A “forum” in First Amendment law refers to the place in which a “speaker” speaks. The First Amendment's protections regarding the right to speak and assemble will vary based on the speaker's chosen forum. In Perry Educ. Ass’n v. Perry...
constitutional law
fruit of the poisonous tree
Fruit of the poisonous trees is a doctrine that extends the exclusionary rule to make evidence inadmissible in court if it was derived from evidence that was illegally obtained. As the metaphor suggests, if the evidential "tree" is tainted,...
full faith and credit
Full faith and credit is the requirement, derived from Article IV, Section I of the Constitution, that state courts respect the laws and judgments of courts from other states. This clause attempts to prevent conflict among states and ensure...
fundamental right
Overview
Fundamental rights are a group of rights that have been recognized by the Supreme Court as requiring a high degree of protection from government encroachment. These rights are specifically identified in the Constitution (especially...
Furman v. Georgia (1972)
Furman v. Georgia (1972) is a U.S. Supreme Court case regarding the Eighth Amendment’s ban on cruel and unusual punishment in death penalty cases. In this case, petitioner William Henry Furman was convicted of murder in Georgia; petitioner...
Gibbons v. Ogden (1824)
Gibbons v. Ogden (1824) was a Supreme Court case that famously expounded upon the powers of the commerce clause, setting the precedent of Congress’s broad ability to regulate interstate and some intrastate commerce.
The...
Gideon v. Wainwright (1963)
Gideon v Wainwright, is a U.S. Supreme Court case in which the Court used the Due Process clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to extend the constitutional right to an attorney in federal criminal cases for those who could not afford...
Gitlow v. New York (1925)
Gitlow v. New York is a U.S. Supreme Court case in which the Court ruled that the First Amendment right to free speech applied to state laws under the Fourteenth Amendment. However, the Supreme Court held that fundamental rights, including...
Gonzalez v. Raich (2005)
Gonzalez v Raich is a U.S. Supreme Court case in which the Court held that Congress had the right to outlaw medical marijuana, even in states that had laws expressly allowing it. The Supreme Court, relying upon its earlier decision in Wickard...
good faith exception to exclusionary rule
Good faith provides an exception to the Fourth Amendment exclusionary rule barring the use at trial of evidence obtained pursuant to an unlawful search and seizure. If officers had reasonable, good faith belief that they were acting according...