United States Supreme Court - March 2003 Opinion Summaries

ARCHER v. WARNER

Bankruptcy Law, Civil Procedure, Contracts, Injury & Tort Law
A debt for money promised in a settlement agreement accompanied by the release of underlying tort claims can amount to a debt for money obtained by...

BRANCH v. SMITH

Constitutional Law, Elections, Government Law
District court properly enjoined a Mississippi court's proposed congressional re-districting plan, as that plan had not been pre-cleared and had no...

BROWN v. LEGAL FOUND. OF WASHINGTON

Banking Law, Constitutional Law, Ethics & Professional Responsibility, Property Law & Real Estate
A state law requiring client funds that could not otherwise generate net earnings for the client be deposited in an "interest on lawyers' trust...

WOODFORD v. GARCEAU

Criminal Law & Procedure, Habeas Corpus
For purposes of application of amendments made to 28 U.S.C. ch. 153 by the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act (AEDPA), a case does not...

CITY OF CUYAHOGA FALLS v. BUCKEYE CMTY. HOPE FOUND.

Civil Rights, Constitutional Law, Construction, Elections, Government Law, Property Law & Real Estate
A city did not violate the Equal Protection Clause by submitting a facially-neutral referendum petition to voters, which called for repeal of a...

COOK COUNTY v. US EX REL CHANDLER

Administrative Law, Civil Procedure, Government Law, Health Law
Local governments are "persons" amenable to qui tam actions under the False Claims Act, 31 U.S.C. section 3729.

NORFOLK & W. RY. CO. v. AYERS

Government Benefits, Health Law, Injury & Tort Law, Labor & Employment Law, Transportation
Mental anguish damages resulting from the fear of developing cancer may be recovered under the Federal Employers' Liability Act, by a railroad worker...

SMITH v. DOE

Constitutional Law, Criminal Law & Procedure, Cyberspace Law, Sentencing
The Alaska Sex Offender Registration Act is non-punitive, thus application of its registration requirement is not retroactive punishment and does not...

LOCKYER v. ANDRADE

Constitutional Law, Criminal Law & Procedure, Habeas Corpus, Sentencing
A California appeals court decision, affirming a sentence of two consecutive terms of 25 years to life in prison for a "third strike" conviction, was...

EWING v. CALIFORNIA

Constitutional Law, Criminal Law & Procedure, Sentencing
The Eighth Amendment does not prohibit the State of California from sentencing a repeat felon to a prison term of 25 years under the state's "three...