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By David L. Hudson Jr. In Matal v. Tam, 582 U.S. __ (2017), the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously ruled 8-0 that a federal law prohibiting trademark names that disparage others was unconstitutional because “speech may not be banned on the grounds that it expresses ideas that offend.”
The United States Supreme Court has never invalidated a constitutional amendment on the grounds that it was outside the amending power. … When an amendment is proposed in violation of a provision limiting the power of amendment, the courts should declare its provisions to be void.
When your constitutional rights are breached during the criminal justice process, and the breach contributes to a guilty conviction, you can pursue an appeal based on an error in the criminal procedure or jury misconduct, or file a motion for a new trial.
Alabama (1932) and Gideon v. Wainwright (1963). The Supreme Court also decided that at the time of his arrest the accused must be notified of both this right to counsel and the right not to answer any questions that might produce evidence against him (see Miranda v. Arizona).
The Court ruled that the constitutional prohibition of laws establishing religion meant that government had no business drafting formal prayers for any segment of its population to repeat in a government-sponsored religious program.
The U.S. Supreme Court has decided several cases involving the First Amendment rights of public school students, but the most often cited are Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District (1969), Bethel School District No. 403 v.
In Packingham v. North Carolina, 582 US ___ (2017), the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously invalidated a North Carolina law that prohibited sex offenders from accessing social media websites.
Scalia explained that “The reason why fighting words are categorically excluded from the protection of the First Amendment is not that their content communicates any particular idea, but that their content embodies a particularly intolerable (and socially unnecessary) mode of expressing whatever idea the speaker wishes …
The case that changed trademark law, Matal v. Tam, involved the Asian-American rock band The Slants. They filed an application for a trademark to register their band name with the USPTO, but the office rejected the band’s application. … The Slants said they wanted to “reclaim” a slur used against those of Asian descent.
The U.S. Supreme Court case Marbury v. Madison (1803) established the principle of judicial review—the power of the federal courts to declare legislative and executive acts unconstitutional. The unanimous opinion was written by Chief Justice John Marshall. … The Supreme Court issued its opinion on February 24, 1803.
Case law is law that is based on judicial decisions rather than law based on constitutions, statutes, or regulations. … For example, a case in New York would not be decided using case law from California. Instead, New York courts will analyze the issue relying on binding precedent.
The United States Supreme Court is a federal court, meaning in part that it can hear cases prosecuted by the U.S. government. (The Court also decides civil cases.) The Court can also hear just about any kind of state-court case, as long as it involves federal law, including the Constitution.
An unconstitutional constitutional amendment is a concept in judicial review based on the idea that even a properly passed and properly ratified constitutional amendment, specifically one that is not explicitly prohibited by a constitution’s text, can nevertheless be unconstitutional on substantive (as opposed to …
Throughout the world, constitutional courts have asserted ever increasing powers. One of the most significant areas involves the claimed judicial power to declare otherwise perfectly constitutional amendments to be unconstitutional, because the judges believe they are not in accord with constitutional norms.
When laws, procedures, or acts directly violate the constitution, they are unconstitutional. All others are considered constitutional until challenged and declared otherwise, typically by the courts using judicial review.
A Section 1983 lawsuit is the right way to sue an official who works for a state or local government, and a Bivens claim is the way someone can pursue a federal official when that official has violated the person’s constitutional rights. … You can also seek punitive damages and attorney’s fees in certain cases.
A constitutional tort is a violation of one’s constitutional rights by a government employee. The alleged constitutional violation creates a cause of action that is distinct from any otherwise available state tort remedy. … As with common law torts, the usual remedy for constitutional torts is monetary damages.
A person’s human rights cannot be taken away. … Individuals from some countries may also be able to take a complaint of human rights violations to a United Nations committee of experts, which would then give its opinion. In addition, education about human rights is just as important as having laws to protect people.
Treason is a unique offense in our constitutional order—the only crime expressly defined by the Constitution, and applying only to Americans who have betrayed the allegiance they are presumed to owe the United States.
Examples of civil rights include the right to vote, the right to a fair trial, the right to government services, the right to a public education, and the right to use public facilities.
They guarantee rights such as religious freedom, freedom of the press, and trial by jury to all American citizens. First Amendment: Freedom of religion, freedom of speech and the press, the right to assemble, the right to petition government. Second Amendment: The right to form a militia and to keep and bear arms.
Civil rights attorneys deal with all types of cases, ranging from unlawful searches and false arrests to improper conduct and excessive force by law officers.
United States , the U.S. Supreme Court rules that if the Sixth Amendment’s speedy trial right is violated, then the Court must dismiss the indictment against the defendant or reverse the conviction.
The 4th Amendment protects you from unlawful searches. The 5th Amendment is the right to remain silent. The 6th Amendment is the right to counsel. So, when stopped, you simply say: “I will not consent to a search today.
Ninth Amendment, amendment (1791) to the Constitution of the United States, part of the Bill of Rights, formally stating that the people retain rights absent specific enumeration. … The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.
In Engel v. Vitale, the Court ruled that for public schools to hold official recitation of prayers violated the Establishment Clause. … The ruling did prohibit schools from writing or choosing a specific prayer and requiring all students to say it.
Engel v. Vitale is one of the required Supreme Court cases for AP U.S. Government and Politics. This case resulted in the landmark decision that established that it was unconstitutional for public schools to lead students in prayer.