The Law Dictionary for Everyone
Following 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 moreThe term “constitutional convention,” also known as the “Philadelphia Convention,” refers to the gathering of a group of purpose for the purpose of either drafting a new constitution or editing an existing one. For example, a constitutional convention gathered in May and September of 1787 to discuss the creation of a constitution to cure the government’s weaknesses. As a result, […]
Read moreThe Foraker Act is a law that allowed the U.S. to establish a form of government in Puerto Rico. For example, the Foraker Act allowed the President of the United States to establish a government, consisting of 11 members and a governor, on the island of Puerto Rico. The Foraker Act passed after the U.S. took possession of Puerto Rico […]
Read moreThe term “judicial branch” refers to the branch of the U.S. government responsible for interpreting and applying existing laws to the cases that come before it. For example, the judicial branch decides everything from criminal and civil cases and applies the laws of the jurisdiction, as well as the Constitution to them. The most important arm of this important branch […]
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 […]
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