Justia Constitutional Law Opinion Summaries

A seventeen-year-old defendant was implicated in the fatal shootings of two individuals at an apartment complex in Milan, Tennessee. Law enforcement identified the defendant and a co-defendant as suspects based on anonymous tips and information from onlookers. The defendant was interrogated at the police station without the presence of his mother, despite her being at the station and his repeated requests for her. Over the course of nearly seven hours, he ultimately confessed to participating in the shootings after being told, among other things, that he could face the death penalty and subjected to other coercive tactics. No weapons were recovered, but ballistics indicated two firearms were used. Cell phone records and eyewitness testimony linked the defendant to the scene.The Gibson County Juvenile Court held a transfer hearing and, after considering statutory factors and the evidence presented, found probable cause and transferred the defendant to Circuit Court to be tried as an adult. The court suppressed the defendant’s confession for purposes of the transfer decision. Subsequently, the Circuit Court denied a motion to suppress the confession, finding it voluntary and admissible. At trial, the defendant was convicted by a jury of two counts of second-degree murder. The Tennessee Court of Criminal Appeals affirmed, holding that the transfer was appropriate and the confession voluntary.The Supreme Court of Tennessee reviewed the case. It held that the juvenile court properly transferred the defendant after finding probable cause and satisfying all statutory requirements. The Supreme Court further held that the defendant validly waived his Fifth Amendment right to remain silent. However, the court found that the confession was involuntary, having been obtained through coercion in violation of the Due Process Clause. As a result, the Supreme Court vacated the convictions and remanded the case for further proceedings, excluding the coerced confession from any retrial. View "State v. Adkisson" on Justia Law

David Watts, an inmate at the Wisconsin Secure Program Facility, sent letters indicating he possessed information relevant to a murder investigation. Two detectives sought to interview him, but Watts declined, fearing that the inmate under investigation would discover his cooperation. Watts alleged that, despite his refusal, the detectives’ attempt to speak with him at his cell and reference to his letter exposed him to risk from other inmates. He claimed to have suffered threats and harassment, but not physical injury.The United States District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin largely granted Watts’s request to conduct the litigation under seal, and many filings were redacted. The district court denied the detectives’ motion for summary judgment based on qualified immunity, concluding that while Watts had not suffered physical harm, he could recover nominal and possibly punitive damages for emotional injury. The court relied in part on prior decisions suggesting that exposing a prisoner as an informant creates a constitutional risk, although no express promise of confidentiality had been made to Watts.The United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit reviewed the case. The appellate court found that Watts had not identified any law clearly establishing a constitutional right to recover damages for exposure to risk of harm that does not result in physical injury. The court distinguished the cited precedents, noting that they involved actual harm. The Seventh Circuit held that, absent a clearly established constitutional right, the detectives were entitled to qualified immunity, and thus to summary judgment. The court reversed the district court’s decision and ordered the case to proceed under the parties’ real names, finding anonymity unjustified. View "Watts v Jones" on Justia Law

During a late-night traffic stop in Grand Rapids, Michigan, officers pulled over a vehicle for a traffic violation. The driver consented to a search of the car. Officers asked passenger Fahirri Dannah to exit the vehicle and attempted to frisk him for weapons. Despite repeated commands to place his hands on his head, Dannah moved his hands toward his waist and disregarded officers’ instructions. As the frisk began, Dannah pulled away and attempted to flee. Officers tackled him, and during a prolonged struggle marked by Dannah’s resistance, they used physical force, including punching and restraining him, until he was handcuffed. Dannah was arrested for assault, battery, and resisting a police officer.Dannah subsequently filed a federal lawsuit under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 against the officers and the City of Grand Rapids, alleging unlawful search, seizure, and excessive force. The United States District Court for the Western District of Michigan granted summary judgment to Officer Kaiser on the search and seizure claims and to the City on the Monell claim, but denied summary judgment to several officers on the excessive force claims, rejecting their qualified immunity defense.The United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit reviewed the denial of qualified immunity. The court held that, even taking the facts in Dannah’s favor, precedent did not clearly establish that the officers’ use of force in response to Dannah’s active, physical resistance during an interrupted frisk was excessive under the Fourth Amendment. The court distinguished prior cases cited by Dannah and concluded that the officers did not violate any clearly established law. Therefore, the court reversed the district court’s denial of qualified immunity to the officers on the excessive force claims. View "Dannah v. City of Grand Rapids" on Justia Law

Four residents of Worcester County, Massachusetts alleged that the Massachusetts State Police (MSP) secretly recorded their phone conversations with officers and stored the recordings in an online database. They claimed the MSP used these recordings to propose charges in at least 181 criminal cases but did not disclose the existence of the recordings to prosecuting agencies. The plaintiffs, none of whom alleged pending charges or convictions related to these recordings, sought declaratory and injunctive relief, asserting violations of the Massachusetts Wiretap Act (later voluntarily dismissed) and their federal constitutional rights under the Sixth and Fourteenth Amendments via 42 U.S.C. § 1983.The United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts allowed voluntary dismissal of the state law claim but denied the Superintendent’s motion to dismiss the § 1983 claim. The district court found that sovereign immunity did not bar the official-capacity suit under the Ex parte Young exception, as the plaintiffs sought only prospective relief for alleged ongoing violations of federal law. The court further concluded that the plaintiffs had standing, reasoning that the MSP’s counsel had not unequivocally stated that the challenged recording and withholding practices had ceased or that all recordings had been disclosed.On interlocutory appeal, the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit reviewed the standing determination. The First Circuit held that the plaintiffs failed to allege an injury in fact with sufficient concreteness or imminence to establish standing for prospective relief. Their allegations were found to be generalized and lacked any indication that they personally faced a substantial risk of future harm. As a result, the First Circuit reversed the district court’s denial of the Superintendent’s motion to dismiss and remanded for further proceedings. View "Courtemanche v. Noble" on Justia Law

A California nonprofit organization that operates health centers in Nevada, along with a physician, challenged the enforcement of a Nevada law, originally enacted in 1985, that imposed parental notification and judicial bypass requirements on minors seeking abortions. The law had never taken effect due to a long-standing federal injunction, but after Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization overruled Roe v. Wade, the federal court vacated the injunction in 2025, allowing the law to become enforceable for the first time. The challengers argued that the law was unconstitutionally vague, exceeded legislative authority, and violated procedural due process rights, particularly focusing on the requirements for parental notification and the process for judicial bypass.When the plaintiffs sought a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction in the Eighth Judicial District Court, the district court found standing and ripeness only as to certain aspects but held that the plaintiffs had not shown a likelihood of success on the merits or sufficient injury. As a result, the district court denied the motion for a preliminary injunction.On appeal, the Supreme Court of Nevada reviewed de novo the questions of standing, ripeness, and the legal standards for a preliminary injunction. The Supreme Court of Nevada held that the plaintiffs had standing and that the case was ripe for review. The court found that the parental notification and judicial bypass provisions were unconstitutionally vague under the higher standard applicable to statutes involving criminal penalties and constitutional rights, as they failed to provide clear guidance to physicians and allowed for arbitrary enforcement. The court concluded that the plaintiffs demonstrated a reasonable likelihood of success on the merits, irreparable harm, and that the balance of hardships and public interest favored granting relief. Accordingly, the Supreme Court of Nevada reversed the district court’s order and remanded with instructions to grant the preliminary injunction. View "PLANNED PARENTHOOD MAR MONTE, INC. VS. STATE" on Justia Law

A man visited the home of his estranged wife, became intoxicated, and after an altercation with a neighbor, was the subject of a 911 call reporting possible gunshots. Multiple police officers responded, believing they heard gunshots from the direction of the house. After attempts to contact the man inside the home over several hours failed, and learning that he had a history with weapons, the police treated the situation as a barricaded person incident and called in the full SWAT team. To gain compliance, officers broke windows and the door, then shot the man with non-lethal foam rounds as he refused commands and yelled at officers, eventually arresting him after further use of force.The United States District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin reviewed the man’s claims under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, which included allegations of excessive force, failure to intervene, warrantless arrest, and property damage. The district court granted summary judgment to the defendants. It found that exigent circumstances justified the warrantless arrest, no named defendant was responsible for the property damage, and the officers were entitled to qualified immunity on the excessive force and failure to intervene claims.The United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit affirmed the district court’s decision. The appellate court held that the officers had probable cause for arrest and that exigent circumstances justified the warrantless entry. It determined that the officers were entitled to qualified immunity because the law was not clearly established that their actions during the prolonged standoff violated the Fourth Amendment. The court also found that the failure to intervene and property damage claims were waived due to insufficient argument or standing. The court concluded that, under the facts, the use of non-lethal force did not violate clearly established law, affirming the grant of summary judgment for all defendants. View "Jackson v City of Madison" on Justia Law

Joe Fernandez was indicted in 2013 for his alleged role as the backup shooter in a double assassination connected to a drug ring. Prosecutors asserted Fernandez was paid to kill two gang members, firing 14 rounds after the primary shooter’s gun malfunctioned. Fernandez’s cousin, Patrick Darge, testified against him at trial. Fernandez’s defense claimed Darge was framing him to protect another relative. The jury convicted Fernandez of murder for hire and a firearms offense, resulting in two consecutive life sentences.After his conviction, Fernandez challenged the verdict in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, alleging Brady violations concerning the Government’s failure to disclose statements by another alleged co-conspirator, Luis Rivera. The District Court reviewed the relevant notes and found no exculpatory information but expressed concern about the Government’s lenient treatment of Rivera. The United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit affirmed the conviction and sentence, rejecting both the Brady claim and Fernandez’s argument that evidence was insufficient. Fernandez later filed two motions for postconviction relief under 28 U.S.C. §2255; the first was denied as meritless, while the second vacated the firearms conviction based on United States v. Davis, 588 U.S. 445, but left the murder-for-hire conviction intact.Fernandez then sought compassionate release under 18 U.S.C. §3582(c)(1)(A)(i), arguing that doubts about his guilt constituted extraordinary and compelling reasons for a sentence reduction. The District Court granted release based on concerns about the conviction’s validity. The United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit reversed, holding that challenges to the validity of a conviction are not cognizable as “extraordinary and compelling reasons” under §3582. The Supreme Court of the United States affirmed, holding that a prisoner who collaterally attacks the validity of his conviction must proceed under 28 U.S.C. §2255, not §3582, and that the alleged invalidity of a conviction is not a valid basis for compassionate release. View "Fernandez v. United States" on Justia Law

After an altercation between neighbors, police arrested Alisha Shepard Smith and seized a loaded firearm magazine from her person as well as a handgun and another magazine from her home. Smith was charged with several offenses, including firearms violations, but the firearms charges were dismissed at the preliminary hearing due to insufficient evidence, and the remaining charges were later dismissed without prejudice when witnesses failed to appear.Smith then filed motions in the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas seeking the return of her seized firearm and magazines under Pennsylvania Rule of Criminal Procedure 588. The trial court denied her motions, finding—based on a police report and witness statements—that Smith had used the firearm in an unlawful manner, making the items derivative contraband. The court did not conduct a forfeiture proceeding, nor did the Commonwealth file for forfeiture; instead, the court ruled solely on the return motions. On appeal, the Superior Court affirmed, holding that because the Commonwealth had proven by a preponderance of the evidence that the property was used in criminal activity, Smith was not entitled to its return, despite the lack of statutory authorization for forfeiture.The Supreme Court of Pennsylvania reviewed the case to determine if Smith was entitled to the return of her property in the absence of statutory authority permitting forfeiture. The Court held that, where the Commonwealth neither asserts an ongoing evidentiary need for seized property nor identifies statutory authority permitting its forfeiture, the denial of a motion for return of property operates as a de facto civil forfeiture. Relying on Commonwealth v. Irland, the Supreme Court ruled that civil forfeiture of derivative contraband requires statutory authorization. Because no such authorization existed in Smith’s case, she was entitled to the return of her property. The decision of the Superior Court was reversed and the case remanded. View "In Re: Smith" on Justia Law

In August 2025, the governor of Missouri issued a proclamation calling for an extraordinary legislative session. The session was convened to address two issues: establishing new congressional districts and changing the initiative petition process. The governor explained that the legislature had adjourned without enacting new district boundaries, which could expose the state to legal challenges, and that changes to the initiative petition process were needed to address concerns about foreign influence and voter confusion. During this extraordinary session, the legislature passed a new congressional map and proposed a constitutional amendment related to initiative petitions.On the day the session was to begin, the NAACP and two individuals filed suit in the Circuit Court of Cole County, seeking a declaration that the governor’s proclamation did not state an “extraordinary occasion” as required by article IV, section 9 of the Missouri Constitution. They also sought to enjoin the session and later the implementation of the enacted measures. The circuit court, after a bench trial, ruled in favor of the state officials, finding that the governor had constitutional authority to call the extraordinary session and that the question was a political one, best decided by the governor.The Supreme Court of Missouri, reviewing the circuit court’s declaratory judgment, affirmed the decision. The court held that article IV, section 9 vests the governor with discretion to determine when an extraordinary occasion has arisen and to call an extraordinary session accordingly. The court rejected the argument that the governor’s discretion is limited by an objective definition of “extraordinary,” finding that neither the constitutional text nor its historical context imposed such a restriction. The judgment of the Circuit Court of Cole County was affirmed. View "National Association for the Advancement of Colored People Missouri State Conference vs. Kehoe" on Justia Law

In this case, the appellant was convicted and sentenced to death for the 1996 murder of a five-month-old child in Jacksonville, Florida. The appellant, who was living with the victim’s mother at the time, initially claimed the child had been abducted, prompting an extensive police search. He later confessed to killing the child and disposing of her body in a pond. At trial, the appellant’s explanations about the cause of death were inconsistent with the medical evidence, which showed multiple fatal head injuries. The jury convicted him of first-degree murder and aggravated child abuse, and he was sentenced to death based partly on aggravating factors including a prior conviction for child abuse.After his conviction and sentence were affirmed by the Supreme Court of Florida on direct appeal, the appellant pursued multiple rounds of postconviction relief in both state and federal courts, all of which were unsuccessful. Most recently, following the signing of a death warrant, the appellant filed a third successive postconviction motion in the Circuit Court for the Fourth Judicial Circuit. He argued that Florida’s lethal injection protocol was unconstitutional as applied to him and on its face, that the short period between the warrant and execution deprived him of due process, and that he was wrongly denied additional public records. The circuit court summarily denied all claims.The Supreme Court of Florida reviewed the circuit court’s summary denial de novo and affirmed. The court held that the as-applied and facial Eighth Amendment challenges to Florida’s lethal injection protocol were both untimely and meritless. The court also found no due process violation in the expedited warrant litigation schedule and no abuse of discretion in denying the requests for additional public records. The appellant’s motion for a stay of execution was denied, and the summary denials of postconviction relief and records requests were affirmed. View "Lukehart v. State" on Justia Law