At his Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing in October, 1991.....

SEN. PAUL SIMON [former Democratic of Illinois, now deceased]: …do you consider the right of privacy a fundamental right?

JUDGE CLARENCE THOMAS. Senator, to my knowledge, the Supreme Court, no majority has used the ninth amendment to establish as the basis for a right. Of course, it was used by Justice Goldberg and by Justice Douglas in Griswold. With respect to the approach that I indicated that I thought was the better approach, it was Justice Harlan's approach. But with that said, my bottom line was that I felt that there was a right to privacy in the Constitution, and that the marital right to privacy, of course, is at the core of that, and that the marital right to privacy in my view and certainly the view of the Court is that it is a fundamental right.

Case Law Citations (cites) - An excellent reference book for persons without any legal background is the one titled "Legal Research" seen on the right.. It will teach you the composition of a case cite that are frequently used in family law cases. It will demystify what you are reading and help you to understand the basis upon which courts rely to make rulings. You will learn how to do your own research and understand what you are doing and why. This is an invaluable guide for the person who is self-represented in court. It is written in easy to understand layman's language.

Abstentions:

• Rooker-Feldman Doctrine
  • Exxon Mobil v Saudi Basic Industries Corp.

Alimony:

• A must read! 05/04/05 - Hillier v. Iglesias - 4th Distict Court of Appeals - Chief Judge Farmer's review of alimony.
• Abrogating The Doctrine of Necessaries in Florida: The future of spousal liability for necessary expenses after Conner vs. Southwest Florida Regional Medical Center, Inc.
• Connor v. Southwest Florida Regional Medical Center, Inc., 668 So. 2d 175 (Fla. 1995) Florida Supreme Court ruling in abrogating the doctrine of necessaries.
• Florida Supreme Court Says Husbands And Wives Are Not Dependants -Doctrine Of Necessaries Cancelled
• Memo of Law that Alimony is Unconstitutional  

Alimony and Extradition:

• Sanders v. Laird: Arrest only valid in Florida.-Not other States

Alimony and Attorney's Fees

• Barna v. Barna - Petition for a Writ of Certiorari for fee shifting

Alimony and Retirement:

• Tennessee Supreme Court ruling on alimony and voluntary retirement.

Contempt:

• Defined by Honorable Carolyn K. Fulmer, District Court of Appeal, 2nd District, 1999

• Bowen v. Bowen:  Understanding Contempt Civil versus Criminal

• Gregory v. Rice, 727 So.2d 251 (Fla. 1999): This case involves the wrongful incarceration of a father who failed to pay child support payments.

• Robbie v. Robbie, 683 So.2d 1131 (Fla.App. 4 Dist. 1996): Contempt Incarceration - Incarceration for attorney fees - the current case law improperly extends the statute. Read Farmer's specially concurring opinion.

• Shillitani v. US 1966 -Yes, in a civil contempt trial, no jury trial on the contempt and imprisonment are permitted.

Gender Bias in the Courts:

• Race and Gender Bias in the Courts

Right to Privacy

• Principles of Equal Protection - Site with many cites on Right to Privacy.

Separation of Powers

• Bush  v. Schiavo, 885 So. 2d 321, (Fla. 2004)

Federal Case Law

• Section 1983 Litigation: The fundamental issues that arise in litigation under 42 U.S.C. § 1983, the statute for redressing constitutional and federal statutory violations, and the case law interpreting those issues.