Tag: judicial powers and functions

In Worcester v Georgia, 31 U.S. 515 (1832), the U.S. Supreme Court held that the Cherokee Nation was sovereign. It also ruled that the federal government — and not the states — was authorized under the Constitution to deal with Indian nations. ...

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...

Examining abortion in Whole Woman's Health v. Cole The U.S. Supreme Court granted certiorari this month in Whole Woman’s Health v. Cole. The case, which revolves around the constitutionality of abortion restrictions imposed by the State of...

In United States v. O'Brien, 391 U.S. 367 (1968), the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of a federal law that made burning or otherwise destroying draft cards a crime. In so ruling, the Court established a test for determining whether l...

In NFIB v. Sebelius, 567 US __ (2012), the U.S. Supreme Court considered its first constitutional challenge to the Affordable Care Act. By a vote of 5-4, the Court held that the statute’s “individual mandate” provision was a valid exercise of C...