Alfonso Lopez, Jr.

E57170

Alfonso Lopez, Jr. is the high school student whose challenge to a federal gun-possession law led to the landmark 1995 U.S. Supreme Court case United States v. Lopez, which limited Congress’s power under the Commerce Clause.

Aliases (1)

Statements (41)
Predicate Object
instanceOf high school student
person
allegedConduct brought a concealed handgun to his high school
areaOfLaw constitutional law
criminal law
federalism
associatedCourt Supreme Court of the United States
associatedJurisdiction United States federal courts
associatedWith Gun-Free School Zones Act litigation
caseCitation United States v. Lopez, 514 U.S. 549 (1995)
caseDecisionYear 1995
caseEscalatedTo Supreme Court of the United States
United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
caseOutcomeForLaw Gun-Free School Zones Act of 1990 held unconstitutional as exceeding Commerce Clause power
caseType constitutional challenge to federal statute
federal criminal prosecution
challenged Gun-Free School Zones Act of 1990
chargedUnder Gun-Free School Zones Act of 1990
constitutionalProvisionInvolved Article I, Section 8, Clause 3 of the U.S. Constitution
Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitution
countryOfCitizenship United States of America
educationContext attended a public high school in Texas
historicalSignificance central figure in first case in decades to limit Congress’s Commerce Clause authority
influenced cases limiting federal criminal jurisdiction based on Commerce Clause
subsequent Commerce Clause jurisprudence
legalDoctrineImpacted congressional power to regulate non-economic activity
substantial effects test under the Commerce Clause
legalIssueRaised limits on congressional power under the Commerce Clause
scope of the Commerce Clause
legalStatusAfterSupremeCourt Supreme Court affirmed reversal of conviction
legalStatusInCase conviction initially obtained in federal district court
legalStatusOnAppeal conviction reversed by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals
levelOfCourtFirstHeard federal district court
mentionedIn constitutional law casebooks
federal courts and jurisdiction casebooks
notableFor being the respondent in United States v. Lopez
occupation student
partyTo United States v. Lopez
placeOfActivity San Antonio, Texas
roleInCase respondent
timePeriodOfNotability early 1990s

Referenced by (1)
Subject (surface form when different) Predicate
United States v. Lopez
respondent

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