Texas Government
Congratulations! On your new role as the newest member of the US Supreme Court. Your task is to record a yes or no voters on the following three questions: *Does the constitution protect the right of privacy *Did the state law, as applied in this specific case, violate a right to privacy? *Does the state sodomy law deny the equal protection guaranteed by the 14th Amendment Facts: These two gentlemen were arrested when they were caught engaging in illegal consensual sodomy in the privacy of their home. Before 2003, this behavior was considered a misdemeanor crime. When the officer arrived under the false report of a jealous friend, these two gentlemen were discovered and arrested. The third person on this scenario was arrested for filing a false report. The sodomy charge resulted in a short stay in jail and a small $ fine However, they fought back bringing this all the way to the life-time tenured us Supreme Court. Their argument is law passed and enforced in this situation was unconstitutional. This was a 6-3 decision allowing for disagreement. I want you to understand the power of the US Supreme Court to challenge the policies of any state. In this case, a to challenge to a conservative policy. If you side with Lawrence, the law is voided. If you vote with Texas, the homosexual act remains a crime. Record your yes or no vote in each question and write an explanation that explains your vote on the case. It is not necessary to explain each question. A yes vote in # 2 or 3 gets rid of the sodomy law. A no vote on #1 -is an automatic no on #2. Below are the two amendments that should help in your interpretation regarding privacy and equal protection. This is your judicial decision
