Impacts of Supreme Court Decisions - Admission/Application Essay Example

Impacts of Supreme Court DecisionsIntroductionThis paper aims to explore the supreme court of the United States of America, its functions and how some of its major rulings on some of the petitions impact the current American society. This paper will dwell on the issues of private land being acquired or used by the state and polygamy in the United States which will argue on the issue of religion beliefs and how they are viewed by the constitution of the United States. Arkansas game and fish commission v.

United States No. 11-597. Argued October 3, 2012 – decided December 4, 2012In this case the petitioner, Arkansas game and fish commission owns and manages the Dave Donaldson Black river wildlife management area. From 1993-2003 periodically, the corps, authorised flooding into the management’s peak timber growing season. This caused destruction of timber and a substantial change in character of the terrain. The Commission sought reimbursement from the U.S pursuant to the Fifth Amendment’s instruction: “[N]or shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.

” (Supreme Court of the United States, 2012).The court opinion was delivered by Justice Ginsburg who was the judge at the time the petition was filed. The court went through a process to deliver the judgement, and the major milestones in the case included that compensation may be sought only when flooding is a permanent or inevitably recurring condition relatively than an inherently temporary situation. The takings clause is designed to bar the government from forcing people to bear burdens when it should be a public burden (Armstrong v.

United States, 364 U. S. 40, 49 (1960)) and the government should compensate the owner if it has an interest in his land or property (Tahoe-Sierra Preserva­tion Council, Inc. v. Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, 535 U. S. 302, 322 (2002)). The court ruled that the commission should reclaim the land through a restoration program, but this should not qualify a landowner from receipt of a just compensation for a taking (United States v. Dickinson, 331 U. S. 745, 751 (1947)) (Supreme Court of the United States, 2012).

In the modern day society, this equates to issues of takings to be decided upon by the constitution whereby private land is liable to compensation by the state if it is to be acquired or is damaged in some manner that is state induced. This gives private land owners right to just compensation.Polygamy and enforcement of morals in the case of Reynolds v. the United States (1879). The court opinion was delivered by Justice Waite. The presiding president was Hayes. This case was used to bring up the question of whether criminal law should be used to enact morality in marriage (Clayton, 1971).

The jury first decided that they would enact on religious freedom whereby the judgement would only assume that there is no higher power than the constitution which is the law of the land (Clayton, 1971). The judge ruled that the constitution did not affect illicit sex but condemned illicit marriage and that religious beliefs were in no way above the law of the land which is the constitution of the United States. Reynolds was imprisoned in the federal prison at Lincoln. In modern day society, this brings out the question of religious faith and how it is enacted.

Religion cannot be used as a ground for breaking the constitution unless if the constitution guarantees the freedom of religion (Clayton, 1971). The practices done due to religion beliefs can only be regarded if only they do not in any way interfere with the rights of fellow states persons. This can also be directly impacted to the current issues of cults and sororities that are widespread throughout. Some certain beliefs and practices that may seem right to them such as initiations acts that mostly may involve breaking of the law may be prosecuted in the court of law.

ConclusionThe Supreme Court as the highest institution for the implementation of the constitution of the United States has a big role in the interpretation of the constitution, and it directly impacts the citizens in their day to day going with their lives and activities.ReferencesClayton, L.J (1971) The Supreme Court, Polygamy and the Enforcement of Morals in Nineteenth Century America: An Analysis of Reynolds v. United States. Retrieved on 18th March 2013 from: http://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/12pdf/11-597_i426.

pdfSupreme Court of the United States (2012, October). Arkansas game and Fish commission v. United States. Retrieved on 18th March 2013 from: http://www.dialoguejournal.com/wp-content/uploads/sbi/articles/Dialogue_V12N04_48.pdf