Mr. Beat
How Animal Guts Gutted the 14th Amendment | The Slaughterhouse Cases
In episode 51 of Supreme Court Briefs, animal guts in the drinking water of New Orleans leads to the first major interpretation of the 14th Amendment by the Supreme Court.
Mr. Beat
Why We Can Now Bet on Sports | Murphy v. NCAA
In episode 49 of Supreme Court Briefs, New Jersey tries to legalize sports betting, so NCAA and four professional sports leagues sue them.
Mr. Beat
Can Congress Have Term Limits? | U.S. Term Limits, Inc. v. Thornton
In episode 46 of Supreme Court Briefs, Arkansas tries to get rid of career politicians through indirect term limits. Yeah but is it legal?
Mr. Beat
Affirmative Action for College? | Regents of the University of California v. Bakke
In episode 45 of Supreme Court Briefs, a man claims to be reverse discriminated against when he applies for UC Davis Medical School. Does affirmative action go against the Constitution?
Mr. Beat
Is Gerrymandering Legal? | Shaw v. Reno
In episode 43 of Supreme Court Briefs, the North Carolina state legislature gerrymanders to help African Americans since North Carolina, ya know, doesn't historically doesn't elect African Americans.
Mr. Beat
Can the Police Take Your DNA? | Maryland v. King
In episode 38 of Supreme Court Briefs, a man is arrested and a sample of his DNA is taken and put into a database. The DNA sample comes back months later to reveal it matched the DNA in a rape case and he is charged with the rape. Wait a...
Mr. Beat
A Legal Slave Uprising? | United States v. The Amistad
In episode 37 of Supreme Court Briefs, a slave uprising on a ship called The Amistad leads it to the shores of the United States, where the Supreme Court eventually determines their fate.
Mr. Beat
The Supreme Court Ruling That Led To 70,000 Forced Sterilizations | Buck v. Bell
In episode 35 of Supreme Court Briefs, the state of Virginia passes a law saying that stupid or immoral people are not allowed to have kids and must be sterilized. A woman named Carrie Buck fights back. Yes, this all actually happened.
Mr. Beat
What Does the Second Amendment REALLY Mean? | US v. Miller
In episode 34 of Supreme Court Briefs, state troopers find an illegal sawed-off shotgun in the car of two gangsters, which leads to the only Supreme Court case about the Second Amendment of the 20th century.
Mr. Beat
The Difference Between Gambling and Gaming | FCC v ABC
In episode 31 of Supreme Court Briefs, a game show gives away money and stuff, and the FCC gets all upset and tries to stop it.
Mr. Beat
Why Illegal Immigrants Can Attend Public School | Plyler v. Doe
In episode 26 of Supreme Court Briefs, illegal immigrants get kicked out of public schools in Tyler, Texas and a local district starts charging them to attend school there because they're illegal.
Mr. Beat
Can Texas Secede From the Union? | Texas v. White
In episode 22 of Supreme Court Briefs, Texas sells bonds from a country it claims to no longer be a part of. After all is said and done, the Supreme Court decides whether or not Texas has a right to secede from the Union.
Mr. Beat
A Pathway to Same-Sex Marriage | United States v. Windsor
In episode 21 of Supreme Court Briefs, two women get married in Canada, but the United States federal government does not legally recognize it thanks to a law called the Defense of Marriage Act.
Mr. Beat
Can You Start a Bible Study Club at School? | Westside Community Board of Education v. Mergens
In episode 20 of Supreme Court Briefs, high school students want to start a Bible Study Club, but their principal won't let them, saying it breaks the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.
Mr. Beat
When Does a Police Officer Go Too Far? | Graham v. Connor
In episode 15 of Supreme Court Briefs, a man with diabetes is beat up by the police who think he is drunk and just robbed a convenience store. Spoiler alert- he didn't.
Mr. Beat
Broadcast Television on Your Phone? | ABC v. Aereo
In episode 14 of Supreme Court Briefs, a company trying to show broadcast television on phones and tablets gets sued by, you guessed it, broadcast companies.
Mr. Beat
Do You Have to Say the Pledge of Allegiance? | West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette
In episode 19 of Supreme Court Briefs, a bunch of Jehovah's Witnesses don't salute the American flag nor say the Pledge of Allegiance, and almost everybody else freaks out about it.
Mr. Beat
Strengthening the Second Amendment | D.C. v. Heller
In episode 27 of Supreme Court Briefs, a gun ban in the District of Columbia gets challenged, and the Supreme Court seriously looks at the 2nd amendment for the first time in nearly 70 years.
Mr. Beat
Can You Burn An American Flag? | Texas v. Johnson
In episode 7 of Supreme Court Briefs, a dude named Johnson burns the American flag and the whole country seems to freak out. Does the First Amendment protect flag burning?
Mr. Beat
Are Tomatoes Fruits or Vegetables? | Nix v. Hedden
In episode 5 of Supreme Court Briefs, Mr. Beat looks at that one time the Supreme Court heard arguments about whether tomatoes were fruits or vegetables. No joke. For the record, Mr. Beat hates tomatoes. John Nix was one of the most...
Mr. Beat
Is Prayer Allowed at Public School? | Engel v. Vitale
In the third episode of Supreme Court Briefs, Mr. Beat examines the first of many Supreme Court cases dealing with the separation of church and state- Engel v. Vitale.
The state board of education said that students were to open each...
Mr. Beat
Does Congress Have Implied Powers? | McCulloch v. Maryland
In the second episode of Supreme Court Briefs, Mr. Beat makes one of the most boring Supreme Court cases in American history somewhat more interesting. It was, after all, QUITE A FREAKING BIG DEAL. Washington, D.C. 1816 The United States...
Curated Video
The Supreme Court Thought Experiment
Philosopher Brian Epstein (Tufts) describes the celebrated ontological thought experiment of the Supreme Court.
Curated Video
A Supreme Example
Tufts University philosopher Brian Epstein describes how many people’s perspectives on the social world are prejudiced by a hidden assumption that he takes issue with, and uses the example of The Supreme Court to illustrate his point.