Number: RS20584
Title: UNITED STATES V. MORRISON: THE SUPREME COURT DECLARES 42 U.S.C. §13981 UNCONSTITUTIONAL
Authors: T.J. Halstead, American Law Division 
Abstract: In United States v. Morrison, the Supreme Court considered the constitutionality of 42 U.S.C. §13981, which provided a federal civil cause of action to any victim of gender-motivated violence. Analyzing §13981 according to the framework delineated in United States v. Lopez, the Court held that gender motivated violence is not a commercial activity and is not substantially connected to interstate commerce, rendering the statute invalid under the Commerce Clause. The Court further determined that, since it targeted private actors, §13981 was outside the scope of the Fourteenth Amendment.
Pages: 6
Date: Updated May 22, 2000