Landmark Supreme Court Cases 1
Cases involving a young African American girl who was denied admission into a school due to her race.
What is Brown V. Board of Education?
Case where Texas law made it a felony to abort a fetus unless to save a mother's life. A woman filed suit against a district attorney, contesting that it was a violation of her personal liberty guaranteed by the constitutional amendments.
What is Roe V. Wade?
Case where an individual was interrogated and confessed to a crime of kidnapping and rape, but case ruling was changed due to individuals 5th amendment rights being violated.
What is Miranda v. Arizona?
Case where a New York school system was challenged in court because they began each school day with a nondenominational prayer, which was stated in court to be a violation of the First Amendment right to religion.
What is Engel v. Vitale?
Amendment that was referenced in cases such as Tinker v. Des Moines and Texas v. Johnson based on their freedom of speech.
What is the First Amendment?
Case where a president refused to turn over cassette tape recordings, stating that he was able to use "executive privilege." The Supreme Court ruled against this president, stating that him turning over the tapes would not compromise national security.
What is U.S. V. Nixon?
Case where a white male was rejected from being admitted into a medical school in California. He took the case to Supreme Court where they ruled in his favor, stating that the school violated the Equal Protection Clause and excluded him on the basis of race.
What is Regents of University of California v. Bakke?
Case that allowed the Supreme Court authority to declare legislative and executive actions unconstitutional, which is known as judicial review. Established the doctrine of judicial review.
What is Marbury v. Madison?
Case where a jury found a man guilty of armed robbery and murder and sentenced him to death, but he appealed his case to the Supreme Court claiming that the death sentence was "cruel and unusual punishment" and would violate his Eighth Amendment right. The Supreme Court ruled against him and he was sentenced to death.
What is Gregg v. Georgia?
This amendment was referenced in cases such as Brown v. Board of Education and Plessy v. Ferguson based on each person being privileged to the same rights regardless of color.
What is the 14th Amendment?
Case where a woman was arrested for having obscene materials found at her house by police, but used her right to not have her belongings searched or seized without a search warrant as a basis of taking case to Supreme Court.
What is Mapp V. Ohio?
Case where a person accused of a felony was denied the right to an attorney by a judge. Court ruled for individual because it was violation of Sixth Amendment.
What is Gideon V. Wainwright?
Case where a slave attempted to sue his current slave owner for his freedom, because he felt that he was free when his original owner died and he went back to his home state. Supreme Court denied him, stating that he was not considered a citizen of the state, so he did not have rights.
What is Dred Scott v. Sanford?
Case where public school students were required to read and recite Bible verses; Supreme Court ruled the action as a violation of the First Amendment.
What is Abington v. Schempp?
This amendment was referenced in the Miranda v. Arizona case where each person accused of a crime must be informed of their rights when detained.
What is 5th Amendment?
Case where a black citizen was arrested for violating the Separate Car Act by riding on a railroad car assigned for whites only. This black citizen took his case to the Supreme Court, where they ruled against him, based on the "Separate but Equal" act put in place earlier.
What is Plessy V. Ferguson?
Case where a steamboat operator filed a complaint against another steamboat operator in New York to stop him from operating his boats on waters that were assigned specifically to another person. One disagreed with the other, claiming sole control of the waters for commerce. Supreme Court ruled that Congress determines how interstate commerce is conducted.
What is Gibbons V. Ogden?
Case where the state of Maryland attempted to impose a tax on a federal bank. Supreme Court ruled with the federal government, due to the fact that states cannot interfere with federal matters to a certain extent.
What is McCulloch v. Maryland?
Case where students challenged their principals right to edit their newspaper articles that he felt were inappropriate. Students argued that their freedom of speech under the First Amendment was violated.
What is Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier?
Term used when the Supreme Court rejects a law or disagrees with a ruling because it goes against a persons constitutional rights.
What is unconstitutional?
Case where student was accused of dealing drugs and after a backpack was searched, was found carrying cigarettes, drug paraphernalia, and a list of names of those who owed money. Family court declared student's privacy to be violated, but Supreme Court ruled that her rights were not violated.
What is New Jersey V. T.L.O?
Case where Amish parents did not want their children to attend public school past the 8th grade, due to religious reasons. After school district required the children to attend public high school, Supreme Court ruled in favor of parents.
What is Wisconsin v. Yoder?
Case where students were suspended for wearing black armbands in protest of the Vietnam War. Supreme Court ruled in favor of students, stating that students do not leave their rights at the schoolhouse door.
What is Tinker v. Des Moines?
Case where person was arrested for burning the American flag outside of the Dallas City Hall. He argued that this act was protected by the First Amendments right to freedom of speech/ ymbolic speech.
What is Texas v. Johnson?
Highest court in the land. Place where people take their cases to be heard when they feel that their constitutional rights have been violated.
What is the Supreme Court?