Constitutional Law Keyed to Cohen
City of Houston, Texas v. Hill
Facts
Appellee, observed a friend intentionally stopping traffic on a busy street in Houston, to allow a vehicle to enter traffic. Two Houston police officers then confronted the friend of the Appellee, and when one named Officer Kelley began talking to him, Appellee began shouting at the officers in an admitted attempt to divert Officer Kelley’s attention from his friend. Appellee shouted at Officer Kelley to pick on someone his own size, to which Officer Kelley asked Appellee if he was interrupting his duties as a police officer. Appellee then stated that yes he was, and shouted to Officer Kelley to once again pick on someone his own size. Appellee was then arrested under a Houston ordinance that prohibited “willfully or intentionally interrupting a city policeman by verbal challenge during an investigation.” Appellee was acquitted after a nonjury trial in municipal court. Following his acquittal, Appellee brought a suit in District Court seeking judgment that the ordinance was un constitutional on its face and as applied to him. The District Court held that Appellee’s evidence did not demonstrate that the ordinance had been unconstitutionally applied. The Court of Appeals reversed, causing the City of Houston, Texas to appeal to the United States Supreme Court.
Only StudyBuddy Pro offers the complete Case Brief Anatomy*
Access the most important case brief elements for optimal case understanding.
*Case Brief Anatomy includes: Brief Prologue, Complete Case Brief, Brief Epilogue
- The Brief Prologue provides necessary case brief introductory information and includes:
Topic:
Identifies the topic of law and where this case fits within your course outline.Parties:
Identifies the cast of characters involved in the case.Procedural Posture & History:
Shares the case history with how lower courts have ruled on the matter.Case Key Terms, Acts, Doctrines, etc.:
A case specific Legal Term Dictionary.Case Doctrines, Acts, Statutes, Amendments and Treatises:
Identifies and Defines Legal Authority used in this case.
- The Case Brief is the complete case summarized and authored in the traditional Law School I.R.A.C. format. The Pro case brief includes:
Brief Facts:
A Synopsis of the Facts of the case.Rule of Law:
Identifies the Legal Principle the Court used in deciding the case.Facts:
What are the factual circumstances that gave rise to the civil or criminal case? What is the relationship of the Parties that are involved in the case.Issue(s):
Lists the Questions of Law that are raised by the Facts of the case.Holding:
Shares the Court's answer to the legal questions raised in the issue.Concurring / Dissenting Opinions:
Includes valuable concurring or dissenting opinions and their key points.Reasoning and Analysis:
Identifies the chain of argument(s) which led the judges to rule as they did.
- The Brief Prologue closes the case brief with important forward-looking discussion and includes:
Policy:
Identifies the Policy if any that has been established by the case.Court Direction:
Shares where the Court went from here for this case.