SmartBrief
Confirm favorite deletion?
Administrative Law Keyed to Funk
Heckler v. Chaney
Citation:
470 U.S. 821, 105 S. Ct. 1649, 84 L. Ed. 2d 714 (1985)Facts
Several prison inmates sentenced to death by lethal injection petitioned the FDA, claiming that the drugs used for executions, though approved for medical purposes, were not approved for use in human executions. They alleged these drugs had not been tested for this purpose and might not induce the quick and painless death intended. The inmates requested the FDA to take various enforcement actions, including requiring warning labels, sending statements to manufacturers and prison administrators, and seizing the drugs from state prisons. The FDA Commissioner refused, stating that even if the FDA had jurisdiction, it had discretion to decline enforcement in this area, as enforcement proceedings were generally initiated only when there was a serious danger to public health or a blatant scheme to defraud. The Commissioner did not believe these dangers were present under state lethal injection laws, which were duly authorized state functions.
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.