The Law Dictionary for Everyone
The 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 […]
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 […]
Read moreThe term “freedom of assembly” refers to the right of the people to peacefully organize without having to fear government interference. For example, freedom of assembly refers to an individual’s right to join a protest without having to fear the government shutting the protest down. The First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution protects individuals who wish to assemble in order […]
Read moreFollowing is the case brief for Town of Greece v. Galloway, 134 U.S. 1811 (2014) Case Summary of Town of Greece v. Galloway: The Town of Greece, for over a decade, began its town hall meetings with a prayer. The prayers, given by someone from a house of worship in the town, were virtually always Christian prayers. Citizens of the […]
Read moreFollowing is the case brief for Stanford v. Kentucky, 492 U.S. 361 (1989) Case Summary of Stanford v. Kentucky: Kevin Sanford, 17, committed a horrible rape and murder in Kentucky. Heath Wilkins, 16, committed a similarly horrible murder in Missouri. Both individuals were sentenced to death. The Kentucky and Missouri Supreme Courts affirmed the death penalty in their respective cases. […]
Read moreFollowing is the case brief for McCullen v. Coakley, 134 S. Ct. 2518 (2014) Case Summary of McCullen v. Coakley: Massachusetts law made it a crime to stand within 35 feet of an abortion clinic, unless you were an employee. Petitioners are people who approach women outside clinics, trying to dissuade them from having abortions. The law prevents them from […]
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