The last amendment sent to the states for ratification was the District of Columbia Voting Rights Amendment, a failed amendment that would have given D.C. full representation in Congress, in the Electoral College, and in the Constitutional amendment process. It was … Continue reading
Category Archives: Legal Fact of the Week
The President is given the pardon power under Article II, section 2 of the Constitution, which states that the President “shall have power to grant reprieves and pardons for offenses against the United States, except in cases of impeachment”. Presidential pardons are … Continue reading
As the Constitution does not specify the size of the Supreme Court, Congress has the authority to do so. The Judiciary Act of 1789 set the number at 6 justices, although it has ranged from a low of 5 (in … Continue reading
The 19th amendment to the Constitution, which granted women the right to vote, was originally introduced in Congress in 1878 but was rejected by the Senate. It was reintroduced in 1918 but failed. It was approved by both houses of Congress in 1919 … Continue reading
In 1971 a plaintiff filed a pauper’s suit in U.S. District Court, on behalf of himself and all other similarly situated, against Satan and his servants. Plaintiff alleged that Satan had “threatened him, caused him misery, impeded his course in … Continue reading
Two of America’s most famous “founding fathers” are not signatories to the Constitution: Thomas Jefferson, who was serving as ambassador to France; and John Adams, who was serving as ambassador to Great Britain.
In June of this year the Supreme Court altered the online retail landscape in South Dakota v. Wayfair, Inc. (2018). In a 5-4 decision, the Court overruled Quill Corp. v. North Dakota (1992), which held that the Dormant Commerce Clause prevented states … Continue reading
While common in European countries, only 3 US states have ‘duty to rescue’ laws, otherwise known colloquially as ‘bad Samaritan laws’, on the books. These laws, which exist in Minnesota, Rhode Island, and Vermont, make it a crime to not provide reasonable assistance to … Continue reading
Earlier this year California became the first state to eliminate cash bail, replacing it with a system based on assessment of a defendant’s risk to public safety. Critics of the cash bail system had long argued that cash bail perpetuates economic inequality. … Continue reading
Graffiti artists whose work on the 5Pointz building in Queens NY was destroyed by the owner’s painting over them some ten months before the building was demolished, were deemed by the U.S. District Court in 2018 to be protected by the … Continue reading
Ohio is listed as the 17th state, having been admitted to the Union in 1803. Congress overlooked a formal vote on a resolution admitting Ohio to statehood that was not rectified until 1953, when Congress did so retroactively.
Filial responsibility laws, otherwise known as ‘filial support laws’, exist in about 30 states by statute, including CA and MA. These laws impose legal requirement for children to help support indigent parents or other relatives by providing or paying for … Continue reading