United States Supreme Court - April 2007 Opinion Summaries

EC Term of Years Trust v. US

Administrative Law, Banking Law, Tax Law
In a refund action brought by a trust under 28 U.S.C. section 1346(a)(1), arising from allegedly wrongful levies by the IRS on a bank account in which...

Microsoft Corp. v. AT&T Corp.

Cyberspace Law, Intellectual Property, International Law, International Trade, Patent
In a patent infringement suit brought by AT&T charging Microsoft with liability for foreign installations of Windows under 35 U.S.C. section...

KSR Int'l Co. v. Teleflex Inc.

Intellectual Property, Patent, Transportation
In a patent dispute involving adjustable pedal systems and raising issues regarding the "teaching, suggestion, or motivation" test for obviousness, a...

Scott v. Harris

Civil Rights, Constitutional Law, Criminal Law & Procedure
A police officer's attempt to terminate a dangerous high-speed car chase that threatens the lives of innocent by-standers does not violate the Fourth...

United Haulers Ass'n, Inc. v. Oneida-Herkimer Solid Waste Mgmt. Auth.

Civil Rights, Commercial Law, Constitutional Law, Government Law
In a suit brought by a trade association and individual haulers under 42 U.S.C. section 1983 alleging that certain counties' flow control ordinances...

Smith v. Texas

Criminal Law & Procedure, Evidence, Habeas Corpus, Sentencing
In a first-degree murder and death penalty case in which sentencing took place in between the two Penry decisions of the Supreme Court, denial of...

Brewer v. Quarterman

Criminal Law & Procedure, Evidence, Habeas Corpus, Sentencing
In a capital murder case, denial of a habeas petition is reversed where the Texas capital sentencing statute, as interpreted by a state court,...

Abdul-Kabir v. Quarterman

Criminal Law & Procedure, Evidence, Habeas Corpus, Sentencing
In a capital murder case, denial of habeas relief for petitioner is reversed where there was a reasonable likelihood that a state trial court's...

Gonzales v. Carhart

Constitutional Law, Criminal Law & Procedure, Health Law
In a challenge to the federal Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act which proscribes a particular method of ending fetal life in the later stages of...

James v. US

Criminal Law & Procedure, Sentencing
Attempted burglary, as defined by Florida law, is a "violent felony" under the Armed Career Criminal Act (ACCA) for sentencing purposes.