Con. Law: the Judiciary and Seperation of Powers Flashcards
Who has the power to create federal courts?
Congress
Beyond federal question or diversity, what is the scope of federal jurisdiction?
(1) cases involving public ministers, ambassadors, and consuls
(2) controversies in which the US is a party
(3) controversies between two states
(4) controversies between a state and citizens of another state
What is the Eleventh Amendment?
Unless waived, provides state sovereign immunity from suit
Are subdivisions of a state included in the Eleventh Amendment?
No
What power does Congress have to abrogate the Eleventh Amendment?
Congress may create a private cause of action in suits where the state violates the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, or Fifteenth Amendments
What must Congress do when passing an act which abrogates state immunity?
(1) assert clearly that it is abrogating state immunity
(2) enact the act under a grant of power that may abrogate state immunity
Other than the post-Civil War amendments, what are other exceptions to the Eleventh Amendment?
(1) suit against state officials for abuse of power
(2) state v. state or federal gov. v. state
(3) private citizen may enjoin a state official from acting in violation of their constitutional rights
Is a federal court or the Supreme Court able to rule on a case where there is not a controversy?
Dude…we learned this in civics in like 10th grade. Please tell me you said no.
Is a declaratory judgment the same as a certified question?
No, a federal court may rule on a declaratory judgment
What are the requirements for a federal court to rule on a declaratory judgment?
(1) plaintiff must meet all of the controversy tests
(2) the case must be judiciable
What are the factors in judiciability?
(1) Mootness
(2) Ripeness
(3) Standing
(4) Political Question
(5) Abstention / Adequate State Ground
When is a case considered moot?
When the controversy or matter has been resolved.
Is the resolution to a controversy or matter automatically make a case moot?
No, the court may hear the case if:
(1) there are still collateral or lesser matters to resolve
(2) the injury is capable of repetition but evading review
What is the voluntary cessation doctrine?
A defendant’s voluntary cessation of a challenged practice does not make a case moot
What is the strict standard for determining whether a case is moot under the voluntary cessation doctrine?
(1) the burden of persuasion that the challenged conduct cannot reasonably be expected to begin again lies with the party asserting mootness
(2) whether or not the defendant has defended its actions
What is ripeness?
Whether or not a case or claim is fully developed
In the context of a law, what would be an unripe case?
(1) If the statute had not yet been passed or enacted
(2) if there is no real threat that the statute would be enforced
In the context of a law, what is an exception to ripeness?
Demonstrating that the law poses a real or present harm and/or a specific future imminent harm
When might a court abstain from a case involving state law?
Like with supplemental jurisdiction:
(1) unresolved issues of state law
(2) unclear meaning of state law or regulation
(3) probate law
(4) family law
One other is criminal law where the criminal proceedings are ongoing
What is standing?
(1) injury-in-fact
(2) causation
(3) redressibility
What is injury-in-fact?
(1) a concrete and particular direct personal injury
(2) either imminent or actual
(3) caused by the action that plaintiff challenges
When is an injury particular?
Where it is personal and individual
i.e. suit due to abuse by police v. a suit of abuse to zoo animals
When is an injury concrete?
The injury exists and is not hypothetical
Is monetary harm required for an injury-in-fact?
No, an injury may be intangible requiring injunctive relief rather than monetary damages
What is causation for the purpose of standing?
Whether the challenged action or omission is the the cause of the plaintiff’s injury
What is redressibility for the purpose of standing?
Plaintiff must show that they stand to benefit from the relief sought
Do taxpayers have standing to sue for unconstitutional expenditures?
No, because their injury is considered minute and indeterminable and their interest too remote
What would constitute an exception to a taxpayer’s lack of standing?
Where the unconstitutional behavior in fact causes direct harm to the plaintiff.
i.e. the violation of the establishment clause in federal expenditures to parochial schools
When would a plaintiff have standing to sue on behalf of third-parties?
(1) the plaintiff has suffered also the injury
(2) a special relationship exists between the plaintiff and third-party due to a connection between the plaintiff’s interests and the third party’s constitutional rights
(3) where the third party finds themselves unable to sue on their own behalf
How are associations affected by the third-party exception for the purpose of standing?
Associations may assert the claims of its members even if the association has not suffered injury and
(1) members have standing to sue personally
(2) the interest is germane to the association’s purpose
(3) neither the claim asserted nor the relief requested would require participation of the individuals
What is the Political Question doctrine?
The refusal of federal courts to hear cases which involve matters wholly assigned to another branch of government
For the purpose of the Political Question Doctrine, what are the factors based on the seperation of powers?
(1) whether there is a textually demonstrable constitutional commitment of the issue to an other political department
(2) requires a court to express a lack of respect for other branches of government
(3) unusual need for unquestioning adherence
(4) the potential for embarrassment from multifarious pronouncements by various departments on one question
For the purpose of the Political Question Doctrine, what are the factors based on the limitations of the judiciary?
(1) a lack of judicially discoverable and manageable standards
(2) impossibility of deciding without an initial policy determination undeterminable by the judiciary
What are specific areas that the Court has determined to be political questions?
(1) impeachment processes
(2) amendment ratification processes
(3) president’s power to unilaterally terminate a treaty
(4) foreign affairs
(5) Guaranty Clause issues under Art. IV
What is an exception to the political question dotrine?
Whether the individual challenging is injured due to discrimination based on a suspect group.
i.e. gerrymandering political districts for the purpose of racial discrimination
What are the specific powers of the Supreme Court?
(1) hold acts of the federal government unconstitutional
(2) hold state statutes unconstitutional
(3) review state court decisions to ensure that states act in conformity with federal law and the Constitution
(4) other matters involving state law
What matters are involved when the Court decides to take a state law question due to diversity jurisdiction?
(1) the Court defers to existing state court interpretation of the law
(2) where there is not yet interpretation and the Court can predict such an interpretation, interpret the state law
(3) when the Court can not make the determination in (2), abstain from the case
How can the Supreme Court’s jurisdiction be invoked?
(1) Appeal
(2) Writ of Certiorari
What is a writ of certiorari?
A request to review a state supreme court and federal court decision
What are the grounds for cert?
(1) cases involving conflicts between federal district courts
(2) cases involving conflicts between the highest courts of two states
(3) cases involving conflicts between the highest state court and a federal court
(4) cases from state courts or U.S. courts involving important but unresolved issues
What is meant when the Supreme Court abstains for adequate and independent state grounds?
Where a state court judgment deciding a federal question is based on an adequate and independent state ground, the Supreme Court, specifically, will not take jurisdiction
When does adequate and independent state grounds apply?
(1) where the state court determines whether a state law violates other state law or the state’s constitution
(2) whether a state law violation of (1) also violates a federal law