United States Supreme Court makes decisions that are considered groundbreaking
Occasionally, the United States Supreme Court makes decisions that are considered groundbreaking (abortion, gay marriage, death penalty, civil rights). In turn, these court decisions can affect public policies. These changes are often the result of the changes in public opinion. Often, the response of policy actors, such as the media and local governmental agencies, to the court decision plays a role in these policy changes.
Research and locate at least one United States Supreme Court case that you believe influenced state or federal decisions or actions about your selected public policy issue(HATE CRIMES) that in turn will influence your departmental policy(BODY CAMERAS). The module resource U.S
Sample Solution
The case of R.A.V v St. Paul (1992) is an important Supreme Court case that has had a profound influence on state and federal decisions or actions concerning hate crimes, which have in turn informed departmental policies regarding body cameras
In the case, the Supreme Court unanimously struck down an ordinance prohibiting cross-burning and other symbols of hatred based on race, color, creed, religion or gender as unconstitutional due to its violation of free speech rights guaranteed by the First Amendment. While this decision was seen as controversial at the time, it set a precedent for how states should approach regulation of hate speech in public areas. This ruling paved the way for stronger laws protecting individuals from hate crimes and gave policy makers more leeway to enact measures such as body cameras that protect against bias-motivated violence. The implications of this landmark decision are still being felt today; it is likely that any future policies enacted in response to hate crime will be influenced by the precedent set by R.A.V v St Paul (1992).