The section of the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 that gives victims of gender-motivated violence the right to sue their attackers in federal court is an unconstitutional intrusion on states' rights, and it cannot be saved by the Commerce Clause or Section 5 of the Fourteenth Amendment. Decided May 15, 2000 (argued January 11, 2000). Opinion of the Court: William Rehnquist → go there Dissenting: Souter, Breyer. Topic: Federalism. United States v. Morrison, 529 U.S. 598 (2000), is a U.S. Supreme Court decision that found unconstitutional parts of the Violence Against Women Act of 1994 for exceeding powers granted to the US Congress under the Commerce Clause and the Fourteenth Amendment's Equal Protection Clause. Along with United States v. Lopez (1995), it was part of a series of Rehnquist Court cases that limited Congress's powers under the Commerce Clause. Wiki link