Category: Supreme Court Decisions

In Williams v Pennsylvania, the U.S. Supreme Court held that judges must recuse themselves in cases that they once prosecuted 579 U.S. ___ (2016). By a vote of 5-3, the justices held that a Pennsylvania judge’s participation in a death penalty case...

In Commonwealth of Puerto Rico v Sanchez Valle 579 U.S ___ (2016), the U.S. Supreme Court held that the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and the federal government are not separate sovereigns for purposes of the Double Jeopardy Clause of the United States...

The Pendleton Civil Service Act, which was enacted in 1883, established a merit-based system for federal employment. The landmark legislation effectively ended the controversial “spoils system,” which was largely based on political party affiliat...

Understanding Railroad Regulation during our Country's Beginnings In the late 1880s and early 1900s, the railroads were essential to the U.S. economy. However, they were also susceptible to monopolies. As President, Theodore Roosevelt sought to stre...

In a unanimous decision, the U.S. Supreme Court in Army Corps of Engineers v Hawkes Co 578 U.S._____(2016) addressed whether a “jurisdictional determination” (JD) that wetlands are subject to regulation under the Clean Water Act was a final agen...

In Foster v Chatman (2016), the U.S. Supreme Court held that prosecutors purposely discriminated against a Georgia man facing the death penalty when they dismissed two black jurors during jury selection. The Court’s narrow decision was largely base...

Signed into law by President Theodore Roosevelt in 1906, the Antiquities Act was the first federal regulation to protect the cultural and natural resources of the United States. It resulted from concern over decades of looting and destruction of Nati...

On December 23, 1913, President Woodrow Wilson signed the Federal Reserve Act into law. The landmark legislation created the Federal Reserve, which was intended to reform the country’s banking system and help secure economic stability.    ...

The 4-4 Supreme Court Punts in Zubik v Burwell The U.S. Supreme Court declined to address the merits of Zubik v. Burwell, at least for this term. Instead, the Court’s per curium opinion on the Affordable Care Act’s contraception mandate directs ...

Downes v. Bidwell: Does the Constitution Follow the Flag? In Downes v. Bidwell, 182 U.S. 244 (1901), the U.S. Supreme Court held that the rights and protections of the Constitution do not automatically apply to U.S. territories. The case is one of t...