Major Cases of 2018
The year of 2018 has not only been one for the books regarding advances in medicine and technology, but it has also been interesting from a legal standpoint. The Supreme Court made several decisions this past year, which will have a lasting impact on the future of our nation. Listed below are just a few of the many cases that will have a major influence going forward.**
- Carpenter v. United States
- Decided on June 22, 2018, in a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court ruled that in order to access someone’s cell phone history, the government needs a warrant. They came to this decision based on the Fourth Amendment, which protects one from “unreasonable searches and seizures of property by the government.”*** Cyber security is becoming a rapidly growing threat and is something that should be taken seriously. As our reliance on technology increases, it is important to note that so do the associated risks.
- Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission
- This case, decided on June 4, 2018, revolves around the issue of gay rights and religion. In 2012, David Mullins and Charlie Craig visited Mr. Phillips’ bakery, Masterpiece Cakeshop, in Lakewood, Colorado looking for a cake for their wedding reception. However, Mr. Phillips refused to serve them saying that it was against his religious beliefs to provide a wedding cake to a same-sex couple. In a 7-2 decision, the court ruled in favor of the baker stating that he had been mistreated by a state civil rights commission based on remarks indicating hostility to religion. The Court issued a narrow ruling in this case without determining the ultimate question of whether a business can refuse services based on First Amendment rights.
- Trump v. Hawaii
- Lastly, one of the more controversial Supreme Court rulings involved President Trump’s travel ban on seven Muslim countries: Syria, Iraq, Libya, Yemen, Somalia, Iran and Sudan. Later in June of 2018 in a 5-4 ruling, the Court held that the President had the legal authority to restrict travel from those countries.
These three cases touch on relevant and controversial issues such as digital privacy, gay rights and banning travel. We eagerly await the Supreme Court’s 2019 rulings to see how they will shape the future of this great nation. Contact the attorneys at Bannister, Wyatt & Stalvey, LLC for skilled, professional and legal advice and counsel.
Any result the lawyer or law firm may have achieved on behalf of clients in other matters does not necessarily indicate similar results can be obtained for other clients.
**https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/06/18/us/politics/supreme-court-decisions.html
***https://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution/fourth_amendment
