1985 in American law

1985 in American law was a year marked by significant legislative action on federal budgets and agriculture, pivotal Supreme Court rulings on police use of force and religious establishment, and a major change in the federal judiciary. The year also saw the passing of two notable former justices and set the stage for a future transformation of the High Court with a key judicial appointment.

Legislation

The Congress passed several landmark acts in 1985. The Gramm–Rudman–Hollings Balanced Budget Act, formally titled the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985, was a major attempt to reduce the federal deficit through automatic spending cuts. In agricultural policy, the Food Security Act of 1985 reauthorized farm programs and introduced significant changes to commodity support. Other important legislation included the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 (COBRA), which mandated continued health insurance coverage for former employees, and the Anti-Drug Abuse Act, which began its legislative journey. The international drug control framework influenced domestic policy debates.

Court decisions

The Supreme Court issued several consequential rulings. In Tennessee v. Garner, the Court held that the Fourth Amendment prohibits the use of deadly force by police against a fleeing suspect unless the officer has probable cause to believe the suspect poses a significant threat. The Establishment Clause was central to Wallace v. Jaffree, where the Court struck down an Alabama law mandating a moment of silence for voluntary prayer in public schools. The exclusionary rule was limited in United States v. Leon, establishing the "good-faith" exception, while Arizona v. Hicks clarified that the "plain view" doctrine requires probable cause, not just reasonable suspicion. In the realm of separation of powers, the Court ruled in INS v. Chadha that the legislative veto was unconstitutional.

Federal judiciary

A pivotal event for the federal judiciary was the appointment of Antonin Scalia to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit by President Ronald Reagan. This position is often considered a stepping stone to the Supreme Court. The Judicial Conference continued to address issues of court administration and procedure. The U.S. Sentencing Commission, created by the Sentencing Reform Act of 1984, began its work to establish mandatory federal sentencing guidelines, which would profoundly impact the district courts.

Legal events

Significant legal events beyond the courts included the release of the final report of the Attorney General's Commission on Pornography, commonly known as the Meese Commission, which sparked national debate over obscenity and First Amendment rights. The FBI's Laboratory Division and the DEA were involved in numerous high-profile investigations. The ongoing work of the Department of Justice under Attorney General Edwin Meese was frequently in the news. Legal scholarship was influenced by the continued rise of the law and economics movement, centered at institutions like the University of Chicago Law School.

Deaths

The legal community mourned the loss of two former Associate Justices of the Supreme Court. Potter Stewart, who served from 1958 to 1981 and authored the famous "I know it when I see it" concurrence in Jacobellis v. Ohio, died on December 7. Abe Fortas, who served from 1965 to 1969 and was the first nominee for Chief Justice to withdraw after Senate opposition, died on April 5. Their passings marked the end of distinct eras in the Court's history.

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