Mr. Beat
Did His Travel Ban Target Muslims? | Trump v. Hawaii
In episode 65 of Supreme Court Briefs, the President of the United States, Donald Trump, tries to ban immigrants from certain countries, and it doesn't go so well.
Mr. Beat
When Can Speech Be Banned? | Schenck v. United States
In episode 68 of Supreme Court Briefs, a Socialist Party leader distributes thousands of pamphlets encouraging young men to resist getting drafted to fight in World War One, but apparently that's illegal for real.
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?
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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.
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Why the Supreme Court Is Relevant | Marbury v. Madison
In episode 42 of Supreme Court Briefs, the Supreme Court becomes kind of a big deal by getting judicial review.
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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
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.
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Can the Police Use Evidence They Got Illegally? | Mapp v. Ohio
In episode 32 of Supreme Court Briefs, police break into a home of a citizen and later charge her with having sexually explicit material.
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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.
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Do Students Have Free Speech in School? | Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District
In episode 29 of Supreme Court Briefs, students protest the Vietnam War by wearing armbands to school. After some of them get suspended for doing so, the families sue the school district, arguing the students' First Amendment rights were...
Mr. Beat
Why YouTube Can Exist | Sony v. Universal
In episode 28 of Supreme Court Briefs, Universal Studios, Disney, and other media corporations sue Sony for copyright infringement after Sony creates this device that can record stuff so that viewers can watch it later.
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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.
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Can Recorded Testimony Be Used in Court? | Crawford v. Washington
In episode 25 of Supreme Court Briefs, a man stabs another man, but calls it self-defense. However, the only witness can't testify in court, so they use her recorded police interrogation instead. Wait a second, CAN THEY DO THAT?!?
Mr. Beat
How Interracial Marriage Bans Ended | Loving v. Virginia
In episode 23 of Supreme Court Briefs, a woman with darker skin and a man with lighter skin get married and get arrested and kicked out of the state of Virginia. For several years, they fight for their marriage all the way to the Supreme...
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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.
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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.
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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
Why You Don't Hear Dirty Words on Radio or TV | FCC v. Pacifica Foundation
In episode 18 of Supreme Court Briefs, a son doesn't like his teenage son hearing bad words on the radio, so takes action. George Carlin, meanwhile, remains perplexed.
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.
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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.