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Ownership of Ellis Island
Most of Ellis Island, the entry point into the United States for some 17 million new immigrants, falls within the state boundaries of New Jersey, not New York, according to a Supreme Court ruling announced last May. The issue involved civic pride rather than money or administrative power over the island, which the federal government runs as a national park.
HIV and the Americans with Disabilities Act
People infected with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, are covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), even if they show no signs of illness, according to the Supreme Court. A majority of the justices agreed that infection with HIV is "an impairment from the moment of infection." The case involved a woman who sued her dentist for refusing to treat her in his office because she was infected with HIV. Under the ADA, people with disabilities can be treated differently only if they constitute a "direct threat" to the health and safety of others.
Defendants' Right to Polygraph Test
The Supreme Court ruled last spring that a defendant does not have the right to introduce results of a favorable polygraph test. The case involved a pilot who was convicted of passing bad checks, using drugs, and being absent from his base without leave. He appealed his conviction on the grounds that he had been banned from introducing the results of a favorable polygraph test. The Supreme Court upheld the right to ban such evidence, noting that the polygraph is not consistently reliable.
Line-Item Veto
In a landmark ruling, the Court struck down the constitutionality of the line-item veto, which Congress passed
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in 1996. Under the line-item veto, the President could veto parts of a bill without having to veto the entire bill. The Court ruled that the measure violates the procedures set forth in the Constitution for enacting and repealing laws.
Liability of Police Officers
In a unanimous decision, the Supreme Court ruled that police officers are immune from paying damages for killing or injuring someone during a high-speed chase unless their actions were so clearly unnecessary that they “shock the conscience.” Lower courts had ruled that plaintiffs need only show that the police had acted with “deliberate or reckless indifference to life.” The ruling makes it much more difficult for people hurt in high-speed police chases to sue for damages.
Confidentiality of Attorney-Client Communications After Death
Communication between attorneys and their clients are covered by the so-called attorney-client privilege even after the client dies, according to a Supreme Court ruling issued last June. The Court ruled that knowing that communications will remain confidential even after death encourages clients to communicate fully and frankly with their lawyers and should therefore be guaranteed by law.
- What was the Supreme Court's decision regarding the constitutionality of the line-item veto?Answer
- How did the Court rule in the case involving a person's right to introduce polygraph evidence supporting his or her innocence?Answer
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