On rare occasions, a case involving a crime victim raises significant legal issues that have not yet been addressed and resolved by some earlier judicial ruling. Identify and discuss two recent Supreme Court decisions and their direct effects on crime victims.

Victims' 911 Emergency Calls Can Be Used as Evidence If They Can't Testify at a Trial

In 2006 (Davis v. Washington), all nine justices agreed that a victim's 911 call describing a crime in progress and identifying the assailant can be entered as evidence in court proceedings, without violating the defendant's Sixth Amendment right to confront his accuser, if the complainant can't or chooses not to testify (Greenhouse, 2006).

In 2008 (District of Columbia et al. v. Heller), five justices interpreted the Second Amendment as granting individuals who fear that criminals might invade their residences the right to own loaded handguns to defend themselves, their families, and their property, even in large cities with very strict gun control laws. The dissenters cited the dangers of accidental domestic fatalities and the need to protect children from access to firearms (Greenhouse, 2008; and Wasserman, 2008).