Today in Supreme Court History: January 16

Garrity v. New Jersey, 385 U.S. 493 (decided January 16, 1967): police officers being questioned in connection with investigation of traffic ticket fixing enjoyed Fifth Amendment privilege against self incrimination (they were told that if they didn’t answer a question they would be fired; therefore these were coerced confessions)

German Alliance Ins. Co. v. Hale, 219 U.S. 307 (decided January 16, 1911): no denial of Equal Protection by Alabama statute requiring any insurer belonging to a “tariff association” fixing rates of its members to pay an extra 25% on any insured loss; statute applied to any such insurer

National Cable & Telecommunications Ass’n v. Gulf Power Co., 534 U.S. 327 (decided January 16, 2002): Pole Attachment Act of 1978 (regulating rents for space on telephone poles) protects providers of cable TV, high-speed internet, and even wireless telecommunication

O’Brien v. Skinner, 414 U.S. 524 (decided January 16, 1974): striking down on Equal Protection grounds New York statute denying right of inmates awaiting trial or serving misdemeanor sentences (i.e., not felons, who can’t vote anyway) to register as absentee voters if jail is not in their county of residence

Zicherman v. Korean Air Lines Co., 516 U.S. 217 (decided January 16, 1996): relatives of passengers of plane shot down over Sea of Japan could not recover loss-of-society damages against airline; Warsaw Convention refers issue to domestic law, stipulated to be American law, and Death on the High Seas Act, 46 U.S.C. §30302, allowed only economic damages (statute has since been amended)