By Natalia Holliday, Web Editor Three years after the Bosnian civil war in the 1990s, Petitioner Divna Maslenjak and her non-party husband Ratko sought refugee status in the United States for fear of persecution from both sides of the conflict.[1] As Serbs living in Bosnia, Maslenjak held that Muslims […]
Post Tagged with: "SCOTUS"
Summer SCOTUS Roundup: Playgrounds and Free Exercise in Trinity Lutheran Church of Columbia, Inc. v. Comer
By Kyle Steenland, Associate Editor Good news for religious organizations hoping to utilize state offered grants and subsidies; not so good news for those opposed to the potential of taxpayer dollars going to religious institutions. A recent Supreme Court decision, with seven justices for and two against, ruled that […]
Summer SCOTUS Roundup: First Amendment, Sex Offenders, and Social Media in Packingham v. North Carolina
By Karissa Murphy, Executive Editor In 2002, Lester Packingham, a 21-year-old college student, became a registered sex offender after pleading guilty to taking indecent liberties with a child — having sex with a 13-year-old girl.[1] In 2010, Packingham logged onto his personal Facebook account and posted a statement celebrating […]
Summer SCOTUS Roundup: Gorsuch and the Death Penalty in McGehee v. Hutchinson
By Nick Frost, Executive Editor One of the most contentious issues in America today is the application of the death penalty. It is undoubtedly a common topic in public speaking classes around the world because of the passionate arguments it invokes for both sides. It has caused countless protests […]
Supreme Court Heightens Expectations for Special Education, Hints About Neil Gorsuch
By Susan Pickup, Staff Writer In the 8-0 decision Endrew F. v. Douglas County School District, the U.S. Supreme Court held in favor of a student with autism and attention deficit disorder (ADD), a small victory for students with disabilities everywhere.[1] The issue dealt with the federal Individual with […]
The Batson Rule: Continuing the Fight Against Racial Discrimination in the Courts
By David Zvirman, Staff Writer The proposition that when a person is tried before a court that the jury should not be tainted with racial discrimination is not a new or novel idea. Unfortunately, there have been times throughout our country’s history where this idea has been tested. This […]
Supreme Court Decision Frees Pittsburgh Man Who Grew Up in Prison
By Kristin Hoffman, Staff Writer In United States v. Miller, a divided Supreme Court struck down mandatory life sentences without parole for juveniles.[1] The ruling said that these mandatory sentences violate the constitutional amendment prohibiting cruel and unusual punishment because children lack maturity, have an underdeveloped sense of responsibility, […]
Supreme Court Confronts Opportunity to Extend Bivens Remedies
By Karissa Murphy, Staff Writer On the morning of October 3, 2001, Anser Mehmood was asleep with his wife Uzma and their 1-year-old son when FBI and INS agents knocked on the door.[1] The officers searched Mehmood’s home, asked if he was “involved with a jihad,” and then arrested […]
A 2017 Supreme Court Case to Watch: What is a Quality Education?
By Alyssa Lazar, Staff Writer Court watchers all over the country are engrossed in the outcome of a case known as Endrew F. v. Douglas County School District, which ranks as one of the top 10 Supreme Court cases to watch in 2017.[1] The decision the Court will render […]
The Legalities Behind President Trump’s Executive Order to Ban Immigration
By Drew Rummel, Staff Writer Arguably, the hottest topic in political news in the past two weeks has been the executive order that President Donald Trump issued, which temporarily banned immigration into the United States from seven overseas countries. The ban, if allowed, would halt immigration from those countries […]