Category Archives: Supreme Court Decisions

Supreme Court Weakens 4th Amendment Traffic Stop Requirements

By admin | Published: April 22, 2014

The U.S. Supreme Court today upheld a defendant’s conviction for possession with intent to deliver a substantial quantity of marijuana. At the heart of the case is whether the police lacked the probable cause necessary to conduct a traffic stop. During the traffic stop, the California Highway Patrol officers noted a strong odor of marijuana […]

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Supreme Court Narrows Employment Discrimination Claims

By admin | Published: June 25, 2013

In tandem decisions, the Supreme Court constricted Title VII lawsuits against employers. In the first decision (University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center v. Nassar), the Supreme Court ruled that an employee alleging a retaliatory firing must prove that the employer’s discriminatory conduct caused the termination; in the second decision (Vance v. Ball State University), the […]

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Supreme Court Invalidates Section 4 of the Voting Rights Act

By admin | Published: June 25, 2013

Earlier today, the Supreme Court invalidated part of the Voting Rights Act (VRA). Congress renewed the law in 2006, and according to the Supreme Court, used formulas for determining the ratio of minority voter turnout that were outdated by at least 40 years. The decision, while not invalidating the entire VRA, raises serious doubts as […]

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Supreme Court Dismisses Voucher Challenge

By admin | Published: April 5, 2011

April 5, 2011 — In a decision announced today, the Supreme Court permitted Arizona to continue its School Voucher Program. Arizona Christian School Tuition Organization v. Winn, 563 U.S. ___ (2011). The decision did not address any First Amendment (“Establishment Clause”) issue substantively. Instead it focused on what we lawyers call “standing.” Standing is a […]

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Supreme Court Protects Vaccine Manufacturers

By admin | Published: February 22, 2011

February 22, 2011 — Today the Supreme Court ruled that federal law protecting childhood vaccine manufacturers preempts state tort law. A interesting portion of the decision involves Justice Scalia’s debate with the two dissenting Justices (Sotomayor and Ginsburg) as to the exact interpretation and application of the phrase “even though” and the word “if” in the […]

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