• November 7, 2024 at 4:13 pm by Steven Topazio

Since 1957, G. L. c. 269, § 10 (b) (§ 10 [b]), has prohibited people from possessing certain spring-release pocketknives, commonly known as “switchblades.”  In a recent case, the Supreme Judicial Court was asked to decide whether § 10 (b)’s prohibition against carrying a switchblade knife violated the Second Amendment to the United States Constitution, considering the United States Supreme Court’s decision in New York State Rifle & Pistol Ass’n v. Bruen, 597 U.S. 1 (2022) (Bruen).[1]  The SJC concluded it does.  COMMONWEALTH read More

• November 5, 2024 at 4:27 pm by Steven Topazio

The 24th Amendment to the United States Constitution, ratified in 1964, prohibits the use of poll taxes in federal elections. Poll taxes were fees that voters had to pay in order to cast a ballot, which effectively disenfranchised many low-income individuals, particularly African Americans in the South, where the tax was often used as a tool of voter suppression. By banning poll taxes, the twenty-fourth amendment aimed to ensure that the right to vote in read More

• October 31, 2024 at 12:06 am by Steven Topazio

The 23rd Amendment to the United States Constitution, ratified in 1961, grants residents of Washington, D.C. the right to participate in presidential elections. Before the amendment, citizens living in D.C. could not vote for the president or vice president because the district is not a state. The 23rd Amendment provides D.C. with a number of electors in the Electoral College, as though it were a state, but it cannot have more electors than the least read More

• October 23, 2024 at 4:01 pm by Steven Topazio

The 22nd Amendment to the United States Constitution, ratified on February 27, 1951, limits the number of terms a person can serve as President to two. Its main provisions are: Section 1: No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than twice, and no person who has held the office of President, or acted as President, for more than two years of a term to which someone else was elected shall read More

• October 15, 2024 at 4:47 pm by Steven Topazio

The 21st Amendment to the United States Constitution, ratified on December 5, 1933, repealed the 18th Amendment, effectively ending the nationwide prohibition of alcohol. It is notable for being the only amendment to repeal another amendment and for being the only one ratified by state conventions rather than state legislatures. The main provisions of the 21st Amendment are: Section 1: The 18th Amendment to the Constitution is repealed. Section 2: The transportation or importation of read More

• October 2, 2024 at 5:01 pm by Steven Topazio

The 20th Amendment to the United States Constitution, also known as the “Lame Duck Amendment,” was ratified on January 23, 1933. The 20th Amendment’s primary purpose is to reduce the amount of time between the election of new federal officials and when they assume office, addressing the problem of the “lame duck” period where outgoing officials hold power without accountability to voters. The key provisions of the 20th Amendment are: Section 1: The terms of read More

• September 25, 2024 at 4:14 pm by Steven Topazio

The Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, ratified on August 18, 1920, granted women the right to vote. It was a significant milestone in the women’s suffrage movement. The text of the Nineteenth Amendment reads: Section 1: “The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.” Section 2: “Congress shall have power to enforce this read More

• September 16, 2024 at 10:08 pm by Steven Topazio

The Eighteenth Amendment, ratified in 1919, instituted the prohibition of alcohol in the United States. It banned the manufacture, sale, and transportation of alcoholic beverages. The amendment gave Congress and the states the power to enforce prohibition through appropriate legislation. The Eighteenth Amendment marked the start of the Prohibition era, which lasted until the amendment was repealed by the Twenty-first Amendment in 1933. The Twenty-first Amendment ended Prohibition, making the manufacture, sale, and transportation of read More

• September 11, 2024 at 4:58 pm by Steven Topazio

The Seventeenth Amendment to the United States Constitution, ratified on April 8, 1913, established the direct election of U.S. Senators by popular vote. Prior to this amendment, Senators were chosen by state legislatures. The text of the Seventeenth Amendment reads: Section 1: “The Senate of the United States shall be composed of two Senators from each State, elected by the people thereof, for six years; and each Senator shall have one vote. The electors in read More