Articles Posted in Constitutional Law

Supreme Court Rules in Favor of Baker Who Refused to Create Wedding Cake for Gay Couple Updated: Published by:

Today, in a 7-2 opinion authored by Justice Kennedy, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of a baker who refused to create a cake for a gay couple. The Court held that the Colorado Civil Rights Commission’s actions violated the baker’s right to free exercise of religion under the First…

United States Supreme Court Declines to Hear Case on Arkansas Abortion Law Ending the Use of Medication Abortions Updated: Published by:

On Tuesday, May 29, 2018, the United States Supreme Court denied Planned Parenthood's petition for a writ of certiorari in Planned Parenthood of Arkansas & Eastern Oklahoma v. Jegley (8th Cir. 2017). At issue is an Arkansas abortion law that requires doctors who provide medication abortions to contract with a…

Judge Rules the President Can’t Block Twitter Users Updated: Published by:

A federal district court judge has ruled the President cannot block users from his Twitter account based on their political views. The account is a public forum and as such the President's first amendment rights do not out weigh those of his Twitter followers. Read the full opinion and view…

Federal Court Denies Government Motion to Dismiss Lawsuit Challenging Warrantless Device Searches at Border Updated: Published by:

A federal district court judge in Massachusetts recently issued a memorandum and order denying the government’s motion to dismiss a case challenging warrantless searches of electronic device at the US Boarder. The plaintiffs (ten United States citizens and one permanent resident) brought suit in September 2017 against the Department of…

US Supreme Court Clears Path for Legalized Sports Betting Nationwide Updated: Published by:

In a 6-3 opinion, the US Supreme Court struck down a 1992 federal statute that prohibited most states from allowing sports betting. Ruling in favor of the State of New Jersey and against sports leagues including the NCAA, the Court found that the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA)…

Trump Administration Gets Permission to Appeal DACA Ruling Updated: Published by:

A federal district court judge in New York has granted the government's request to appeal his earlier ruling that plaintiffs seeking to stop the president's attempted rollback of the Obama-era Deferred Action for Child Arrivals (DACA) immigration policy could cite Trump's "racially charged" language as part of their case. 

Seventh Circuit Strikes Down Abortion Law Signed by Mike Pence Updated: Published by:

The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals recently struck down a law regulating abortions signed into law in March of 2016 by then Indiana Governor Mike Pence. Called the “Sex Selective and Disability Abortion Ban”, the law imposed restrictions on a woman’s ability to have an abortion based on her reasons…

Trump Administration Names California in Lawsuit Over U.S. Land Sales Updated: Published by:

On Wednesday, April 04, 2018, the U.S Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against California challenging a law that provides the state with the power to purchase federal lands or to designate a specific buyer. Lawmakers who passed the law reasoned that it is needed due to the 46 million…