Facts—In November 1922, the state of Oregon passed a Compulsory Education Act requiring every child from the ages of eight to sixteen to attend public school. Parents or guardians who refused would be guilty of a misdemeanor. The plaintiff corporation…
Facts—In 1919 Nebraska passed a statute that prohibited the teaching of any subject in any other language than English. Languages could be taught only after the child had successfully passed the eighth grade. Meyer taught in a parochial school and…
Facts—Ralph Baze and Thomas C. Bowling were each convicted of two counts of capital murder and sentenced to death by lethal injection in Kentucky. They sued John D. Rees, the commissioner of Kentucky’s Department of Corrections and other state officials…
Facts—Largely influenced by the kidnapping and murder of twelve-year-old Polly Klaas by a kidnapper who had been released from prison, California adopted a “Three Strikes and You’re Out” law designed to increase punishments for prior serious offenders. Under this law,…
Facts—A jury that deadlocked on the charge of premeditated murder convicted Ring of a felony murder committed during an armed robbery. By itself this penalty did not carry a death sentence, but a judge subsequently found the presence of aggravating…
Facts—Daryl Atkins was convicted of a number of crimes including capital murder for the robbery and shooting of Eric Nesbitt. The jury found aggravating circumstances and sentenced Atkins to death despite testimony at his penalty hearing indicating that he was…
Facts—In Booth v. Maryland, 482 U.S. 496 (1987) and South Carolina v. Gathers, 490 U.S. 804 (1989), the Supreme Court barred the use of victimimpact evidence during the penalty phase of a capital trial. Nonetheless, in this case, a Tennessee…
Facts—William Wayne Thompson was tried and found guilty of murder and sentenced to death. At the time of the offense he was fifteen years old. Under Oklahoma law a boy of that age is a “child.” Under the law the…
Facts—McCleskey, a black man, was convicted in a Georgia court for armed robbery and the murder of a police officer. The jury recommended the death penalty. After unsuccessfully seeking relief in state courts, he sought a writ of habeas corpus…
Facts—Troy Gregg was convicted in a Georgia trial court of robbery and murder. The trial was in two stages, a guilt stage and a sentencing stage. Fred Simons and Bob Moore gave two hitchhikers (Troy Gregg and Floyd Allen) a…