PSC314 Case Summaries Flashcards
Baker v. Carr (1962)
(1) Courts may decide disputes over the malapportionment of State legislatures (2) “One man, one vote” rule established.
Korematsu v. U. S. (1944)
Pres. Order evacuating Jap. Descent citizens to camps during WWII upheld
Kentucky v. Wasson (1992)
KY Sup. Court (Leibson): State const. may increase civil liberties beyond Fed. Without violating Supremacy Clause
Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka (1954)
(1) Public Schools must not be segregated de jure (2) Plessy v. Ferguson (“separate but equal”) overturned.
Dred Scott v. Sanford (1857)
Blacks are not Article III citizens, and have no standing. Dual Citizenship doctrine established, Mo. Compromise ruled unconstitutional.
Cooley v. Board of Wardens (1851)
Dormant Commerce Clause
Gibbons v. Ogden (1824)
Marshall’s “organic commerce doctrine”: whatever “concerns more than one State” is interstate. Congress power is then “plenary.”
Hammer v. Dagenhart (1918)
Pretext Principle: Congress may not use Commerce power to regulate something else which it doesn’t have the power to do.
NLRB v. Jones & Laughlin Steel Corp. (1937)
Some intra-state activity (labor relations) may impose “burdens & obstacles” on IC sufficient to be regulated by Congress (Hughes)
Schechter Poultry Corp. v. U.S. (1936)
“Sick Chickens” case: (1) receiving product from outside state, processing and selling in-state is NOT interstate commerce (2) Cong cannot give Exec power to regulate
U. S. v. Darby (1941)
Congress gets to say when something affects Commerce and, if so, regulate it. Overturns Hammer v. Dagenhart (1918)
U. S. v. E. C. Knight Co. (1895)
Manufacturing not part of Interstate Commerce
Griffith v. Kentucky (1987)
New const. rules should apply “retroactively” to criminal cases pending on direct review
Linkletter v. Walker (1965)
Mapp v. Ohio (1960) exclusionary rule not required to be applied retroactively
Rasul v. Bush (2004)
Habeus corpus must be provided for “enemy combatants” held in areas under U. S. control, even if not U. S. territory (Gitmo)
Thompson v. Utah (1882)
Juries must have 12 members, since Amendment VI due process incorporates traditional common law principles
Weiss v. U.S. (1994)
Rehnquist: JAG-appoint judges in Military trials does not violate due process
Williams v. Florida (1970)
Juries MAY have fewer than 12 members, pace Thompson v. Utah (1882), if they are “functionally equivalent”
Chevron v. Natural Resources Defense Council (1984)
Upheld “bubble policy”: courts to defer to White House directives and agency interpretation when enacting leg. Is ambiguous: “Chevron Doctrine”
Clinton v. City of New York (1998)
Line item veto violates Presentment Clause I.7.2.
Home Building & Loan Association v. Blaisdell (1934)
C. J. Hughes: “Emergency does not create power”
Humphrey’s Executor v. U.S. (1935)
J. Sutherland: some Article II appointments are not “purely executive”?such as FTC commissioner?and therefore Pres. Removal can be limited by Congress
In re Neagle (1890)
President’s power to faithfully execute laws “not limited to the enforcement of Acts of Congress.” (can appoint sheriffs to protect judges)
Int’l Harvester v. Ruckelhaus (1973)
Dist. Court (Bazelon) heightens due process reqs on agencies: “strict procedures ensure correct results” instead of “hard look” approach
Mistretta v. U.S. (1989)
Creating Sentencing Commission authorized to make binding guidelines (members removable by Pres “for cause”) does not violate Separation of Powers. Scalia dissents
Morrison v. Olson (1988)
C. J. Rehnquist rejects Humphrey, upholds appointment of independent investigator into Executive misconduct
Myers v. U.S. (1926)
C. J. Taft: President has broad removal powers, including postmasters. Tenure of Office Act (entitling appointees until new appointee approved) held unconstitutional
Panama Refining Co. v. Ryan (1935)
“Hot Oil” case invalidated NIRA provision allowing Pres. To exclude oil produced in excess of State regs.
The Prize Cases (1863)
Pres. May do some things (blockade ports) in time of war or rebellion which could not otherwise do
Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Corp. v. Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc. (1978)
“Hard Look” approach to agency regs adopted: substantive review of agency decisions. Per Rehnquist.
Youngstown Sheet & Tube v. Sawyer (1952)
President’s power more limited in domestic than foreign, esp. since Congress had earlier decided not to authorize steel mill seizure. J. Jackson concurrence: “twilight zone”
New York Times Co. v. U.S. (1971)
Pentagon Papers case: per curiam against “prior restraint” against publication
Goldwater v. Carter (1962)
Challenge by Senators to Presidential abrogation of treaty dismissed as political question.
McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)
(1) One gov. may not tax another (“the power to destroy”) (2) Elastic Clause allows Leg. Power not explicitly in I.8
Snepp v. U. S. (1980)
CIA may require former employess to vet writing before publication
Eakin v. Raub (Pa, 1805)
PA Sup. Ct. Justice Gibson of the PA Supreme Court rejects Marbury on grounds of co-equality of branches, oaths of office
Hylton v. US (1796)
Congress may levy a carriage tax, implying judicial review
Marbury v. Madison (1803)
(1) Congress may not change original jurisdiction of the Court (2) Courts have power of judicial review
Rust v. Sullivan (1991)
Rehnquist: when statute is ambiguous, courts should defer to Exec. Construction, even when reversing prior interpretation
Sturges v. Crowinshield (1819)
C.J. Marshall’s “Plain Meaning” rule: don’t disregard the plain meaning of the words
The Antelope Case (1825)
C.J. Marshall: slavery is abhorrent & against Natural Law, but courts cannot decide on that basis
US v. Butler (1936)
- self-restraint is the only real check on the Court 2. tax designed to force farmers to limit production is really not a tax and therefore invades reserved powers of States