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Breed v. Jones
The Supreme Court ruled that trying a juvenile as an adult for a crime they were already convicted of in juvenile court violates the Double Jeopardy Clause. Juvenile courts generally hold exclusive jurisdiction once a juvenile is tried.
United States v. Bass
The court held that Demerol addiction is relevant to an insanity defense. Bass's conviction was reversed because the government did not rebut expert testimony.
Cudnik v. Kreiger
A 1974 case ruled that denying pretrial detainees prescribed methadone treatment violated due process. The court ordered jail officials to allow detainees continued access to their approved methadone programs.
O’Brien v Moriarty
The Court found cell confinement did not violate the 8th Amendment. However, it cautioned that arbitrary or prolonged solitary confinement could become unconstitutional, while deferring to prison security judgments.
United States v. Kiffer
The court upheld marijuana distribution convictions, finding Congress's drug classification was rational. The law includes a mechanism for future scientific reassessment of the drug's status.
State v. Kanter
The Hawaii Supreme Court upheld marijuana criminalization, finding its classification as a narcotic did not violate due process or equal protection. Dissenting justices emphasized privacy.
People v. Lorentzen
The Michigan Supreme Court found a 20-year mandatory minimum sentence for marijuana sale to be cruel and unusual, ruling it disproportionate and ineffective for nonviolent offender rehabilitation.
People v Sinclair
The Michigan Supreme Court overturned a marijuana conviction, ruling that classifying cannabis as a narcotic violated equal protection, as scientific evidence showed it less harmful than opiates.
Papachristou v. Jacksonville
The Supreme Court struck down a vague vagrancy law that allowed arbitrary arrests of marginalized people, including addicts. The ruling found the law lacked due process.
Neil v. Biggers
The Supreme Court ruled that a suggestive eyewitness identification can be used as evidence if it is reliable enough to prevent a high chance of misidentification.
People v. McCabe
The Illinois Supreme Court ruled that classifying marijuana with hard narcotics and mandating a 10-year sentence for its sale violated equal protection due to a lack of rational basis.
Smith v. Follette
The 2nd Circuit Court upheld a law allowing judges to sentence people with drug addiction who committed felonies to prison instead of treatment. The ruling stated this did not violate due process or equal protection.
Holt v. Sarver
Arkansas prisons violated the Eighth Amendment with inadequate medical care and rehabilitation. The court found cruel and unusual punishment based on the overall conditions.
Bivens v. Six Unknown Fed. Narcotics Agents
This case established individuals can sue federal agents for Fourth Amendment violations, like warrantless drug raids. It paved the way for accountability in narcotics enforcement.
In Re Winship
The Supreme Court ruled that juvenile delinquency cases requiring confinement must prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt, aligning with adult criminal trials. This heightened the burden of proof for serious juvenile offenses.