Civil forfeiture allows the government (typically the police) to seize — and then keep or sell — any property that is allegedly involved in a crime or illegal activity. Owners need not ever be arrested or convicted of a crime for their cash,...
constitutional law
A civil right is an enforceable right or privilege, which if interfered with by another gives rise to an action for injury.
Discrimination occurs when the civil rights of an individual are denied or interfered...
Article II Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution, the Commander in Chief clause, states that "[t]he President shall be Commander in Chief of the Army and Navy of the United States, and of the Militia of the several States, when called...
The Commerce Clause refers to Article 1, Section 8, Clause 3 of the U.S. Constitution, which gives Congress the power “to regulate commerce with foreign nations, among states, and with the Indian tribes.”
Congress has often...
Commerce power refers to Congress’s power to regulate the channels and instrumentalities of interstate commerce.
Channels refers to the highways, waterways, and air traffic of the country. Instrumentalities refers to cars, trucks,...The U.S. Constitution (including its Amendments) is made up of hundreds of clauses. Some of the clauses are more important than others; the scope, meaning, and effect of which are the subject of widespread debate. For convenience, these...
Copyright and patent powers refers to the federal government’s ability under Article I, Section 8, Clause 8 of the Constitution to create and control a federal copyright and patent system. Under this clause, Congress may "promote the Progress...
On October 1, 2010, a group of police officers and deputies were searching for a wanted parolee in a California neighborhood. See Mendez v. Cty. Of Los Angeles, 815 F.3d 1178, 1184–85 (9th Cir. 2016); Brief for Petitioners, County of Los Angeles et al...
Cruel and unusual punishment is a phrase mentioned in the Eighth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. Specifically, the Eighth Amendment prohibits cruel and unusual punishment. However, the Constitution does not give more guidance...
De facto segregation was a term used during the 1960s racial integration efforts in schools, to describe a situation in which legislation did not overtly segregate students by race, but nevertheless school segregation continued. In Balsbaugh...