The Law Dictionary for Everyone
Following is the case brief for Nelson v. Colorado, 137 S. Ct. 1249 (2017) Case Summary of Nelson v. Colorado: Petitioners Nelson and Madden were convicted in Colorado court, in separate cases, on sexual assault charges. Their convictions were subsequently overturned. They then sought a refund of the fees and costs they paid to the State in connection with their […]
Read moreFollowing is the case brief for Ford v. Wainwright, 477 U.S. 399 (1986) Case Summary of Ford v. Wainwright: Petitioner Ford was convicted of murder and sentenced to death. Following his sentence, Ford began to act in manner consistent with a serious mental disorder. Ford then went through Florida’s procedure on determining the competency of a condemned prisoner, whereby three […]
Read moreFollowing is the case brief for Cruzan v. Director, Missouri Dept. of Health, 497 U.S. 261 (1990) Case Summary of Cruzan v. Director, Missouri Dept. of Health: Nancy Cruzan was in a car accident that resulted in her being in a constant vegetative state, needing artificial means to remain alive. The hospital refused to remove Cruzan’s life support at the […]
Read moreFollowing is the case brief for Buck v. Bell, 274 U.S. 200 (1927) Case Summary of Buck v. Bell: A Virginia statute allowed for the forced sterilization of “feeble minded” people to protect the “health of the state.” Carrie Buck, who was mentally disabled, as was her mother and daughter, was ordered to be sterilized pursuant to the statute. Buck […]
Read moreFollowing is the case brief for McKeiver v. Pennsylvania, 403 U.S. 528 (1971) Case Summary of McKeiver v. Pennsylvania: A number of juveniles in Pennsylvania and North Carolina were adjudicated delinquent on charges that would be criminal offenses if committed by an adult. The courts in all of the cases denied the juveniles a jury trial. The Supreme Courts of […]
Read moreFollowing is the case brief for Hirabayashi v. United States, 320 U.S. 81 (1943) Case Summary of Hirabayashi v. United States: Following the attack on Pearl Harbor, President Roosevelt ordered that curfews and relocation be ordered for Japanese-Americans on the West Coast. The orders, which were quickly enacted into law, were meant to protect the country from sabotage and espionage […]
Read moreFollowing is the case brief for Sheppard v. Maxwell, 384 U.S. 333 (1966) Case Summary of Sheppard v. Maxwell: Sheppard was accused of killing his pregnant wife. He maintained his innocence, but the case became very highly publicized, clearly characterizing Sheppard as the killer. The publicity was so intense, in fact, that numerous incriminating stories were written about it, and […]
Read moreFollowing is the case brief for Murr v. Wisconsin, 137 S. Ct. 1933 (2017) Case Summary of Murr v. Wisconsin: Petitioners received two adjacent lots of land from their parents at two different times. They wanted to sell one lot, but a Wisconsin regulation prohibited the sale of the one lot. That was because the lot was adjacent to the […]
Read moreFollowing is the case brief for Washington v. Davis, 426 U.S. 229 (1976) Case Summary of Washington v. Davis: Four times as many African-Americans failed a District of Columbia Police Department officer-qualifying test compared to whites. Two African-Americans who failed the test sued in federal court, claiming that the test violated the Due Process Clause of the Fifth Amendment. The […]
Read moreFollowing is the case brief for West Coast Hotel Co. v. Parrish, 300 U.S. 379 (1937) Case Summary of West Coast Hotel Co. v. Parrish: The State of Washington passed a minimum wage law for women (and minors). Elsie Parrish worked as a housekeeper in the West Coast Hotel. The Hotel did not pay Parrish the statutory minimum wage. Parrish […]
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