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44 Liquormart, Inc. v. Rhode Island 

44 Liquormart, Inc. v. Rhode Island The newspaper advertisement that a discount liquor store in Rhode Island placed in newspapers in December 1991 had no earmarks of a First Amendment test case in th . . .

Adarand Constructors, Inc. v. Pena 

Adarand Constructors, Inc. v. Pena Ever since the 1970s, federal law required prime contractors doing work for the government to set aside a certain percentage of the contract for minority subcontrac . . .

Aetna Health Inc. v. Davila 

Aetna Health Inc. v. Davila, decided by a 9–0 vote, June 21, 2004; Thomas wrote the opinion. Ruby Calad's doctor wanted her to stay in a hospital after unexpected complications following surg . . .

Agostini v. Felton 

Agostini v. Felton For more than a decade, the New York City school system used a cumbersome procedure to provide federally funded, remedial education for low-income students at parochial schools. Ac . . .

Altria Group, Inc. v. Good 

Altria Group, Inc. v. Good, decided by a 5-4 vote, December 15, 2008, Stevens wrote the opinion; Thomas, Roberts, Scalia, and Alito dissented. Federal cigarette-labeling law does not prevent smokers f . . .

Amchem Products, Inc. v. Windsor 

Amchem Products, Inc. v. Windsor, decided by a 6-2 vote, June 25, 1997; Ginsburg wrote the opinion; Breyer and Stevens dissented in part; O'Connor did not participate. Millions of American workers wer . . .

Arizona v. Gant 

Arizona v. Gant, decided by a 5-4 vote, April 21, 2009; Stevens wrote the opinion; Breyer, Alito, Roberts, and Kennedy dissented. Police may search a vehicle incident to a recent occupant's arrest on . . .

Ashcroft v. Free Speech Coalition 

Ashcroft v. Free Speech Coalition The Child Pornography Prevention Act of 1996 banned “virtual child pornography” produced without real children and images presented as child pornography, . . .

Ashcroft, Attorney General v. American Civil Liberties Union 

Ashcroft, Attorney General v. American Civil Liberties Union, decided by a 5–4 vote, June 29, 2004; Kennedy wrote the opinion; Breyer, Rehnquist, O’Connor, and Scalia dissented. The info . . .

Ashcroft, Former Attorney General v. Iqbal 

Ashcroft, Former Attorney General v. Iqbal , decided by a 5-4 vote, May 18, 2009; Kennedy wrote the opinion; Souter, Stevens, Ginsburg, and Breyer dissented. Plaintiffs who accuse government officials . . .

Atkins v. Virginia 

Atkins v. Virginia Daryl Renard Atkins and William Jones abducted, robbed, and murdered Eric Nesbitt, an airman assigned to Langley Air Force Base in Hampton, Virginia. Atkins freely gave police deta . . .

Atwater v. Lago Vista 

Atwater v. Lago Vista Gail Atwater was arrested, handcuffed, fingerprinted, and put in jail for failing to make her children wear seat belts as she drove them home from soccer practice. Bart Turek, a . . .

Austin v. United States 

Austin v. United States, decided by a 9-0 vote, June 28, 1993; Blackmun wrote the opinion. Frustrated in the fight against drug trafficking and other lucrative crimes, law enforcement officials decide . . .

Barnes v. Glen Theatre, Inc. 

Barnes v. Glen Theatre, Inc. An Indiana statute outlawed appearing in a public place “in a state of nudity,” and, as the law applied to entertainment, female dances had to wear at least p . . .

Baze v. Rees, Director, Kentucky Department of Corrections 

Baze v. Rees, Director, Kentucky Department of Corrections, decided by a 7–2 vote, April 16, 2008; Roberts wrote the main opinion; Stevens, Scalia, Thomas, and Breyer concurred in the judgment; . . .

Bennis v. Michigan 

Bennis v. Michigan The government may seize property even if the owner had no knowledge that someone else was using it for criminal activity. The closely divided decision rejected Tina B. Bennis's cl . . .

Blakely v. Washington 

Blakely v. Washington, decided by a 5–4 vote, June 24, 2004; Scalia wrote the opinion; O’Connor, Rehnquist, Kennedy, and Breyer dissented.Ralph Blakely committed a bizarre crime. A diagn . . .

BMW of North America, Inc. v. Gore 

BMW of North America, Inc. v. Gore Ira Gore Jr. paid $40,750.08 for a new BMW sedan in January 1990. Nine months later, when he took the car to a shop for detailing, Gore was surprised to discover th . . .

Board of Education of Independent School District No. 92 of Pottawatomie County v. Earls 

Board of Education of Independent School District No. 92 of Pottawatomie County v. Earls In September 1998 the Tecumseh, Oklahoma, school board instituted an aggressive drug education and detection p . . .

Board of Education of Kiryas Joel Village School District v. Grumet 

Board of Education of Kiryas Joel Village School District v. Grumet The village of Kiryas Joel is a tiny enclave inhabited exclusively by members of a small orthodox Jewish sect—the Satmar Hasi . . .

Board of Trustees of the University of Alabama v. Garrett 

Board of Trustees of the University of Alabama v. Garrett Patricia Garrett was a director of nursing services at the University of Alabama in Birmingham Hospital. After being diagnosed with breast ca . . .

Boumediene v. Bush, President of the United States 

Boumediene v. Bush, President of the United States, decided by a 5-4 vote, June 12, 2008; Kennedy wrote the opinion; Roberts, Scalia, Thomas, and Alito dissented. The Military Commissions Act (MCA) un . . .

Boy Scouts of America v. Dale 

Boy Scouts of America v. Dale The Constitution does not mention “freedom of association,” but the Supreme Court has held that the right of private organizations to adopt membership polici . . .

Bray v. Alexandria Women's Health Clinic 

Bray v. Alexandria Women's Health Clinic Beginning in the late 1980s, a militant antiabortion group calling itself Operation Rescue adopted the strategy of physically blocking the entrances to clinic . . .

Brendlin v. California 

Brendlin v. California, decided by a 9-0 vote, June 18, 2007; Souter wrote the opinion. A passenger in a car stopped by police may challenge the constitutionality of the st . . .

Burlington Industries, Inc. v. Ellerth 

Burlington Industries, Inc. v. Ellerth See Faragher v. City of Boca Raton . . . .

Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway Company v. White 

Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway Company v. White Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway Company v. White, decided by a 9-0 vote, June 22, 2006; Breyer wrote the opinion. . . .

Bush v. Gore 

Bush v. Gore Shortly after the polls closed in Florida during the 2000 presidential election, all of the major television networks, relying on voter exit polls, announced that Albert Gore Jr., the De . . .

Bush v. Vera 

Bush v. Vera For the third time in four years, the Supreme Court addressed the contentious issue of racial redistricting. Once again, by narrow majorities and with sharp divisions, the justices rejec . . .

Caperton v. A.T. Massey Coal Co., Inc. 

Caperton v. A.T. Massey Coal Co., Inc. , decided by a 5-4 vote, June 8, 2009; Kennedy wrote the opinion; Roberts, Scalia, Thomas, and Alito dissented. Elected judges may be constitutionally required t . . .

CBOCS West, Inc. v. Humphries 

CBOCS West, Inc. v. Humphries, decided by a 7-2 vote, May 27, 2008; Breyer wrote the opinion; Thomas and Scalia dissented. A former employee can use the Reconstruction-era civil rights law guaranteei . . .

Central Bank of Denver, N.A. v. First Interstate Bank of Denver, N.A. 

Central Bank of Denver, N.A. v. First Interstate Bank of Denver, N.A., decided by a 5-4 vote, April 19, 1994; Kennedy wrote the opinion; Stevens, Blackmun, Souter, and Ginsburg dissented. The financia . . .

Chamber of Commerce of the United States v. Brown, Attorney General of California 

Chamber of Commerce of the United States v. Brown, Attorney General of California, decided by a 7-2 vote, June 19, 2008; Stevens wrote the opinion; Breyer and Ginsburg dissented. A state cannot prohi . . .

Cheney v. United States Dist. Court for the Dist. of D.C. 

Cheney, Vice President of the United States v. United States District Court for the District of Columbia, decided by a 7–2 vote, June 24, 2004; Kennedy wrote the opinion; Ginsburg and Souter d . . .

Chisom v. Roemer, Governor of Louisiana; United States v. Roemer, Governor of Louisiana 

Chisom v. Roemer, Governor of Louisiana; United States v. Roemer, Governor of Louisiana, decided by a 6-3 vote, June 20, 1991; Stevens wrote the opinion; Scalia, Rehnquist, and Kennedy dissented. In t . . .

Cipollone v. Liggett Group, Inc. 

Cipollone, Individually and as Executor of the Estate of Cipollone v. Liggett Group, Inc., decided by a 7-2 vote, June 24, 1992; Stevens wrote the opinion; Scalia and Thomas dissented. Cigarette manuf . . .

City of Boerne v. Flores 

City of Boerne v. Flores In 1993 Congress passed the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA). The law was a response to the Supreme Court's opinion in Employment Division, Department of Human Resour . . .

City of Chicago v. Morales 

City of Chicago v. Morales In this case a novel initiative by the city of Chicago to get youth gangs off the streets ran afoul of the Constitution. The Supreme Court invalidated a Chicago ordinance t . . .

Clinton v. City of New York 

Clinton v. City of New York In 1996 Congress passed the Line Item Veto Act, giving the president the power to delete specific items in a budget bill without having to veto the entire bill. Several me . . .

Clinton v. Jones 

Clinton v. Jones Less than two years into his presidency, Bill Clinton was accused by a former Arkansas state employee of sexually harassing her while he was governor. The political scandal turned in . . .

Cohen v. Cowles Media Co. 

Cohen v. Cowles Media Co. The dispute at the heart of this case arose from the 1982 Minnesota gubernatorial race, in which Dan Cohen, a Republican political consultant, offered to turn over to report . . .

College Savings Bank v. Florida Prepaid Postsecondary Educational Expenses Board 

College Savings Bank v. Florida Prepaid Postsecondary Educational Expenses Board A commercial dispute between a New Jersey bank and a Florida state agency, both of which marketed savings plans for co . . .

Colorado Republican Federal Campaign Commission v. Federal Election Commission 

Colorado Republican Federal Campaign Commission v. Federal Election Commission Colorado Republicans had not yet chosen their candidate for the U.S. Senate in the spring of 1986 when they started thei . . .

Crawford v. Marion County Election Board 

Crawford v. Marion County Election Board, decided by a 6-3 vote, April 28, 2008; Stevens wrote the main opinion; Scalia, Thomas, and Alito concurred in the judgment; Souter, Ginsburg, and Breyer diss . . .

Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC v. Billing 

Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC v. Billing, decided by a 7-1 vote, June 18, 2007; Breyer wrote the opinion; Thomas dissented; Kennedy did not participate. Federal antitrust laws do . . .

Cuomo, Attorney General of New York v. The Clearing House Association, L.L.C. 

Cuomo, Attorney General of New York v. The Clearing House Association, L.L.C. , decided by a 5-4 vote, June 29, 2009; Scalia wrote the opinion; Thomas, Roberts, Kennedy, and Alito dissented. The Natio . . .

Cutter v. Wilkinson, Director, Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction 

Cutter v. Wilkinson, Director, Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction, decided by a 9-0 vote, May 31, 2005; Ginsburg wrote the opinion. A federal law requiring state prison officials to a . . .

Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals, Inc. 

Daubert v. Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals, Inc. For more than two decades, doctors prescribed the drug Bendectin for pregnant women to control the common, and sometimes serious, problem of nausea or  . . .

Davis v. Federal Election Commission 

Davis v. Federal Election Commission, decided by a 5-4 vote, June 26, 2008; Alito wrote the opinion; Stevens, Souter, Ginsburg, and Breyer dissented. A law that allows a candidate for federal office . . .

Davis v. Monroe County Board of Education 

Davis v. Monroe County Board of Education LaShonda Davis was only ten years old when she suffered through five months of crude sexual taunts and advances in the 1992–1993 school year. Her torme . . .

Demore v. Kim 

Demore v. Kim Demore v. Kim, decided by a 5-4 vote, April 29, 2003; Rehnquist wrote the opinion; Souter, Stevens, Ginsburg, and Breyer dissented. . . .

Denver Area Educational Telecommunications Consortium, Inc. v. Federal Communications Commission 

Denver Area Educational Telecommunications Consortium, Inc. v. Federal Communications Commission Critics of offensive and indecent cable television programming managed to get a three-part provision d . . .

Department of Commerce v. United States House of Representatives 

Department of Commerce v. United States House of Representatives The Constitution requires a census of the population every ten years to determine how many seats each state will have in the House of . . .

Dickerson v. United States 

Dickerson v. United States The Supreme Court came under fierce political attack in 1966 when it handed down Miranda v. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436, a decision requiring police to tell suspects of their rig . . .

District Attorney's Office for the Third Judicial District v. Osborne 

District Attorney’s Office for the Third Judicial District v. Osborne , decided by a 5-4 vote, June 18, 2009; Roberts wrote the opinion; Stevens, Souter, Ginsburg, and Breyer dissented. Criminal . . .

District of Columbia v. Heller 

District of Columbia v. Heller, decided by a 5-4 vote, June 26, 2008; Scalia wrote the opinion; Stevens, Souter, Ginsburg, and Breyer dissented. The Second Amendment guarantees an individual right to . . .

Eastern Enterprises v. Apfel, Commissioner of Social Security 

Eastern Enterprises v. Apfel, Commissioner of Social Security, decided by a 5-4 vote, June 25, 1998; O'Connor wrote the plurality opinion; Breyer, Stevens, Souter, and Ginsburg dissented. In the long . . .

Edmonson v. Leesville Concrete Co. 

Edmonson v. Leesville Concrete Co. Thaddeus Donald Edmonson, an African American construction worker, was injured in a job-site accident in Fort Polk, Louisiana, and sued Leesville Concrete Company f . . .

Elk Grove Unified School District v. Newdow 

Elk Grove Unified School District v. Newdow, decided by an 8–0 vote on result and a 5–3 vote on legal issue, June 14, 2004; Stevens wrote the opinion; Rehnquist, O’Connor, and Thom . . .

Ewing v. California 

Ewing v. California Ewing v. California, decided by a 5-4 vote, March 5, 2003; O’Connor wrote the plurality opinion; Scalia and Thomas concurred in the judgment; Breyer, Stevens, . . .

Exxon Shipping Co. v. Baker 

Exxon Shipping Co. v. Baker, decided by a 5-3 vote, June 25, 2008; Souter wrote the opinion; Stevens, Ginsburg, and Breyer dissented; Alito did not participate. The Court reduced from $2.5 billion to . . .

Faragher v. City of Boca Raton 

Faragher v. City of Boca Raton When Kimberly Ellerth and Beth Ann Faragher thought their bosses were making improper sexual advances, they did what most women do when they confront sexual harassment . . .

Federal Communications Commission v. Fox Television Stations, Inc. 

Federal Communications Commission v. Fox Television Stations, Inc., decided by a 5-4 vote, April 28, 2009; Scalia wrote the opinion; Breyer, Stevens, Souter, and Ginsburg dissented. The Federal Commu . . .

Federal Election Commission v. Colorado Republican Federal Campaign Commission 

Federal Election Commission v. Colorado Republican Federal Campaign Commission Under the Federal Election Campaign Act, any expenditure made by an individual or a political party “in cooperatio . . .

Federal Election Commission v. Wisconsin Right to Life,                   Inc. 

Federal Election Commission v. Wisconsin Right to Life, Inc., decided by a 5-4 vote, June 25, 2007; Roberts wrote the main opinion; Scalia, Kennedy, and Thomas concurred in the judgment . . .

Federal Maritime Commission v. South Carolina State Ports Authority 

Federal Maritime Commission v. South Carolina State Ports Authority Maritime Services, owners of the cruise ship Tropic Sea, thought it was being treated unfairly when the South Carolina State Ports . . .

Ferguson v. Charleston 

Ferguson v. Charleston Drug testing for pregnant women emerged as a divisive issue in the 1980s and 1990s against the backdrop of a growing incidence of “crack babies” born to women who u . . .

Florida Prepaid Postsecondary Educational Expenses Board v. College Savings Bank 

Florida Prepaid Postsecondary Educational Expenses Board v. College Savings Bank See College Savings Bank v. Florida Prepaid Postsecondary Educational Expenses Board . . .

Food and Drug Administration v. Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corp. 

Food and Drug Administration v. Brown & Williamson Tobacco Corp. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) proposed regulations in August 1995 that made it a federal offense to sell cigarettes to anyone . . .

Gall v. United States 

Gall v. United States, decided by a 7-2 vote, December 10, 2007; Stevens wrote the opinion; Alito and Thomas dissented. Appeals courts must review all federal sentences under a deferential abuse of d . . .

Garcetti v. Ceballos 

Garcetti v. Ceballos Garcetti v. Ceballos, decided by a 5-4 vote, May 30, 2006; Kennedy wrote the opinion; Souter, Stevens, Ginsburg and Breyer dissented. . . .

Gebser v. Lago Vista Independent School District 

Gebser v. Lago Vista Independent School District When the principal of Lago Vista High School outside San Antonio, Texas, received complaints in October 1992 that teacher Frank Waldrop was making sex . . .

Gonzales, Attorney General v. Carhart, 

Gonzales, Attorney General v. Carhart, decided by a 5-4 vote, April 18, 2007; Kennedy wrote the opinion; Ginsburg, Stevens, Souter, and Breyer dissented. The federal law banning so-call . . .

Gonzales, Attorney General v. Raich 

Gonzales, Attorney General v. Raich, decided by a 6-3 vote, June 6, 2005; Stevens wrote the opinion; O’Connor, Rehnquist, and Thomas dissented. Diane Monson tried various medications to relieve . . .

Good News Club v. Milford Central School 

Good News Club v. Milford Central School By 2000 the Child Evangelism Fellowship had organized over 4,600 Good News Clubs around the country about 500 of which met in public school buildings. The Goo . . .

Granholm, Governor of Michigan v. Heald 

Granholm, Governor of Michigan v. Heald, decided by a 5-4 vote, May 16, 2005; Kennedy wrote the opinion; Thomas, Rehnquist, Stevens, and O’Connor dissented. Juanita Swedenburg welcomed visitors . . .

Gratz v. Bollinger and Grutter v. Bollinger 

Gratz v. Bollinger and Grutter v. Bollinger Gratz v. Bollinger, decided by a 6-3 vote, June 23, 2003; Rehnquist wrote the opinion; Stevens, Souter, and Ginsburg dissented. . . .

Gross v. FBL Financial Services, Inc. 

Gross v. FBL Financial Services, Inc. , decided by a 5-4 vote, June 18, 2009; Thomas wrote the opinion; Stevens, Souter, Ginsburg, and Breyer dissented. The plaintiff in a suit brought under the feder . . .

Hamdan v. Rumsfeld, Secretary of Defense 

Hamdan v. Rumsfeld, Secretary of Defense Hamdan v. Rumsfeld, Secretary of Defense, decided by a 5-3 vote, June 29, 2006; Stevens wrote the opinion; Scalia, Thomas, and Alito dissented; Roberts did no . . .

Hamdi v. Rumsfeld (With related case: Rumsfeld v. Padilla) 

Hamdi v. Rumsfeld, Secretary of Defense, decided by a 6–3 vote, June 28, 2004; O’Connor wrote the plurality opinion; Souter and Ginsburg concurred in the judgment; Scalia and Stevens dis . . .

Harris v. Forklift Systems, Inc. 

Harris v. Forklift Systems, Inc. An employee claiming job discrimination on the basis of sexual harassment must prove the existence of a “hostile” or “abusive” work environmen . . .

Herrera v. Collins 

Herrera v. Collins The question of whether the Constitution permits the government to execute an innocent person was at issue in the case of a Texas prisoner, who, long after his 1982 conviction for . . .

Herring v. United States 

Herring v. United States, decided by a 5-4 vote, January 14, 2009; Roberts wrote the opinion; Ginsburg, Stevens, Souter, and Breyer dissented. The exclusionary rule does not prevent suppression of evi . . .

Holder v. Hall 

Holder v. Hall, decided by a 5-4 vote, June 30, 1994; Kennedy wrote a plurality opinion; Blackmun, Stevens, Souter, and Ginsburg dissented. Black voters in a tiny county in central Georgia mounted a l . . .

Honda Motor Co., Ltd. v. Oberg 

Honda Motor Co., Ltd. v. Oberg, decided by a 7-2 vote, June 24, 1994; Stevens wrote the opinion; Ginsburg and Rehnquist dissented. Five times since 1980, business and insurance groups had gotten the . . .

Hudson v. Michigan 

Hudson v. Michigan Hudson v. Michigan, decided by a 5-4 vote, June 15, 2006; Scalia wrote the opinion; Breyer, Stevens, Souter, and Ginsburg dissented. . . .

Immigration and Naturalization Service v. St. Cyr 

Immigration and Naturalization Service v. St. Cyr Enrico St. Cyr was admitted to the United States as a legal alien. In 1996 he pleaded guilty to selling narcotics in violation of a Connecticut state . . .

Jacobson v. United States 

Jacobson v. United States This case began in February 1984, when Keith Jacobson ordered two issues of a magazine called Bare Boys, which contained photographs of nude preteens and teenagers. Althoug . . .

Johnson, Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives v. De Grandy 

Johnson, Speaker of the Florida House of Representatives v. De Grandy, decided by a 7-2 vote, June 30, 1994; Souter wrote the opinion; Thomas and Scalia dissented. The Supreme Court closed its 1992-19 . . .

Kansas v. Hendricks 

Kansas v. Hendricks Leroy Hendricks began sexually abusing children in 1955 at the age of twenty. Over the next thirty years, he accumulated five convictions for molesting a total of ten childrenR . . .

Keeney, Superintendent, Oregon State Penitentiary v. Tamayo-Reyes 

Keeney, Superintendent, Oregon State Penitentiary v. Tamayo-Reyes, decided by a 5-4 vote, May 4, 1992; White wrote the opinion; O'Connor, Blackmun, Stevens, and Kennedy dissented. The Supreme Court co . . .

Kelo v. City of New London 

Kelo v. City of New London, decided by a 5-4 vote, June 23, 2005; Stevens wrote the opinion; O’Connor, Rehnquist, Scalia, and Thomas dissented. Susette Kelo loved the riverfront view from the ni . . .

Kennedy v. Louisiana 

Kennedy v. Louisiana, decided by a 5-4 vote, June 25, 2008; Kennedy wrote the opinion; Alito, Roberts, Scalia, and Thomas dissented. The death penalty cannot be imposed for the crime of child rape or . . .

Kimbrough v. United States 

Kimbrough v. United States, decided by a 7-2 vote, December 10, 2007; Ginsburg wrote the opinion; Thomas and Alito dissented. Federal judges do not have to follow provisions of the sentencing guideli . . .

Kimel v. Florida Board of Regents 

Kimel v. Florida Board of Regents Physics professor J. Daniel Kimel was one of thirty-six faculty members and librarians at two Florida state universities who claimed they had been discriminated agai . . .

Kolstad v. American Dental Association 

Kolstad v. American Dental Association After working for the American Dental Association for four years, Carole Kolstad thought she was the best-qualified candidate when the group's top lobbying job . . .

KSR International Co. v. Teleflex, Inc. 

KSR International Co. v. Teleflex, Inc., decided by a 9-0 vote, April 30, 2007; Kennedy wrote the opinion. The federal appeals court that handles patent cases adopted an overly strict ru . . .

Kyllo v. United States 

Kyllo v. United States On information that led him to believe Danny Lee Kyllo was growing marijuana in his house, a federal agent used a thermal imaging device to scan the building to determine wheth . . .

Lamb's Chapel v. Center Moriches Union Free School District 

Lamb's Chapel v. Center Moriches Union Free School District A dispute between a small evangelical Christian church and a school district in eastern Long Island, New York, over showing films about chi . . .

Lawrence v. Texas 

Lawrence v. Texas, decided by a 6-3 vote, June 26, 2003; Kennedy wrote the opinion; Scalia, Rehnquist, and Thomas dissented. . . .

League of United Latin American Citizens v. Perry, Governor of Texas 

League of United Latin American Citizens v. Perry, Governor of Texas League of United Latin American Citizens v. Perry, Governor of Texas, decided by 7-2, 6-3, and 5-4 votes, June 28, 2006; Kennedy w . . .

Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., Inc. 

Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., Inc., decided by a 5-4 vote, May 29, 2007; Alito wrote the opinion; Ginsburg, Stevens, Souter, and Breyer dissented. Workers may not sue their . . .

Lee v. Weisman 

Lee v. Weisman When Daniel Weisman's older daughter graduated from Nathan Bishop Middle School in Providence, Rhode Island, a Christian clergyman gave the traditional invocation and benediction. The . . .

Leegin Creative Leather Products, Inc. v. PSKS, Inc. 

Leegin Creative Leather Products, Inc. v. PSKS, Inc., decided by a 5-4 vote, June 28, 2007; Kennedy wrote the opinion; Breyer, Stevens, Souter, and Ginsburg dissented. Manufacturers are . . .

Locke, Governor of Washington v. Davey 

Locke, Governor of Washington v. Davey, decided by a 7–2 vote, February 25, 2004; Rehnquist wrote the opinion; Scalia and Thomas dissented. Joshua Davey wanted to go to college for one reason: . . .

Long Island Care at Home, Ltd. v. Coke 

Long Island Care at Home, Ltd. v. Coke, decided by a 9-0 vote, June 11, 2007; Breyer wrote the opinion. The Court upheld a Labor Department regulation that denies federally mandated mi . . .

Lorillard Tobacco Co. v. Reilly 

Lorillard Tobacco Co. v. Reilly Congress took its first steps to regulate cigarette advertising in the 1960s. The Federal Cigarette Labeling and Advertising Act (FCLAA) of 1965 required manufacturers . . .

Lucas v. South Carolina Coastal Council 

Lucas v. South Carolina Coastal Council In 1986 David H. Lucas paid $975,000 for two beachfront lots, on which he intended to build single-family houses. Two years later, South Carolina passed the Be . . .

Madsen v. Women's Health Center, Inc. 

Madsen v. Women's Health Center, Inc. Lawyers for the Aware Woman Center for Choice, in Melbourne, Florida, went to state court claiming that antiabortion demonstrators were trying to close the facil . . .

Massachusetts v. Environmental Protection Agency, 

Massachusetts v. Environmental Protection Agency, decided by a 5-4 vote, April 2, 2007; Stevens wrote the opinion; Roberts, Scalia, Thomas, and Alito dissented. The Environmental Prote . . .

McConnell, United States Senator v. Federal Election Commission 

McConnell, United States Senator v. Federal Election Commission, decided by a 5–4 vote on major issues, December 10, 2003; Stevens and O’Connor wrote the main opinion; Rehnquist and Brey . . .

McFarland v. Scott, Director, Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Institutional Division 

McFarland v. Scott, Director, Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Institutional Division, decided by 6-3 and 5-4 votes, June 30, 1994; Blackmun wrote the opinion; O'Connor dissented in part; Thomas, . . .

McIntyre v. Ohio Elections Commission 

McIntyre v. Ohio Elections Commission Margaret McIntyre thought of herself as a concerned citizen and taxpayer when she passed out leaflets in 1988 opposing a proposed school tax levy in the Westervi . . .

Meacham v. Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory 

Meacham v. Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory, decided by a 7-1 vote, June 19, 2008; Souter wrote the opinion; Thomas dissented in part; Breyer did not participate. An employer accused of discriminating . . .

Medellín v. Dretke, Director, Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Criminal Institutions Division 

Medellín v. Dretke, Director, Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Criminal Institutions Division, decided by a 5-4 vote, May 23, 2005; per curiam opinion; O’Connor, Stevens, Souter, and B . . .

Medellín v. Texas 

Medellín v. Texas, decided by a 6-3 vote, March 25, 2008; Roberts wrote the opinion; Breyer, Souter, and Ginsburg dissented. A Mexican national lost his attempt to belatedly challenge his murder . . .

Melendez-Diaz v. Massachusetts 

Melendez-Diaz v. Massachusetts , decided by a 5-4 vote, June 25, 2009; Scalia wrote the opinion; Kennedy, Roberts, Breyer, and Alito dissented. A criminal defendant has the right under the Confrontati . . .

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. v. Grokster, Ltd. 

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. v. Grokster, Ltd., decided by a 9-0 vote, June 27, 2005; Souter wrote the opinion. Millions of music and film lovers began turning to their computers in the late 1990s . . .

Miller v. Johnson 

Miller v. Johnson Georgia in 1991 adopted a redistricting plan that called for two of the state's eleven congressional districts to have majority black populations. Under the Voting Rights Act of 196 . . .

Missouri v. Jenkins (1995) 

Missouri v. Jenkins decided by a 5-4 vote, June 12, 1995; Rehnquist wrote the opinion; Souter, Stevens, Ginsburg, and Breyer dissented. The federal judge overseeing a school desegregation suit in Kans . . .

Mitchell v. Helms 

Mitchell v. Helms In 1985 Mary Helms and Marie Schneider were public school parents in suburban Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, when they began wondering why public school buses were transporting paroch . . .

Montejo v. Louisiana 

Montejo v. Louisiana , decided by a 5-4 vote, May 26, 2009; Scalia wrote the opinion; Stevens, Souter, Ginsburg, and Breyer dissented. The rule announced in Michigan v. Jackson . . .

Morse v. Frederick 

Morse v. Frederick, decided by a 5-4 vote, June 25, 2007; Roberts wrote the opinion; Breyer dissented in part; Stevens, Souter, and Ginsburg dissented. Public school students can be di . . .

Munaf v. Geren, Secretary of the Army 

Munaf v. Geren, Secretary of the Army, decided by a 9-0 vote, June 12, 2008; Roberts wrote the opinion. U.S. citizens held by the U.S. military operating as part of the Multinational Force in Iraq on . . .

National Organization for Women, Inc. v. Scheidler 

National Organization for Women, Inc. v. Scheidler Frustrated in their efforts to overturn abortion rights rulings in the Supreme Court or Congress, opponents of abortion in the 1990s took their figh . . .

Nevada Department of Human Resources v. Hibbs 

Nevada Department of Human Resources v. Hibbs Nevada Department of Human Resources v. Hibbs, decided by a 6-3 vote, May 27, 2003; Rehnquist wrote the opinion; Kennedy, Scalia, and Thom . . .

New York v. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission 

New York v. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, decided by 9–0 and 6–3 votes, March 4, 2002; Stevens wrote the opinion; Thomas, Scalia, and Kennedy dissented in part. The Court upheld a . . .

New York v. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission 

New York v. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, decided by 9–0 and 6–3 votes, March 4, 2002; Stevens wrote the opinion; Thomas, Scalia, and Kennedy dissented in part. The Court upheld a . . .

Nixon v. Shrink Missouri Government PAC 

Nixon v. Shrink Missouri Government PAC Zev David Fredman was a thirty-four-year-old political neophyte when he declared his candidacy for the Republican nomination for state auditor in 1997. A polit . . .

Northwest Austin Municipal Utility District v. Holder, Attorney General 

Northwest Austin Municipal Utility District v. Holder, Attorney General , decided by an 8-1 vote, June 22, 2009; Roberts wrote the opinion; Thomas dissented in part. Any political subdivision covered . . .

Oncale v. Sundowner Offshore Services, Inc. 

Oncale v. Sundowner Offshore Services, Inc., decided by a 9-0 vote, March 4, 1998; Scalia wrote the opinion. An offshore oil rig is a quintessentially male workplace: an isolated job site where tough . . .

Panetti v. Quarterman, Director, Texas Department of Criminal Justice,                   Correctional Institutions Division 

Panetti v. Quarterman, Director, Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Correctional Institutions Division, decided by a 5-4 vote, June 28, 2007; Kennedy wrote the opinion; Thomas, . . .

Parents Involved in Community Schools v. Seattle School District No.                   1 

Parents Involved in Community Schools v. Seattle School District No. 1, decided by a 5-4 vote, June 28, 2007; Roberts wrote the opinion; Kennedy wrote a partial concurre . . .

Payne v. Tennessee 

Payne v. Tennessee Pervis Tyrone Payne was convicted by a Tennessee jury of the murders of a woman and her two-year-old daughter and of assault with intent to murder her three-year-old son. During hi . . .

PGA Tour, Inc. v. Martin 

PGA Tour, Inc. v. Martin Golfer Casey Martin suffered from Klippel-Trenaunay-Weber Syndrome, a rare circulatory disorder that made walking painful and posed a long-term risk to his health. In college . . .

Philip Morris USA v. Williams 

Philip Morris USA v. Williams, decided by a 5-4 vote, February 20, 2007; Breyer wrote the opinion; Ginsburg, Stevens, Scalia, and Thomas dissented. Punitive damages cannot be imposed o . . .

Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. Casey 

Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. Casey Ever since the ruling in Roe v. Wade, 410 U.S. 113 (1973), abortion opponents had tried to get legislation enacted that would make it difficul . . .

Pleasant Grove City, Utah v. Summum 

Pleasant Grove City, Utah v. Summum, decided by a 9-0 vote, February 25, 2009; Alito wrote the opinion. The placement of a permanent monument in a public park is a form of government speech and is not . . .

Printz v. United States 

Printz v. United States In 1993 Congress enacted the so-called Brady bill, named for President Reagan's press secretary, James Brady, who was seriously wounded March 30, 1981, when an attempt was mad . . .

R.A.V. v. City of St. Paul 

R.A.V. v. City of St. Paul Early one morning in June 1990, R.A.V. and several other teenagers burned a cross in the front yard of a black family who had recently moved into their neighborhood. Althou . . .

Randall v. Sorrell 

Randall v. Sorrell Randall v. Sorrell, decided by a 6-3 vote, June 26, 2006; Breyer wrote the plurality opinion; Scalia, Kennedy, and Thomas concurred in the judgment; Souter, Stevens, and Ginsburg d . . .

Rapanos v. United States 

Rapanos v. United States Rapanos v. United States, decided by a 5-4 vote, June 19, 2006; Scalia wrote the opinion; Kennedy concurred in the judgment; Stevens, Souter, Ginsburg, and Breyer dissented. . . .

Rasul v. Bush 

Rasul v. Bush, President of the United States, decided by a 6–3 vote, June 28, 2004; Stevens wrote the opinion; Scalia, Rehnquist, and Thomas dissented. They were rounded up by the hundreds on . . .

Reno v. American Civil Liberties Union 

Reno v. American Civil Liberties Union As part of its wide-ranging Telecommunications Act of 1996, Congress passed the Communications Decency Act (CDA). One provision made it a criminal offense to kn . . .

Republican Party of Minnesota v. White 

Republican Party of Minnesota v. White Gregory Wersal, a Minneapolis-area lawyer and a self-described strict constructionist, wanted to get Republican Party support for a campaign for the Minnesota S . . .

Ricci v. DeStefano 

Ricci v. DeStefano , decided by a 5-4 vote, June 29, 2009; Kennedy wrote the opinion; Ginsburg, Stevens, Souter, and Breyer dissented. An employer can make a race-conscious employment decision to avoi . . .

Riegel v. Medtronic, Inc. 

Riegel v. Medtronic, Inc., decided by an 8-1 vote, February 20, 2008; Scalia wrote the opinion; Ginsburg dissented. Individuals cannot sue the makers of medical devices under state law for personal i . . .

Ring v. Arizona 

Ring v. Arizona In 1996 three men were arrested and tried for robbing an armored car and killing its driver, John Magosh. None of the three men testified at trial, and the jury was unable to determin . . .

Rita v. United States 

Rita v. United States, decided by an 8-1 vote, June 21, 2007; Breyer wrote the opinion; Souter dissented. A federal appeals court may treat as presumptively reasonable a sentence withi . . .

Romer v. Evans 

Romer v. Evans Gay rights advocates won a rare victory from the Supreme Court with a decision striking down a Colorado initiative that sought to prohibit passage of state or local laws banning discri . . .

Roper, Superintendent, Potosi Correctional Center v. Simmons 

Roper, Superintendent, Potosi Correctional Center v. Simmons, decided by a 5-4 vote, March 1, 2005; Kennedy wrote the opinion; Scalia, Rehnquist, O’Connor, and Thomas dissented. Christopher Simm . . .

Rosenberger v. Rector and Visitors of University of Virginia 

Rosenberger v. Rector and Visitors of University of Virginia Many colleges and universities help finance campus publications and organizations by imposing a mandatory “activity fee” on st . . .

Rumsfeld v. Padilla 

Rumsfeld, Secretary of Defense v. Padilla, decided by a 5–4 vote, June 28, 2004; Rehnquist wrote the opinion; Stevens, Souter, Ginsburg, and Breyer dissented. A U.S. citizen challenging his d . . .

Rumsfeld, Secretary of Defense v. Forum for Academic and Institutional Rights, Inc. 

Rumsfeld, Secretary of Defense v. Forum for Academic and Institutional Rights, Inc. Rumsfeld, Secretary of Defense v. Forum for Academic and Institutional Rights, Inc., decided by an 8-0 vote, March . . .

Rust v. Sullivan 

Rust v. Sullivan An abortion-related funding dispute forced the Supreme Court to decide how far the government could go in limiting the activities of private organizations that receive federal financ . . .

Saenz v. Roe 

Saenz v. Roe “Brenda Roe,” who was pregnant with her first child, and her husband moved to California from Oklahoma in 1997 after he lost his job. Roe—a pseudonym used in later liti . . .

Safford Unified School District #1 v. Redding 

Safford Unified School District #1 v. Redding , decided by 8-1 and 7-2 votes, June 25, 2009; Souter wrote the opinion; Thomas dissented from the main holding; Stevens and Ginsburg dissented from the s . . .

Sale, Acting Commissioner, Immigration and Naturalization Service v. Haitian Centers Council, Inc. 

Sale, Acting Commissioner, Immigration and Naturalization Service v. Haitian Centers Council, Inc., decided by an 8-1 vote, June 21, 1993; Stevens wrote the opinion; Blackmun dissented. For most of it . . .

Sanchez-Llamas v. Oregon 

Sanchez-Llamas v. Oregon Sanchez-Llamas v. Oregon, decided by a 6-3 vote, June 28, 2006; Roberts wrote the opinion; Breyer, Stevens, and Souter dissented. . . .

Santa Fe Independent School District v. Doe 

Santa Fe Independent School District v. Doe Marian Ward received a standing ovation at the Santa Fe, Texas, high school football team's season opener in September 1999 after she delivered a pregame p . . .

Seminole Tribe of Florida v. Florida 

Seminole Tribe of Florida v. Florida Congress has authority under Article I, Section 8, to regulate any commerce affecting or involving Indian tribes. Under this authority, it passed the Indian Gamin . . .

Shaw v. Hunt 

Shaw v. Hunt See Bush v. Vera . . . .

Shaw v. Reno 

Shaw v. Reno The Voting Rights Act of 1965 aimed not only at ensuring access to the ballot box, but also that the minority vote would count. Section 2 sought to guarantee racial minorities an equal o . . .

Simon & Schuster, Inc. v. Members of New York State Crime Victims Board 

Simon & Schuster, Inc. v. Members of New York State Crime Victims Board In an effort to prevent criminals from profiting from books or other accounts of their offenses, New York passed a law requirin . . .

Smith v. City of Jackson, Mississippi 

Smith v. City of Jackson, Mississippi, decided by a 5-3 vote on the legal issue and an 8-0 vote on the result, March 30, 2005; Stevens wrote the main opinion; Scalia concurred in the judgment; O’ . . .

Smith v. Doe and Connecticut Department of Public Safety v. Doe 

Smith v. Doe and Connecticut Department of Public Safety v. Doe Smith v. Doe, decided by a 6-3 vote, March 5, 2003; Kennedy wrote the opinion; Stevens, Ginsburg, and Breyer dissented . . .

Sosa v. Alvarez-Machain 

Sosa v. Alvarez-Machain, decided by a 9–0 vote, June 29, 2004; Souter wrote the opinion. A Mexican doctor kidnapped to stand trial in the United States but later acquitted was barred from brin . . .

St. Mary's Honor Center v. Hicks 

St. Mary's Honor Center v. Hicks, decided by a 5-4 vote, June 25, 1993; Scalia wrote the opinion; Souter, White, Blackmun, and Stevens dissented. When the Supreme Court handed down a series of decisio . . .

State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co. v. Campbell 

State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co. v. Campbell State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co. v. Campbell, decided by a 6-3 vote, April 7, 2003; Kennedy wrote the opinion; Scalia, . . .

Stenberg v. Carhart 

Stenberg v. Carhart LeRoy Carhart was one of only three physicians performing abortions in Nebraska in the late 1990s and the only one who performed the operation on women more than sixteen weeks pre . . .

Stoneridge Investment Partners, L.L.C. v. Scientific-Atlanta, Inc. 

Stoneridge Investment Partners, L.L.C. v. Scientific-Atlanta, Inc., decided by a 5-3 vote; January 16, 2007; Kennedy wrote the opinion; Stevens dissented; Breyer did not participate. Investors cannot . . .

Sutton v. United Air Lines, Inc. 

Sutton v. United Air Lines, Inc. Twin sisters, Karen Sutton and Kimberly Hinton, long had the ambition to become pilots for a major commercial airline. They had both flown for regional carriers and w . . .

Swidler & Berlin v. United States 

Swidler & Berlin v. United States, decided by a 6-3 vote, June 25, 1998; Rehnquist wrote the opinion; O'Connor, Scalia, and Thomas dissented. Vincent Foster was under a lot of stress when he went to t . . .

Tennessee v. Lane 

Tennessee v. Lane, decided by a 5–4 vote, May 17, 2004; Stevens wrote the opinion; Rehnquist, Scalia, Kennedy, and Thomas dissented. When George Lane arrived at the Polk County, Tennessee, cou . . .

Town of Castle Rock, Colorado v. Gonzales 

Town of Castle Rock, Colorado v. Gonzales, decided by a 7-2 vote, June 27, 2005; Scalia wrote the opinion; Stevens and Ginsburg dissented. Local police officers did not deprive a woman of a constitu . . .

Troxel v. Granville 

Troxel v. Granville Gary and Jenifer Troxel's son, Brad, fathered two children with Tommie Granville, although the two never married. They separated in 1991, before the younger daughter, Isabelle, wa . . .

Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. v. Federal Communications Commission 

Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. v. Federal Communications Commission The passage of the Cable Television Consumer Protection and Competition Act of 1992, a federal law requiring cable systems to car . . .

U.S. Term Limits, Inc. v. Thornton 

U.S. Term Limits, Inc. v. Thornton In a few short years the idea of term limits for members of Congress grew from a fringe political notion into a national movement. The Supreme Court dealt the cause . . .

United Haulers Association, Inc. v. Oneida-Herkimer Solid Waste                   Management Authority 

United Haulers Association, Inc. v. Oneida-Herkimer Solid Waste Management Authority, decided by a 6-3 vote, April 30, 2007; Roberts wrote the opinion; Alito, Stevens, an . . .

United States v. Alvarez-Machain 

United States v. Alvarez-Machain Humberto Alvarez-Machain was a citizen and resident of Mexico. In April 1990, under the direction of U.S. officials, he was abducted from his home in Guadalajara, Mex . . .

United States v. American Library Association, Inc. 

United States v. American Library Association, Inc. United States v. American Library Association, Inc., decided by a 6-3 vote, June 23, 2003; Rehnquist wrote the main opinion; Steven . . .

United States v. Bajakajian 

United States v. Bajakajian, decided by a 5-4 vote, June 22, 1998; Thomas wrote the opinion; Kennedy, Rehnquist, O'Connor, and Scalia dissented. When a federal customs inspector at Los Angeles Interna . . .

United States v. Dominguez Benitez 

United States v. Dominguez Benitez, decided by a 9–0 vote, June 14, 2004; Souter wrote the opinion. A defendant who fails to object to incomplete warnings before entering a guilty plea in fede . . .

United States v. Fordice, Governor of Mississippi; Ayers v. Fordice, Governor of Mississippi 

United States v. Fordice, Governor of Mississippi; Ayers v. Fordice, Governor of Mississippi, decided by an 8-1 vote, June 26, 1992; White wrote the opinion; Scalia dissented. Thirty-eight years after . . .

United States v. Lopez 

United States v. Lopez In 1990, following a rash of shootings in schools, Congress passed the Gun-Free School Zones Act, making it a federal offense for anyone to knowingly possess a firearm within a . . .

United States v. Morrison 

United States v. Morrison Congress passed the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 in an attempt to stem what it called the “escalating problem” of attacks against women. The law's many pro . . .

United States v. O'Hagan 

United States v. O'Hagan, decided by 6-3, 7-2, and 9-0 votes, June 25, 1997; Ginsburg wrote the opinion; Thomas, Rehnquist, and Scalia dissented in part. James O'Hagan made a $4.3 million killing in s . . .

United States v. Ursery 

United States v. Ursery, decided by an 8-1 vote, June 24, 1996; Rehnquist wrote the opinion; Stevens dissented in part. Tina Bennis had reason enough to be upset when Detroit police arrested her husba . . .

United States v. Virginia 

United States v. Virginia Single-sex schools have a long history in the United States, especially in higher education. Whatever their educational advantages or disadvantages, single-sex public school . . .

United States v. Williams 

United States v. Williams, decided by a 7-2 vote, May 19, 2008; Scalia wrote the opinion; Souter and Ginsburg dissented. A federal law that prohibits individuals from offering to provide, or requestin . . .

Uttecht, Superintendent, Washington State Penitentiary v.                   Brown 

Uttecht, Superintendent, Washington State Penitentiary v. Brown, decided by a 5-4 vote, June 4, 2007; Kennedy wrote the opinion; Stevens, Souter, Ginsburg, and Breyer dissented. Feder . . .

Vacco v. Quill 

Vacco v. Quill Laws making it a crime to assist someone to commit suicide date back centuries. The laws—widely accepted but rarely used—came under attack in the late twentieth century fro . . .

Vernonia School District 47J v. Acton 

Vernonia School District 47J v. Acton Vernonia, Oregon, a logging community of about three thousand people in the northwestern tip of the state, might seem far removed from the problem of teenage dru . . .

Vieth v. Jubelirer 

Vieth v. Jubelirer, President of the Pennsylvania Senate, decided by a 5–4 vote, April 28, 2004; Scalia wrote the plurality opinion; Kennedy concurred in the judgment; Stevens, Souter, Ginsbur . . .

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. v. Samara Brothers, Inc. 

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. v. Samara Brothers, Inc., decided by a 9-0 vote, March 22, 2000; Scalia wrote the opinion. The design of a product is not ordinarily protected by trademark law. The ruling set as . . .

Washington v. Glucksberg 

Washington v. Glucksberg See Vacco v. Quill . . . .

Watchtower Bible & Tract Society v. Village of Stratton 

Watchtower Bible & Tract Society v. Village of Stratton The small village of Stratton, Ohio, prohibited canvassers from going door-to-door to sell any product or promote any cause without first getti . . .

Watters, Commissioner, Michigan Office of Insurance and Financial                   Services v. Wachovia Bank, N.A. 

Watters, Commissioner, Michigan Office of Insurance and Financial Services v. Wachovia Bank, N.A., decided by a 5-3 vote, April 17, 2007; Ginsburg wrote the opinion; Stevens, . . .

Wisconsin v. Mitchell 

Wisconsin v. Mitchell The United States in the 1980s experienced an apparent increase in assaults and other crimes against victims targeted because of their race, religion, ethnicity, or sexual orien . . .

Wyeth v. Levine 

Wyeth v. Levine, decided by a 6-3 vote, March 4, 2009; Stevens wrote the opinion; Alito, Roberts, and Scalia dissented. Federal approval of a pharmaceutical warning label by the Food and Drug Administ . . .

Zelman v. Simmons-Harris 

Zelman v. Simmons-Harris In one of its most important church-state cases in a decade, a bitterly divided Court upheld an Ohio school voucher plan and removed any constitutional barriers to similar vo . . .

Zobrest v. Catalina Foothills School District 

Zobrest v. Catalina Foothills School District While James Zobrest, a deaf student in Tucson, Arizona, attended public school, the school district paid for a sign-language interpreter to assist him. Z . . .