United States v. Lopez

United States v. Lopez

P. V

Tuesday, April 26, 2016

Bailey T.

What Was the Case About?

The case highlighted the issue of guns in school zones. The concern was mainly about the safety of the students.

Who Was Involved?

The case, in which concerned guns in school zones, involved Congress, The Supreme Court, and 18 year old Alfonso Lopez Jr, a 12th grader at Edison High School in San Antonio, Texas.

Where did the Incident Take Place?

The Incident occurred at Edison High School, located in San Antonio, Texas, and later made its way to the Supreme Court in Washington, DC.

Chief Justice William Rehnquist

"More than a thousand birthdays, graduations, and anniversaries have been stolen from our lives by a bullet from a gun."

- President Barack Obama, Gun Control

Why did the Incident Take Place?

What was Congress' Role in the Case?

When did the Incident Take Place?

Congress passed an act in 1990 prohibiting the possession of a weapon within 1,000 feet of a school zone. The Supreme Court ruled that the act was unconstitutional under the Commerce Clause of the United States Constitution. This case marks the first time in over half a century that Congress limited Congressional authority.

The incident involving Alfonso and the school in which he attended took place in March of 1992. The actual case was argued in the Supreme court on November 8, 1994. The final verdict was made on April 25, 1995.

Alfonso Lopez Jr. received the gun from a classmate who ordered Lopez to deliver the gun to a fellow student. An anonymous tip was received that Lopez was in possession of a weapon. Lopez was caught with a .38-caliber handgun and five bullets, which were kept in his vehicle. "He had no money for bail, no funds to hire a lawyer and, thanks to a law Congress had passed two years earlier that banned guns within 1,000 ft. of a school, little chance of escaping a six-month prison sentence" (Fedarko 1).

Do I Agree with the SCOTUS' Decision?

Works Cited

The SCOTUS voted the Gun-Free School Zone Act unconstitutional. I personally don't agree with guns being allowed on campus. Many incidents that have taken lives have been due to lack of gun safety. I believe that I would be more comfortable and feel safer at school with the presence of guns being prohibited.

Anderson, Jon E. "United States v. Lopez." Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Encyclopedia

Britannica. Web. 28 Apr. 2016.

Fedarko, Kevin. "A GUN BAN IS SHOT DOWN." Time. Time Inc., 2001. Web. 29 Apr. 2016.

Mandel, Ken. "Obama Gun Control Quotes: 8 Times President Has Addressed Issue." Newsmax.

Newsmax Media, 02 Nov. 2014. Web. 29 Apr. 2016.

"United States v. Lopez." Oyez.org. IIT Chicago-Kent Collage of Law. Web. 28 Apr. 2016.

Sandy Hook Massacre