The US Supreme Court decision (if relevant) is binding on ALL US courts.A holding in US District Court, Court of Appeals, or even the United States Supreme Court is not necessarily binding on an Oklahoma trial court.
Supreme Court case law is not binding on states until the Supreme Court says it is.and why isn't supreme court case law binding?
Untrue.Supreme Court case law is not binding on states until the Supreme Court says it is.
That's not because the decision isn't binding, it's because it's relevance was only to "federal enclaves" like the district because that was the issue under discussion. The later McDonald did affirm that many of the issues in Heller applied to the states.A recent example is District of Columbia v Heller, where the Supreme Court held that Washington DC's gun law was unconstitutional. Because Washington DC is not part of any state, that particular holding was not binding on any state, only on the federal government. Earlier this year, a similar case (McDonald v Chicago) was decided but this time the court held that it was binding on states through the 14th amendment.
Right. The Question Presented on the grant of Certiorari, was limited to DC's gun ban.That's not because the decision isn't binding, it's because it's relevance was only to "federal enclaves" like the district because that was the issue under discussion. The later McDonald did affirm that many of the issues in Heller applied to the states.
No....
IF case law is presented is the judge obliged to follow it?
The inferior courts are bound to obey precedents established by the appellate court for their jurisdiction, and all supreme court precedent.
A Court is free to rule any way they wish as they perceive the law.