• SupremeBystandr

    Government, constitutional, and legal prose for the judiciously curious.

  • Home
  • About Us
  • OT2015 Cases
  • OT2014 Cases
  • OT2013 Cases
x
+ MORE m MENU
p

Latest in: OT2013 Cases

  • The “sleeper case” of the 2013 Term: Harris v. Quinn and the future of unions

    Hobby Lobby is all the rage. We get it. Religious freedom, women’s rights, and the all-too-frequently heard “Corporations are people too” will be conversation fodder for the rest of the summer. If you really want to sound smart though, you’re going to want to tell your friends that Harris v. Quinn was the sleeper case of… Continue Reading

    on July 6, 2014
  • On ABC v. Aereo

    5-cent explanation:  Does Brooklyn, NY-based Aereo violate copyright laws when they provide equipment, at a cost of roughly $8 a month, to get local stations routed to consumers computers, tablets, or phones, to record and play programming on a cloud-based server? 10-cent explanation:  Aereo might be on to something – A la carte programming that saves viewers hundreds… Continue Reading

    on June 19, 2014
  • On police searches of cell phones and the 4th Amendment: Riley v. CA & U.S. v. Wurie

    5-cent explanation: Can police search the contents of an arrestee’s cell phone (text messages, pictures, videos, call records, etc.) during routine traffic stops? 10-cent explanation: Two cases, both related to the searches of cell phones – one involved a flip phone, the other a smart phone – were argued in front of the U.S. Supreme… Continue Reading

    on June 15, 2014
  • On 1st Amendment free speech protests against Presidents: Wood v. Moss

    Questions in this case and 5-cent rundown: Did two Secret Service agents – Tim Wood and Rob Savage — violate Michael Moss’ 1st Amendment rights when they forcibly moved him and a group of anti-George W. Bush protesters, but not a group of pro-Bush demonstrators, away from a restaurant where the president was dining? Second,… Continue Reading

    on March 26, 2014
  • Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc.

    5-Cent Explanation: The issue in the case is whether a for-profit business can claim free exercise of religion as an exemption to a law mandating employers provide their employees with contraception coverage. 10-Cent Explanation: Signed into law in 2010, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act contains a provision mandating any business employing 50 or… Continue Reading

    on March 25, 2014
  • On payback for victims of child pornography (Paroline v. U.S.)

    We hate that we’re covering this case, as the matter is a highly disturbing topic – restitution for the victims of child pornography.  Full disclosure: We work for kids.  They’re our “clients,” if you will, as we are educators.  No teacher treads lightly or indiscriminately through a case involving sexual abuse of children.  We’re guessing… Continue Reading

    on January 22, 2014
  • On the 4th Amendment: Police searches & anonymous tips (Navarette v. California)

    Navarette v. California Oral Argument: January 21, 2014 5-Cent Explanation: The question raised in this case is whether the police can stop a vehicle based upon information provided by an anonymous caller alleging reckless driving that the officers did not personally observe. 10-Cent Explanation: On August 23, 2008, after receiving what the courts are considering… Continue Reading

    on January 21, 2014
  • On free speech outside of abortion clinics (McCullen v. Coakley)

    The question in this case:  Is the state of Massachusetts violating Eleanor McCullen’s 1st Amendment right to free speech by enforcing a law that prevents her and others from protesting inside a 35-foot buffer zone of the entrance, exits, and parking lots of abortion clinics? 5-cent explanation:  Eleanor McCullen (pictured above), a Massachusetts resident and… Continue Reading

    on January 15, 2014
  • On executive powers, recess appointments, and NLRB v. Noel Canning

    On the docket is a case called NLRB v. Noel Canning that asks the SCOTUS to clarify the powers a president has, via the Constitution, to fill vacancies in his administration like cabinet positions, federal judges, or executive office positions.  This particular case deals with the latter.  Key to understanding this constitutional interpretation case is… Continue Reading

    on January 12, 2014
  • On the 4th Amendment, 3rd Party Consent, and Fernandez v. CA

    We’re following an interesting case in the Supreme Court called Fernandez v. California this term (OT13).  “Interesting” and the 4th amendment = redundant.  We know.  But this case involves a particular area of law that many of our friends, family members, and students could be impacted by.  The issue at hand, in laypeople language, is whether… Continue Reading

    on November 13, 2013

Recent Posts

  • The real winners after SCOTUS’s travel ban decision
  • Is Eight Enough?
  • NC voter laws ruled intentionally discriminatory by 4th Circuit
  • Backsliding to disenfranchisement: How Justice Ginsburg’s Shelby warning may come true
  • The other three SCOTUS cases you should be watching this week

Podcasts

Podcast 1: Shelby County vs. Holder

Podcast 2: Oct2012 Supreme Court Review (Best of...)

Podcast 3: 4th Amend, Terry v OH, Fernandez v CA

Podcast 4: Town of Greece v. Galloway

Follow me on Twitter

My Tweets

Recent Comments

Mary Gallagher on The Declining Public Opinion o…

Archives

  • June 2017
  • October 2016
  • June 2016
  • April 2016
  • February 2016
  • September 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • March 2015
  • December 2014
  • October 2014
  • August 2014
  • July 2014
  • June 2014
  • May 2014
  • April 2014
  • March 2014
  • February 2014
  • January 2014
  • December 2013
  • November 2013
  • October 2013
  • September 2013
  • August 2013
  • July 2013
x

Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com.
SupremeBystandr
Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com.
Cancel

 
Loading Comments...
Comment
    ×
    Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
    To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy