Smith's Criminal Case Compendium
Smith's Criminal Case Compendium
Table of Contents
Smith's Criminal Case Compendium
About
This compendium includes significant criminal cases by the U.S. Supreme Court & N.C. appellate courts, Nov. 2008 – Present. Selected 4th Circuit cases also are included.
Jessica Smith prepared case summaries Nov. 2008-June 4, 2019; later summaries are prepared by other School staff.
Instructions
Navigate using the table of contents to the left or by using the search box below. Use quotations for an exact phrase search. A search for multiple terms without quotations functions as an “or” search. Not sure where to start? The 5 minute video tutorial offers a guided tour of main features – Launch Tutorial (opens in new tab).
The Court vacated and remanded the decision of the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts, finding that court erred in interpreting District of Columbia v. Heller, 554 U. S. 570 (2008), to hold that the Second Amendment does not extend to stun guns. The Court began by noting that Heller held "the Second Amendment extends, prima facie, to all instruments that constitute bearable arms, even those that were not in existence at the time of the founding."
The Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms applies to the states. For a more detailed discussion of this case see the blog post, McDonald’s Impact in North Carolina.