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McGuckin v. Smith
The 9th Circuit held that prison officials can violate the Eighth Amendment by showing deliberate indifference to a prisoner's serious medical needs. Courts must allow pro se prisoners a fair chance to amend their claims.
US v. Southern Management Corp.
The court found landlords violated fair housing laws by refusing to rent to recovering drug rehabilitation participants, basing their decision on stereotypes rather than individual merit.
United States v. Forbes
A Colorado court found the Analogue Act too vague for some synthetic drugs in 1992. This ruling challenged law enforcement's standards for similar substances.
Riggins v. Nevada
The Court ruled that forcibly medicating a defendant to make them competent for trial, without considering other options, violated their due process rights.
State v. Hall
The North Carolina Supreme Court reversed a rape conviction, ruling that PTSD and conversion disorder evidence can corroborate testimony, but not prove sexual assault. A new trial was ordered.
McMaugh v. State
The Rhode Island Supreme Court ordered a new trial, recognizing battered woman's syndrome. Years of abuse prevented the defendant from assisting counsel and presenting an independent defense.
Ex parte Williams
The Alabama Supreme Court held that expert testimony on human memory is admissible in eyewitness identification cases. However, the expert was excluded because he was unfamiliar with the specific case and witness.
Harris v. Thigpen
The court found Alabama's HIV segregation did not violate rights. Substandard medical care needs systemic deliberate indifference to breach Eighth Amendment standards.
Wilson v. Seiter
The Supreme Court ruled that prison officials must show "deliberate indifference" to inmates' needs, not just negligence, for an Eighth Amendment violation regarding prison conditions.
People v. Silver
The court ruled expert testimony on marijuana's psychological effects was admissible in a murder trial. This supported a diminished capacity defense.
US v. Raymer
The court upheld a drug conspiracy conviction, ruling that evidence of drug addiction did not negate proof of the defendant's knowing involvement in the drug distribution scheme.
Gray v. JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A.
A bank was found negligent for failing to protect an elderly couple from financial elder abuse under California law. The court held that banks have a duty to prevent such abuse.
Touby v. United States
The Supreme Court upheld the Attorney General's power to temporarily schedule new drugs under the CSA to prevent imminent hazards. This decision allows scheduling without immediate judicial review.
Alliance for Cannabis Therapeutics v. DEA
The D.C. Circuit Court sent back the DEA's denial to reclassify marijuana. The court found the DEA's reasoning "logically impossible" and requested clearer justification for its decision.
Shuamber v. Henderson
A crash victim may recover for serious emotional distress from witnessing a family member’s death in the same crash, even if their own physical injuries are minor.