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Wellman v. Faulkner
The prison's overcrowding and infrequent medical care violated the Eighth Amendment. This showed deliberate indifference, requiring remedies and damages.
United States v. Place
The Supreme Court ruled that seizing luggage for an extended time without probable cause is unconstitutional. A brief dog sniff, however, is not considered a search.
Eddings v. Oklahoma
The Supreme Court ruled courts must consider all mitigating factors, like a troubled childhood, when sentencing someone to death. This reversed a death sentence for a 16-year-old whose abuse was ignored.
People v. Cardenas
The California Supreme Court ruled that evidence of a defendant's friends' drug use was unfairly prejudicial and could not be admitted in court. This decision affirmed fair trial protections.
State v. Saldana
The court reversed a sexual assault conviction. Expert testimony about rape trauma syndrome and victim credibility was improperly admitted.
People v. Shirley
The California Supreme Court reversed a rape conviction, ruling that testimony from a hypnotized witness was inadmissible. Hypnosis was not considered a generally accepted scientific method for reliable memory retrieval.
Rhodes v. Chapman
The Supreme Court ruled that prison conditions violate the Eighth Amendment only if they inflict unnecessary pain or are grossly disproportionate to the crime.
Inmates of Allegheny Cty. Jail v. Pierce
The court found potential constitutional violations in a jail's psychiatric care due to inadequate staffing. It upheld bans on contact visits and methadone for pretrial detainees.
Bell v. Wolfish
The Supreme Court ruled pretrial detainees cannot be punished before conviction. However, restrictions reasonably related to legitimate government objectives are not considered punishment.
New York City Transit Authority v. Beazer
The Court upheld a transit authority's ban on methadone users working, finding it did not violate equal protection.
Bordenkircher v. Hayes
The Supreme Court ruled that prosecutors can threaten or bring harsher charges during plea bargaining if the defendant doesn't plead guilty, as long as the charges have probable cause.
Todaro v. Ward
The court held that consistent delays and denials of medical care in prison can show deliberate indifference. This means systemic failures in care can be unconstitutional, not just isolated incidents.
Whalen v. Roe
The Supreme Court upheld New York's prescription drug registry, finding that data collection to prevent drug misuse does not violate privacy rights.
Manson v. Brathwaite
An identification procedure may be allowed even if suggestive, provided the identification is reliable under all the circumstances. Reliability is the key factor for due process.
Estelle v. Gamble
The Supreme Court ruled that deliberately ignoring a prisoner's serious medical needs is unconstitutional. However, medical negligence alone, without intent, is not a violation.