garner: Police officer shot and killed an unarmed fleeing suspect – Garner. Garner’s family sued, alleging that Garner’s constitutional rights were violated. The District Court found no constitutional violation. The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals reversed. The U.S. Supreme Court held that deadly […]
Read moreFollowing is the case brief for Katz v. United States, 389 U.S. 347 (1967). Case Summary of Katz v. United States: The FBI, using a device attached to the outside of a telephone booth, recorded petitioner’s phone conversations while in the enclosed booth. Petitioner was subsequently convicted of making wagering calls in violation of federal law. The FBI’s recordings were used as […]
Read moreFollowing is the case brief for Hamdi v. Rumsfeld, 542 U.S. 507 (2004). Case Summary of Hamdi v. Rumsfeld: Hamdi, a U.S. citizen, was captured in Afghanistan while presumably fighting for the Taliban. The U.S. Government detained him as an “enemy combatant.” Hamdi was indefinitely detained in the U.S. without charges and without access to legal counsel. The District Court hearing […]
Read moreFollowing is the case brief for Grutter v. Bollinger, 539 U.S. 306 (2003). Case Summary of Grutter v. Bollinger: The University of Michigan Law School denied Barbara Grutter’s application to the School. Grutter, a white Michigan resident, then sued the Law School. Grutter claimed that the Law School’s use of affirmative action in its admissions policy violated her Equal Protection rights […]
Read moreFollowing is the case brief for Berghuis v. Thompkins, 560 U.S. 370 (2010). Case Summary of Berghuis v. Thompkins Thompkins was suspected of shooting someone. He was interrogated by police after being advised of his Miranda warnings. He remained largely silent but implicated himself in the killing at the end of the lengthy interrogation. The trial court denied a motion to suppress the […]
Read moreFollowing is the case brief for Graham v. Connor, 490 U.S. 386 (1989). Case Summary of Graham v. Connor Petitioner Graham had an oncoming insulin reaction because of his diabetes. Respondent Connor and other respondent police officers perceived his behavior as suspicious. In conducting an investigatory stop, the officers inflicted multiple injuries on Graham. The lower courts used a “substantive […]
Read moreA whistleblower is an employee who notices and reports wrongdoing within his company or organization, which could negatively affect the public as a whole. Whistleblowers are protected under the law. This means that whistleblowers should not have to fear retribution, such as the loss of their jobs, simply because they “blew the whistle,” speaking up against unlawful acts. To explore […]
Read moreSomeone’s nationality is their legal relationship to a particular country, in which a person is either born, or because his or her parents are citizens of that country. It is the country that has jurisdiction over that person, the country that is legally responsible for protecting him or her for as long as he or she remains under its jurisdiction. […]
Read moreThe term laissez faire refers to an economic system wherein the government takes a “hands-off” approach to transactions by and between private parties. The term literally translates to mean “let go” or “allow to act.” The idea is that, in such an economic system, free enterprise will regulate itself, as if one party offers a product that is of low […]
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