Cantwell v. Connecticut

Following is the case brief for Cantwell v. Connecticut, 310 U.S. 296 (1940) Case Summary of Cantwell v. Connecticut: A man and his two sons, who were all Jehovah’s Witnesses, were going door to door in a predominantly Catholic neighborhood, asking people to hear recordings about their religion.  Their preaching offended some listeners. The State charged, and ultimately convicted, them […]

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Wolf v. Colorado

Following is the case brief for Wolf v. Colorado, 338 U.S. 25 (1949) Case Summary of Wolf v. Colorado: In two Colorado prosecutions for state crimes, evidence against the defendants was allowed at trial even though it was obtained through an unlawful search and seizure in violation of the Fourth Amendment. The convictions were affirmed by the Colorado Supreme Court. […]

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McDonald v. Chicago

Following is the case brief for McDonald v. Chicago, 561 U.S. 742 (2010) Case Summary of McDonald v. Chicago: Chicago residents, concerned about their own safety, challenged the City of Chicago’s handgun ban. Building on the Court’s recent decision in Heller, the petitioners sought to have the Second Amendment apply to the States, either under the Fourteenth Amendment’s Privileges or […]

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Selective Incorporation

Selective incorporation is a doctrine written into the Constitution that protects American citizens from their states’ enacting of laws that could infringe upon their rights. Selective incorporation is not a law, but a doctrine that has been established and confirmed time and again by the United States Supreme Court. Essentially, selective incorporation enables the federal government to place limits on […]

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