Ford vs Wainwright (1986):
Alvin Ford was a murder who was sentenced to death in the state of Florida. While on death row, he began expressing symptoms of paranoid schizophrenia. This case addresses the issue of whether the mentally ill can receive the death penalty. The court ruled that the 8th amendment prohibitts the execution of the insane. I don't think it should matter since he wasn't insane when he committed the murder. I understand why someone with serious mental problems should not be executed, but this seems to get taken advantage of with every convicted murder using the insanity defense anymore.
Reno vs ACLU (1999):
In this case the court decided to strike down the Communications Decency Act, saying it violated the first amendment. The act was an attempt by congress to regulate explicit content on the internet. The court only ruled against the anti-indecency provisions of the act and it was eventually passed. This stood out to me because with the growing popularity of the internet, I am surprised there has not been more supreme court cases regarding the "laws" of what people can do online.
Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania vs Casey(1992):
This challenged the constitutionality of several PA abortion laws. Such as informed consent,spousal consent,parental consent,and a 24 hour waiting period. The court ruled that the laws were constitutional except for the requirement of spousal notification. It stood out to me because this is specific to Pennsylvania.I can't believe minors in some states can get an abortion without parental consent. It seems like this would lead many to get an abortion just to avoid telling their parents =/
"I am surprised there has not been more supreme court cases regarding the "laws" of what people can do online."
ReplyDeleteMany commentators expect that this will happen, although it's potentially complicated by the fact that many websites are not in the US.