Con Law Flashcards
when can citizens sue states/ state officials
Consent
Injunctive relief
Enforcement of 13th, 145th, 15th
original jdx of SC
All cases affecting ambassadors, public ministers and consuls and in which a state is a party
what is appellation jdx of SC
By certiorari (discretionary) and direct appeal (mandatory)
when can SC not hear a final state court judgement
A final state-court judgement resting upon adequate and independent state law is not reviewable
* Adequate grounds = state law fully resolves the matter
* Independent grounds = no federal precedent was used in the decision
elements for standing
- injury in fact
-causation
-redressability
what can taxpayer have standing for
own tax bill, violations of establishment clause
when can third party have standing
- special relationship
- third party can’t assert own rights
- risk that disallowing third party standing will dilute third party’s rights
when can organization sue on behalf of member
members have standing in own right
interests at stake are germane to org’s prupose
political questions not reviewed when
constitution assigned decision making to different branch
matter is inherently not one judiciary can decide
what are the kinds of abstentions
pullman: unsettled state law
younger: pending state criminal case
burford: parties seeking injunctive relief that would interfere with complex state regulation system
colorado river: case is substantially similar to another case being heard in state court
what does DPC say about recusal
judge must recuse if direct, substantial pecuniary interest or serious objective risk of actual bias
what can congress regulate under commerce power
- channels of interstate commerce
- instrumentalities of interstate commerce and
- any activity that substantially affects interstate commerce
rule for if taxes should be upheld
if reasonable relationship to revenue production
what can congress spend for/ do conditional funding for
condition must be related to the purpose
clear and unamibguous
doesn’t require unconstitutional activity
not unduly coercive
no commandeering of state legislatures
when can congress directly tax states
fine as long it is evenly apportioned among states and
reasonably related to revenue raising
when can congress take private property
for public use with just compensation or to effectuate an enumerated power
test for when congress passes legislation to enforce EPC and DPC
no expansion
must be congruence and proportionality between the injury to be prevented and means to achieve that goal
what is dormant commerce clause
if congress hasn’t spoken, states can regulate interstate commerce as long as they don’t
discriminate against out of state commerce or
unduly burden interstate commerce or
purposefully regulate wholly out-of-state activity
what are the exceptions that allow a state to discriminate against other states in commerce (dormant commerce clause)
important local interest served and no other nondiscriminatory means are available
market participant exception (state is buyer/seller)
traditional government functions (like garbage)
what is the test for if a stat is unduly burdening interstate commerce
balance purposes of state law against burden on interstate commerce and evaluate if there are less restrictive options
rule for state taxation of interstate commerce (if congress hasn’t already acted and the tax doesn’t discriminate/unduly burden)
- substantial nexus between activity being taxed and state
- fair apportionment such that interstate doesn’t pay more than local
- nondiscrimination (no direct advantage to local)
- fair relationship between tax and services provided
when does implied preemption happen
- congress intended for federal law to occupy the field
- state law directly conflicts with federal law
- state law indirectly conflicts and creates obstacles
but feds just set a floor not ceiling on what state can do
when do states have to give full faith and credit
court had jdx
final judgement on merits
test for significant state involvement for state action
sufficient mutual contacts between conduct of private party and state such that the government is pervasively intertwined with the entity and
- constitutional standards should apply to the private actor or
- mutual benefit or
- state creates private entity for furtherance of gov objectives and retains control
what is not significant state involvement for state action
just licensing/regulation or receiving federal funds
fundamental rights for procedural due process
notice and hearing if liberty or property being taken