Name

Date

Bill of Rights Project - GROUP

Sebelius v Hobby Lobby Stores
Directions: Read the attached materials. Then, answer the following questions in small groups.

http://www.npr.org/2014/03/25/293956170/hobby-lobby-contraceptive-case-goes-before-supremecourt
http://www.scotusblog.com/2014/03/argument-preview-religion-rights-and-the-workplace/
http://www.scotusblog.com/2014/03/birth-control-business-and-religious-beliefs-in-plain-english/
http://www.scotusblog.com/2014/03/argument-recap-one-hearing-two-dramas/
Tested Amendment
Which amendment is being tested? ________________________________________________________________
Background
Where is this case, in terms of in the court system? ____________________________________________________
How is the amendment being tested? (Give a 1-2 sentence description of the circumstances that brought this case
to court, including the legal question being asked of the Court. Give a 1-2 sentence description of the precedent is
trying to be changed or applied to the resolution of the case.) ___________________________________________
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Analysis (Please remember that you must discuss the petitioner before the respondent.)
Who is the petitioner in the case?
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What is the petitioners logic in this case? How do they view the case in relation to the precedent? (Include one
quote from the article to support your analysis.) ______________________________________________________
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Who is the respondent in the case?_________________________________________________________________
What is the respondents argument (or logic) in this case? How do they view the case in relation to precedent?
(Include one quote from the article to support your analysis.)____________________________________________
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Resolution and Conclusion

As a Supreme Court judge, which party would you decide for? __________________________________________
How would you logically support your decision? (Be sure to consider facts of the case, judicial philosophy, the
Constitution and federal law, cultural and future implications. and precedent.) ____________________________
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How would your decision impact precedent, Federal and/or State laws, and/or contemporary American culture?
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You must type this up and submit this as your first assignment.
Pertinent Vocabulary:
Party bringing the charges:

Get out your

gavel, its time
to decide!

Plaintiff: the party who initiates a lawsuit (or action) before a

court. By doing so, the plaintiff seeks a legal remedy. If successful,
the court issues judgment in favor of the plaintiff. (Civil Court
generally means lawsuits & cash)
Prosecution: legal party responsible for presenting the case
against an individual suspected of breaking the law in a criminal
trial. (PS: Individuals cannot act as the prosecution; they must sue
state and federal government agencies for a redress (or
correction) of their wrongs. (Title 42 U.S. Code 1983.)
Appellant: a party who appeals a court or administrative agencys
decision.
Petitioner: The petitioner is the party asking the Supreme Court to
review the case because she lost the dispute in the lower court.
Their name goes first in the case name.
Party answering the charges:
Defendant: any party required to answer the complaint of the plaintiff in a civil lawsuit, or any party who has been
formally charged or accused of violating a criminal statute.
Appellee: the opponent of a party who appeals a court or administrative agencys decision
Respondent: The respondent is the party that won in the lower court. His name goes second in the case name.
Precedent: In common law legal systems (such as is found in the United States of America), a precedent or authority is a
legal case establishing a principle or rule that a court or other judicial body adopts when deciding subsequent cases with
similar issues or facts.