Unless otherwise noted, the losing party in each of these cases appealed to the Supreme Court. Which case would the Supreme Court most likely choose to hear?

Question

A.
Case 1: Case 1 is made up of many merged cases about the denial of Fourteenth Amendment protections to a minority group of citizens. All plaintiffs were successful at first. On appeal, one US Circuit Court of Appeals overturned the decision, while another affirmed it.

B.
Case 2: Case 2 concerns enforcement of a new state law. Plaintiffs asserted that the law violated the state constitution. The case was appealed several times and was heard by the state supreme court, which held that the law did not violate the state constitution.

C.
Case 3: Case 3 is a criminal case in which a defendant claimed that the trial court made an error by allowing evidence collected by officers who went beyond the scope of their warrant. On appeal, the district court agreed that the defendant’s Fourth Amendment rights were violated and ordered a retrial.

D.
Case 4: Case 4 concerns a controversial state law that is set to go into effect soon. Opponents argue that it violates the Constitution and want the courts to stop it to protect the people from harm. No lower courts have heard this case yet.

Answer 1

The Supreme Court is more likely to choose to hear Case 1. Here’s the reasoning for this choice:

• Case 1 involves multiple plaintiffs and a significant constitutional issue regarding the Fourteenth Amendment, which concerns equal protection under the law. The fact that different Circuit Courts have made conflicting decisions on the same issue raises a substantial question of federal law that typically attracts the Supreme Court's attention. The conflicting lower court rulings mean that there is a pressing need for clarification at the national level.

• Case 2 pertains to a state law and its compliance with the state constitution, which is less likely to be of national significance to warrant Supreme Court review unless there are broader implications beyond state law.

• Case 3 deals with a criminal procedure issue related to the Fourth Amendment. While it may have important implications for privacy rights and law enforcement, the Supreme Court often waits for more developed circuits' opinions or a situation that merits an established legal principle before stepping in.

• Case 4 deals with a state law that has not been adjudicated by any lower courts yet. The Supreme Court generally prefers cases that have gone through the lower court system, where there are already established facts and legal rulings.

Thus, Case 1 stands out as a case involving important constitutional protections and conflicting circuit court decisions, making it the most likely candidate for Supreme Court review.