Assignment: Supreme Court Essay
Pena-Rodriguez v. Colorado
Read through the case opinion, taking notes as you go. You need the following information:
I. Introduction:
o Identify the name of the case and the year the Supreme Court issued the opinion;
o Identify the parties involved in the case.
o Briefly describe the focus and controversy of the case.
II. Facts - identify the facts relevant to the Court's ruling in the case (leave out extraneous detail);
III. How did the case move through the courts before reaching SCOTUS?
o What court had original jurisdiction in the case?
o How had previous courts ruled in the case?
IV. How did the U.S. Supreme Court rule in the case?
o What was the reasoning of the majority opinion?
o What was the reasoning of any concurring or dissenting opinions?
V. Conclusion: How does the Court's ruling in the case affect Americans today?
o Has the Court's ruling in the case affected other rulings in other cases?
o Has the Court's ruling affected the interpretation and enforcement of any particular laws and how those laws are enforced?
o If applicable: Has the Court's ruling in this case affected you, or someone you know, personally?
Next, write your essay. If you organized your information based on the suggested outline above, then you just need to flesh out what you learned and put it into a footnoted two- to three-page essay. Your first paragraph is the introduction (the information under letter A of your outline), the second paragraph is the information under letter B, and so on.
Format your assignment according to the following formatting requirements:
o The answer should be typed, using Times New Roman font (size 12), double spaced, with one-inch margins on all sides.
o The response also includes a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student's name, the course title, and the date. The cover page is not included in the required page length.
o Also include a reference page. The Citations and references must follow APA format. The reference page is not included in the required page length.