The Law Dictionary for Everyone
Following is the case brief for McCleskey v. Kemp, 481 U.S. 279 (1987) Case Summary of McCleskey v. Kemp: Petitioner, an African-American man, was convicted in Georgia for murdering a white police officer and was sentenced to death. Seeking habeas corpus relief in federal district court, petitioner claimed that his death sentence was unconstitutional based on statistical study showing that […]
Read moreFollowing is the case brief for Hernandez v. Texas, 347 U.S. 475 (1954) Case Summary of Hernandez v. Texas: Hernandez was indicted for murder by a grand jury, and he was ultimately convicted and sentenced to life in prison. He moved to quash his indictment and trial jury panel, alleging that the county that charged him systematically excluded Mexicans from […]
Read moreFollowing is the case brief for Sweatt v. Painter, 339 U.S. 629 (1950) Case Summary of Sweatt v. Painter: An African-American law school applicant was denied admission into the University of Texas Law School solely because of his race. Upon suit filed by the applicant, the university tried to set up a separate facility for African-American law students. The Texas […]
Read moreFollowing is the case brief for Loving v. Virginia, 388 U.S. 1 (1967) Case Summary of Loving v. Virginia: The State of Virginia had a law forbidding interracial marriages. An interracial couple from Virginia, the Lovings, married in Washington D.C. to avoid the Virginia law, but later settled in Virginia. When caught living together in Virginia, the couple was convicted […]
Read moreFollowing is the case brief for Obergefell v. Hodges, 135 S. Ct. 2534 (2015) Case Summary of Obergefell v. Hodges: Petitioners, a number of same-sex couples, sued four states that denied marriage licenses to those couples because those states defined marriage as being a union between one man and one woman. Petitioners won in all of the federal district courts […]
Read moreFollowing is the case brief for Rakas v. Illinois, 439 U.S. 128 (1978) Case Summary of Rakas v. Illinois: Police stopped a car after receiving a radio call that it may have been involved in a robbery. The officer searched the car after having petitioners, who were passengers in the car, step out. Evidence of the robbery was found in […]
Read moreFollowing is the case brief for Nebbia v. New York, 291 U.S. 502 (1934) Case Summary of Nebbia v. New York: The New York Legislature created a Milk Control Board, which had the power to fix milk prices to help milk farmers make a living during the Great Depression. Nebbia, a store owner, sold milk at a price lower than […]
Read moreFollowing is the case brief for Mincey v. Arizona, 437 U.S. 385 (1978) Case Summary of Mincey v. Arizona: An undercover police officer and petitioner Mincey were shot during a drug bust. Mincey was tried and convicted of murder, assault, and drug offenses. Mincey’s motions to suppress the fruits of a four-day search of his home, and his statements while […]
Read moreFollowing is the case brief for Hurtado v. California, 110 U.S. 516 (1884) Case Summary of Hurtado v. California: The law of California allows for accusation by information to begin a criminal case, in addition to indictment by grand jury. Hurtado was accused by information of murder. He was subsequently tried and found guilty of murder. Hurtado claimed that his […]
Read moreFollowing is the case brief for Hess v. Pawloski, 274 U.S. 352 (1927) Case Summary of Hess v. Pawloski: Hess, a Pennsylvania resident, caused a car accident with Pawloski on a Massachusetts highway, injuring Pawloski. Pawloski sued Hess in Massachusetts court. Pawloski served process on Hess in accordance with Massachusetts statute, which requires service on the Massachusetts registrar of motor […]
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