Terry v. Ohio Stop & Frisk
Terry v. Ohio, 392 U.S. 1 (1968)
Holding: Yes. The Court held that a police officer may stop a person based on reasonable articulable suspicion of criminal activi…
Terry stop reasonable suspicion stop and frisk 4th amendment pat-down
Graham v. Connor Use of Force
Graham v. Connor, 490 U.S. 386 (1989)
Holding: Claims of excessive force must be analyzed under the Fourth Amendment's 'objective reasonableness' standard, not the Fou…
use of force excessive force objective reasonableness 4th amendment Graham factors
Miranda v. Arizona Miranda & Interrogation
Miranda v. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436 (1966)
Holding: Yes. Prior to custodial interrogation, police must warn suspects: (1) they have the right to remain silent; (2) anything…
Miranda custodial interrogation right to remain silent 5th amendment suppression
Mapp v. Ohio Search & Seizure
Mapp v. Ohio, 367 U.S. 643 (1961)
Holding: Yes. The Court held that the exclusionary rule applies to state criminal prosecutions through the Fourteenth Amendment. …
exclusionary rule 4th amendment search warrant suppression fruit of poisonous tree
People v. De Bour Stop & Frisk
People v. De Bour, 40 N.Y.2d 210 (1976)
Holding: The Court established a four-level framework for police-citizen encounters in New York, each requiring progressively mor…
De Bour four levels New York stop police encounter founded suspicion
People v. Hollman Stop & Frisk
People v. Hollman, 79 N.Y.2d 181 (1992)
Holding: A common-law inquiry (De Bour Level 2) requires 'founded suspicion that criminal activity is afoot' — more than the mere…
De Bour drug courier profile founded suspicion subway transit
People v. Moore Stop & Frisk
People v. Moore, 6 N.Y.3d 496 (2006)
Holding: The Court held that the combination of the waistband adjustment, the officer's experience seeing others carry guns in wa…
reasonable suspicion waistband high crime area officer experience Terry stop
Heien v. North Carolina Search & Seizure
Heien v. North Carolina, 574 U.S. 54 (2014)
Holding: Yes. The Court held that a stop can be reasonable under the Fourth Amendment even if it turns out to be based on a mista…
mistake of law reasonable mistake 4th amendment traffic stop objective reasonableness
Atwater v. City of Lago Vista Weapons & Arrest
Atwater v. City of Lago Vista, 532 U.S. 318 (2001)
Holding: No. The Fourth Amendment does not forbid a warrantless arrest for even a very minor criminal offense. If an officer has …
probable cause warrantless arrest minor offense seatbelt misdemeanor arrest
New York v. Belton Search & Seizure
New York v. Belton, 453 U.S. 454 (1981)
Holding: Yes — at the time. The Court held that when police arrest an occupant of an automobile, they may search the passenger co…
search incident to arrest vehicle search automobile 4th amendment SITA
Arizona v. Gant Search & Seizure
Arizona v. Gant, 556 U.S. 332 (2009)
Holding: No. The Court limited Belton, holding that the Fourth Amendment allows a vehicle search incident to arrest only when: (1…
Arizona v. Gant search incident to arrest vehicle search 4th amendment Belton
People v. Feingold NY State Law
People v. Feingold, 7 N.Y.3d 288 (2006)
Holding: The Court held that depraved indifference murder requires that the defendant have an 'utter disregard for the value of h…
depraved indifference murder People v. Feingold recklessness A-I felony
People v. Goetz NY State Law
People v. Goetz, 68 N.Y.2d 96 (1986)
Holding: The Court held that New York's justification defense has both a subjective AND objective component: the defendant must (…
justification self-defense reasonable belief People v. Goetz subway
Tennessee v. Garner Use of Force
Tennessee v. Garner, 471 U.S. 1 (1985)
Holding: No. The Court held that the use of deadly force to apprehend a fleeing felon is an unreasonable seizure under the Fourth…
deadly force fleeing felon Tennessee v. Garner 4th amendment use of force
Katz v. United States Search & Seizure
Katz v. United States, 389 U.S. 347 (1967)
Holding: The Fourth Amendment protects people, not places. Government intrusion on a constitutionally protected reasonable expect…
Katz reasonable expectation of privacy 4th amendment electronic surveillance phone booth
Riley v. California Digital Privacy
Riley v. California, 573 U.S. 373 (2014)
Holding: No. Officers generally may not, without a warrant, search digital information on a cell phone seized from an individual …
Riley cell phone smartphone warrant digital search
Carpenter v. United States Digital Privacy
Carpenter v. United States, 585 U.S. 296 (2018)
Holding: Yes. The government must obtain a warrant supported by probable cause before acquiring historical CSLI records from a wi…
Carpenter CSLI cell-site location third party doctrine digital privacy
Whren v. United States Traffic & DUI
Whren v. United States, 517 U.S. 806 (1996)
Holding: No. The Fourth Amendment reasonableness inquiry does not consider an officer's subjective motivation where the stop is s…
Whren pretextual stop traffic stop 4th amendment probable cause
Rodriguez v. United States Traffic & DUI
Rodriguez v. United States, 575 U.S. 348 (2015)
Holding: No. A police stop exceeding the time needed to handle the matter for which the stop was made violates the Fourth Amendme…
Rodriguez dog sniff traffic stop seizure extension
Illinois v. Wardlow Stop & Frisk
Illinois v. Wardlow, 528 U.S. 119 (2000)
Holding: Yes, in combination with other factors. Unprovoked flight upon noticing police, combined with the high-crime character o…
Wardlow flight from police reasonable suspicion Terry stop high-crime area
United States v. Leon Search & Seizure
United States v. Leon, 468 U.S. 897 (1984)
Holding: No. The exclusionary rule does not bar the use of evidence obtained by officers who acted in objectively reasonable reli…
Leon good faith exception exclusionary rule warrant 4th amendment
Monell v. Dept. of Social Services Civil Rights
Monell v. Dept. of Social Services, 436 U.S. 658 (1978)
Holding: Yes. Local governmental units — including cities, counties, and their agencies — are 'persons' subject to suit under § 1…
Monell § 1983 municipal liability policy custom
Floyd v. City of New York Civil Rights
Floyd v. City of New York, 959 F. Supp. 2d 540 (S.D.N.Y. 2013)
Holding: Yes. The court found that the NYPD had a widespread unconstitutional stop-and-frisk practice that violated the Fourth an…
Floyd stop and frisk racial profiling NYPD equal protection
New York v. Quarles Miranda & Interrogation
New York v. Quarles, 467 U.S. 649 (1984)
Holding: Yes. There is a narrow 'public safety' exception to Miranda. Where there is an objectively reasonable need to protect th…
Quarles public safety exception Miranda 5th amendment gun
Berkemer v. McCarty Miranda & Interrogation
Berkemer v. McCarty, 468 U.S. 420 (1984)
Holding: No, for ordinary traffic stops. A person subjected to a routine traffic stop is not 'in custody' for Miranda purposes. H…
Berkemer Miranda traffic stop custody DUI
United States v. Salerno Due Process
United States v. Salerno, 481 U.S. 739 (1987)
Holding: No. The government's regulatory interest in protecting the community from pretrial crime can, in appropriate circumstanc…
Salerno pretrial detention bail remand due process
Brady v. Maryland Due Process
Brady v. Maryland, 373 U.S. 83 (1963)
Holding: Yes. The suppression by the prosecution of evidence favorable to an accused upon request violates due process where the …
Brady exculpatory evidence disclosure due process 14th amendment
Giglio v. United States Due Process
Giglio v. United States, 405 U.S. 150 (1972)
Holding: Yes. Evidence affecting the credibility of a key prosecution witness is material under Brady and must be disclosed. The …
Giglio Brady impeachment evidence witness credibility due process
Strickland v. Washington Due Process
Strickland v. Washington, 466 U.S. 668 (1984)
Holding: A defendant claiming ineffective assistance of counsel must demonstrate: (1) that counsel's performance was deficient — …
Strickland ineffective assistance of counsel 6th amendment deficiency prejudice
Town of Castle Rock v. Gonzales Housing & Landlord
Town of Castle Rock v. Gonzales, 545 U.S. 748 (2005)
Holding: No. Colorado's mandatory arrest statute for restraining order violations did not give Gonzales a constitutionally protec…
Castle Rock protective order domestic violence due process police duty
Warranty of Habitability — NY Real Property Law § 235-b Housing & Landlord
Javins v. First National Realty Corp., 428 F.2d 1071 (D.C. Cir. 1970); NY RPL § 235-b
Holding: Tenants are entitled to: (1) rent reduction or abatement in proportion to the reduced value of the apartment; (2) repair…
warranty of habitability landlord tenant rights NY RPL housing
NYC Rent Stabilization and ETPA Housing & Landlord
NY Rent Stabilization Law (Admin. Code § 26-501 et seq.); ETPA
Holding: Rent-stabilized tenants have the right to: (1) lease renewal on the same terms and conditions; (2) rent increases only a…
rent stabilization rent control ETPA tenant rights NYC housing
Birchfield v. North Dakota Traffic & DUI
Birchfield v. North Dakota, 579 U.S. 438 (2016)
Holding: Breath tests may be administered incident to a DUI arrest without a warrant. However, blood tests are significantly more…
Birchfield DUI breath test blood test implied consent
Brendlin v. California Traffic & DUI
Brendlin v. California, 551 U.S. 249 (2007)
Holding: Yes. A traffic stop seizes everyone in the vehicle, not just the driver. A passenger is seized within the meaning of the…
Brendlin passenger traffic stop 4th amendment seizure
Payton v. New York NY State Law
People v. Payton, 45 N.Y.2d 300 (1978); Payton v. New York, 445 U.S. 573 (1980)
Holding: Yes. The Fourth Amendment prohibits the police from making a warrantless, non-consensual entry into a suspect's home in …
Payton warrantless arrest home arrest 4th amendment arrest warrant
People v. Defore NY State Law
People v. Defore, 242 N.Y. 13 (1926)
Holding: Judge Cardozo famously questioned whether 'the criminal is to go free because the constable has blundered,' and NY initi…
Defore exclusionary rule Cardozo constable blundered NY Court of Appeals
Batson v. Kentucky Civil Rights
Batson v. Kentucky, 476 U.S. 79 (1986)
Holding: Yes. The Equal Protection Clause forbids the prosecutor to challenge potential jurors solely on account of their race. A…
Batson peremptory challenge jury selection equal protection race
Chatrie v. United States Digital Privacy
Chatrie v. United States, No. 23-933 (U.S. 2026)
Holding: Yes, 6-3. Justice Kagan wrote that individuals have a reasonable expectation of privacy in cell phone location data, and…
geofence geofence warrant Google location data 4th amendment
Trump v. Barbara (Birthright Citizenship) Immigration
Trump v. Barbara, No. 24-884 (U.S. 2026)
Holding: Yes, 6-3. Chief Justice Roberts held that Trump's executive order cannot be reconciled with the 14th Amendment, which co…
birthright citizenship 14th amendment citizenship clause jus soli immigration
Mullin v. Doe (TPS — Judicial Review) Immigration
Mullin v. Doe, No. 24-1012 (U.S. 2026)
Holding: No, 6-3. Justice Alito held that the TPS statute commits designation and termination decisions entirely to the Secretary…
TPS temporary protected status judicial review immigration Syria
Mullin v. Al Otro Lado (Asylum — Border Entry) Immigration
Mullin v. Al Otro Lado, No. 23-1165 (U.S. 2026)
Holding: No, 6-3. Justice Alito held that asylum seekers do not 'arrive in the United States' for purposes of asylum eligibility …
asylum border immigration port of entry metering
Hunter v. United States (Plea Appeal Waivers) Due Process
Hunter v. United States, No. 24-267 (U.S. 2026)
Holding: Yes, 8-1. Justice Kagan held that a 'miscarriage of justice' exception to plea agreement appeal waivers exists. When enf…
plea agreement appeal waiver miscarriage of justice guilty plea due process
Wolford v. Lopez (2nd Amendment — Private Property) Weapons & Arrest
Wolford v. Lopez, No. 23-849 (U.S. 2026)
Holding: Yes, 6-3. Justice Alito held that Hawaii's law violates the Second and 14th Amendments. Under the Bruen framework, the g…
2nd amendment concealed carry private property Bruen Hawaii
Watson v. RNC (Mail-In Ballot Deadline) Voting Rights
Watson v. Republican National Committee, No. 24-556 (U.S. 2026)
Holding: No, 5-4. Justice Barrett held that federal law designates Election Day as the deadline for voters to cast their ballot, …
voting rights mail-in ballot absentee ballot election day Mississippi
Trump v. Slaughter (Presidential Removal Power / FTC) Due Process
Trump v. Slaughter, No. 25-198 (U.S. 2026)
Holding: Yes, 6-3. Chief Justice Roberts held that the for-cause removal restriction violates the separation of powers. The Presi…
FTC independent agency presidential removal separation of powers unitary executive
West Virginia v. B.P.J. (Transgender Athletes) Civil Rights
West Virginia v. B.P.J. / Little v. Hecox, Nos. 24-43, 24-38 (U.S. 2026)
Holding: Unanimous on Title IX; 6-3 on Equal Protection. Justice Kavanaugh held that states may maintain women's and girls' sport…
transgender Title IX equal protection women's sports athletes
Monsanto v. Durnell (FIFRA Preemption / Roundup) Due Process
Monsanto Company v. Durnell, No. 24-788 (U.S. 2026)
Holding: Yes, 7-2. Justice Kavanaugh held that FIFRA expressly preempts state failure-to-warn claims against Roundup because such…
FIFRA Roundup glyphosate preemption Monsanto