Fourth Estate Pub. Benefit Corp. v. Wall-Street.com
View Official PDFBelow are plain-language sections to help you understand what the Court decided in Fourth Estate Pub. Benefit Corp. v. Wall-Street.com and why it matters. Quotes are taken from the syllabus (the Court’s short summary at the start of the opinion).
Summary
A short, plain-English overview of Fourth Estate Pub. Benefit Corp. v. Wall-Street.com.
The Supreme Court ruled that the Eighth Amendment's Excessive Fines Clause is applicable to the states through the Fourteenth Amendment's Due Process Clause. This decision stems from a case where Indiana sought civil forfeiture of a vehicle used in a drug offense, which was deemed disproportionate to the crime. The Court emphasized the historical significance of protection against excessive fines as fundamental to liberty.
Holding
The single most important “bottom line” of what the Court decided in Fourth Estate Pub. Benefit Corp. v. Wall-Street.com.
The Court held that the Eighth Amendment's Excessive Fines Clause is incorporated against the states through the Fourteenth Amendment's Due Process Clause.
Constitutional Concepts
These are the Constitution-related themes that appear in Fourth Estate Pub. Benefit Corp. v. Wall-Street.com. Click a concept to see other cases that involve the same idea.
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Why Excessive Fines is relevant to Fourth Estate Pub. Benefit Corp. v. Wall-Street.com
The case directly addresses the applicability of the Eighth Amendment's Excessive Fines Clause to the states.
Syllabus excerpt (verbatim)Held: The Eighth Amendment's Excessive Fines Clause is an incorporated protection applicable to the States under the Fourteenth Amendment's Due Process Clause.
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Why Substantive Due Process is relevant to Fourth Estate Pub. Benefit Corp. v. Wall-Street.com
The incorporation of the Excessive Fines Clause through the Fourteenth Amendment involves substantive due process analysis.
Syllabus excerpt (verbatim)The Fourteenth Amendment's Due Process Clause incorporates and renders applicable to the States Bill of Rights protections 'fundamental to our scheme of ordered liberty,' or 'deeply rooted in this Nation's history and tradition.'
Key Quotes
Short excerpts from the syllabus in Fourth Estate Pub. Benefit Corp. v. Wall-Street.com that support the summary and concepts above.
The Eighth Amendment's Excessive Fines Clause is an incorporated protection applicable to the States under the Fourteenth Amendment's Due Process Clause.
Protection against excessive fines has been a constant shield throughout Anglo-American history for good reason.
The historical and logical case for concluding that the Fourteenth Amendment incorporates the Excessive Fines Clause is indeed overwhelming.
