Day 3 Flashcards
Merrel Dow case
Pl can get 1331 w/ state COA but must prove “substantial proposition of federal law”
Free Exercise clause(Trigger and test)
Laws of neutral applicability are acceptable unless intended to interfere w/ religion by restricting or prohibiting free exercise of religion.
TEST/EXCEPTION:
- Sincerely held religious belief
- Belief burdened by state regulation
- **State may counter if regulation is:
1. important to a state goal, and
2. Permitting an exception would be hindered by an exemption.
** Incidental burden caused by law of general application will be reviewed under rational basis scrutiny
Time to answer complaint
must be filed and served w/in 20 days of service and summons and complaint or 60 days from mailing waiver of service
Burford abstention
federal courts should abstain if important state interest and sufficient state regulatory scheme
Dormant commerce clause(trigger and test)
Threshold: Does the state action burden interstate commerce?
Law is invalid if the burden on interstate commerce outweighs legitimate non discriminatory local interest
Look to the following: (SPIL)
1. How SUBSTANTIAL is the burden?
2. PURPOSE of the law?
3. Purpose IMPORTANT enough to justify burden?
4. LESS-BURDENSOME alternative?
Stalking
Intentional + repeated following or harassing that causes alarm or distress
Establishment clause(Trigger and test)
Government cannot pass laws advancing/prohibiting religion and/or prefer religious over non-religious.
“Lemon” TEST:
- Secular purpose
- Primary effect of benefit neither advances nor prohibits religion, and
- No excessive govt entanglement w/ religion
Work product doctrine
protects the mental impressions of the parties and their agents and documents prepared by them in anticipation of litigation;
To obtain evidence protected by the work product doctrine, must show:
- substantial need and
- inability to obtain by any other means;
- cannot discover information that is the work product of the party’s attorney;
- have to give notice that withholding the evidence b/c of the work product claim.
Suspect classes
Race, national origin, religion
Preliminary injunction (1983)
must show:
- no adequate remedy at law;
- irreparable injury will occur if the PI does not obtain preliminary injunction and has to wait for the trial of the permanent injunction; and,
- probability of success on the merits on the claim for the permanent injunction.
Exceptions to warrant requirement (6)
- SITA
- Automobile
- Consent
- Plain view
- Stop and frisk
- Hot pursuit/exigent circumstances
Armed robbery
- Taking anything of value
- belonging to another
- from their person or immediate control
- by means of force or violence
* 5. While armed with a dangerous weapon
Vague statute
Restricts speech without an ascertainable standard.May result in a chilling effect in that people will refrain from speech because there is no understandable standard - fear of violation results in restraint
Quasi suspect class
Gender, sex, illegitimacy
motion for new trial
only granted when the judgment is against the clear weight of the evidence; must move for w/in 10days from the entry or judgment.
Citizenship of corporation
- citizen of the state(s) of incorporation;
- citizens of principal place of business (PPB);
Hertz test for PPB –
- “nerve center” of the corporation and
- “place of director and officer activity”
Theft of an auto/carjacking
Intentional taking of a motor vehicle belonging to another in the presence of the owner by use of force or violence
First degree murder
- Specific intent to kill AND
- a. in perpetration of an enumerated felony, or
b. aggravating factor (killing multiple individuals, victim is in law enforcement, victim is child under 13 or adult over 65 years old)
compulsory counterclaims
arise from the same transaction or occurrence as the original claim; they will be entitled to use supplemental jurisdiction if there is not an independent basis for federal SMJ.
Exception to State action burden on interstate commerce
Market participant
Simple robbery
- Taking anything of value
- belonging to another
- from their person or immediate control
- by means of force or violence
requirements of pleadings (7)
any pleading stating a claim must contain:
- jurisdictional statement,
- short and plain statement showing entitlement to relief,
- demand for judgment;
- caption,
- name of the parties,
- organized in paragraphs, and
- be signed by an attorney or party.
Declaratory judgment
Federal ct is authorized to declare rights and other relations of any interested parties
Must show:
1. Dispute is definite, concrete and immediate
2. Declaratory Judgment will resolve dispute
3. No further factual development of the claim will occur in the future
- does not create SMJ
- has force and effect of final judgment
unincorporated business entities
citizenship of all of the entity’s members (so either apply the natural person test or the corporation test);
- special rules:
1. a business trust is a citizen of where it’s trustee is a citizen;
2. national banks are citizens of the state where it’s head office is;
3. political subdivisions are citizens of the state.
- special rules:
Overbroad statute
Regulates protected AND unprotected speech
Procedural Due Process(trigger and test)
- State Action
- Adverse effect on a vested liberty or property interest.
- Notice
- Opportunity to be heard
constitutional standard for due process
- minimum contacts purposeful availment: contacts must be a result of intentional conduct and not a mere accident; look at whether conducted activities w/in the forum state and availed themselves of the benefits of the state’s laws; placing an item within the stream of commerce (but may need more); activities of D make it foreseeable that he would be amenableto suit in the forum.2. exercise of jurisdiction must not violate notions of fair play and substantial justice
Exceptions to Free Exercise clause (2)
- Important to state goal & hindered by granting exemption
2. Incidental burden on law of general application - rational basis scrutiny
Intermediate scrutiny
- Substantially related
2. Important govt interest
Justification based defenses
Self defensePrevent felonyDefense of othersLaw enforcement purposes
Aggravated 2nd degree battery
Aggravated 2nd degree if battery w/dangerous weapon AND serious bodily injury
Pullman abstention
federal courts should abstain from interpreting unclear issue of state law
Best evidence rule
Duplicates are admissible unless
- Truly exceptional circumstances, OR
- Genuine issue raised as to authenticity 3. Unfair to admit duplicate in lieu of the original
2nd degree battery
- Simple battery, and
2. Serious bodily injury
Criminal trespass
Entering or remaining on the property of another w/out authorization
required disclosures/initial disclosure (discovery)
must make initial disclosure w/in 14 days of the discovery conferenceand the pretrial disclosure at least 30 days before trial;disclose identity of witnesses and documents that the disclosing party may use to support its claims or defenses; do not have to disclose if used solely for impeachment purposes; duty to disclose is continuing; failure to comply is automatic exclusion;
Aggravated Battery
Simple battery + dangerous weapon
Second degree murder
Killing of a human being:
1. Specific intent to kill or cause great bodily harm, OR
- In perpetration of an enumerated felony
- Victim dies as a result of CDS administered by D.
Rule 56 Motion for Summary Judgment (MSJ)
- Filed after close of discovery
- judge cannot weigh credibility/evidence
- No genuine issue of material fact
- Movant entitled to judgment as a matter of law
*attach: affidavits - based on personal knowledge, by competent witnesses, that would be admissible at trial
Test to see if state law violates DCC
- Discriminate against interstate commerce?
* if yes, per se unconstitutional - If not, does the law burden interstate commerce?
Conspiracy
- Agreement between two or more persons
- for the specific purpose to commit a crime
- Overt act in furtherance of criminal goal
Procedure for removal to federal court
- Determine if removal is timely!
- Defendant/s have 30 days from the complaint (calculated by date of last defendant served) - Obtain consent of all defendants to remove
- Prepare and sign notice of removal stating grounds for Federal SMJ & attach all state court documents to notice
- File in federal court
- Provide plaintiff with a copy of the notice, state docs & memo explaining reasons for removal
- File notice and attachments (state court docs and memo provided to plaintiff) in state court.
Removal is effective as of filing in state court
“Arising under”
complaint alleges an expressed or implied federal cause of action or a state law claims where the Pl alleges a right or interest that is substantially founded on federal law.
12(c) motion for judgment on the pleadings
- cannot be filed until all pleadings are filed; the 12(c) motion alleges that the pleadings warrant a judgment for the moving party as a matter of law; if the motion refers to matters outside of the pleadings, then treat as a MSJ
Natural persons (citizenship)
place of fixed and permanent residence (domicile)
Look to:
- physical presence, and
- intent to remain indefinitely
Freedom of Speech
Content regulation is not tolerated unless falls within an exception1. Political - protected unless incitement2. Commercial - regulate false or deceptive 3. Public Employee - matters of public concern are protected unless gov’t shows interest in efficiently delivering public services outweighs 4. Obscenity5. Fighting words - not protected
Resisting arrest
Intentional interference or resisting lawful arrest
Fraudulent Joinder doctrine
- no reasonable basis for liability against non diverse party
- File a notice of removal in federal court alleging fraudulent Joinder to defeat removal