0004 Landmark U.S. Supreme Court Cases (SMR 4.4)

Question 1

How did the Supreme Court come to be?

Answer 1

Created by the Constitution (Third Article)

Made up of Chief Justice and 8 Justices who are nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate

Question 2

What does the Supreme Court do?

Answer 2

Basically the Supreme Court is a court of appeals (Appelate Court), they rule on cases already tried in lower courts (municipal, state courts)

They have some original jurisdiction such as any case brought up against a diplomat or the President or where a state is a party in the case

Question 3

What does the 11th amendment do?

Answer 3

states a sovereignty of power given to the state which limits the jurisdiction on cases brought against states

Question 4

The Supreme Court originally played a marginal role until what court?

Answer 4

The Marshall Court (1801 - 1835), the role of the Supreme Court as the interpreter of the Constitution was established (note that courts are named after their chief justice)

Question 5

What were the two cases that set up the Supreme Court as the interpreters of the Constitution?

Answer 5

Marbury vs. Madison (1803)

Martin vs. Hunter’s Lesee (1816)

Question 6

What was the Marbury vs. Madison case & why was it important?

Answer 6

Once Adams found out he lost re-election to Jefferson, he attempted to put in federalist judges (known as “midnight judges”). This didn’t happen in time, mainly because Marshall who was Secretary of State and the incoming Chief Justice didn’t deliver the appointments in time. Madison becomes new Secretary of State and is told by Jefferson not to deliver the commissions. Marbury was one of the midnight judges who was supposed to be admitted and he brings it to Supreme Court. First time Supreme Court declared an act of Congress unconstitutional.

Importance: Marshall set up that it was the domain of the Supreme Court to decide what the law is, set up the Supreme Court as the Supreme Court of appeals specifically on constitutional rights

Question 7

What case is the following quote from?

“It is emphatically the province and duty of the Justice Department to say what the law is”

Answer 7

Marbury vs. Madison (1803)

Question 8

What was the Martin vs. Hunter’s Lessee case?

Answer 8

During the Revolutionary period, The Loyalist Martin Family was driven from their land to Virginia and the land was sold to David Hunter. Because of the Jay’s Treaty, Martin believed he should have his land. Virginia enacted legislation to confiscate loyalist’s property, was taken to Supreme Court who sent it back to Virginia and then reversed the state courts decision on appeal

Marshall sided with Martin

Importance: First case to assert ultimate Supreme Court authority over state courts in civil matters of federal law

Question 9

What two cases established the authority of the Supreme Court both over States and the President?

Answer 9

McCulloch vs. Maryland (1819)

United States vs. Nixon (1974)

Question 10

What was the McCulloch vs. Maryland 1819 case?

Answer 10

The Second Bank of the US had a branch in Maryland. Maryland tries to tax the federal bank and it went to court. McCulloch was a bank teller and the state ruled against McCulloch. But when it went to the Supreme Court it went against Maryland and claimed that the states cannot prevent the federal govt from exercising its constitutional power.

Importance: Showed that federal govt had power over states

Question 11

What was the United States vs. Nixon 1974 case?

Answer 11

The case was over the release of tapes as evidence in the Watergate scandal. Nixon claimed he had privilege of immunity as the president and the Supreme Court ordered that a President doesn’t hold executive power to withhold evidence in a criminal investigation.

Importance: Showed Supreme Court’s Authority over President

Question 12

What three key supreme court cases concerned civil rights?

Answer 12

Plessy vs. Ferguson (1896)
Brown vs. the Board of Education of Topeka (1954)
Adarand Constructors vs. Pena (1995)

Question 13

What was the Plessy vs. Ferguson case (1896)?

Answer 13

Challenged the Separate Car Act (segregation of train cars)

Upheld the rights of the states to keep segregation under the separate but equal doctrine

Question 14

What was the Brown vs. Board of Education of Topeka (1954)?

Answer 14

Overturned Plessy vs. Ferguson
“Separate but Equal” doctrine is inherently unequal
Racial Segregation violates the 14th Amendment

Question 15

What was the Adarand Constructors vs. Pena (1995) case?

Answer 15

A construction company was looking for a subcontractor to do work for US dept of transportation. Even though Adarand Construction was the lowest bid, it was awarded to a different construction company because the Small Business Administration was giving financial incentives for employed disadvantaged businesses.

Adarand Construction sued and the Supreme Court sided in their favor saying the federal govt is bound by the same standards of race neutrality that is required of states in the 14th amendment.

Question 16

What five Supreme Court cases called into question the constitutionality of individual rights?

Answer 16

1. Miranda vs. Arizona (1966)
2. Roe vs. Wade (1973)
3. Regents of UC vs. Bakke (1978)
4. United States vs. Virginia (VMI) (1996)
5. INS vs. St. Cyr (1996)

Question 17

What was the Miranda vs. Arizona (1966) case?

Answer 17

Miranda was arrested and confessed that he committed the crime but when placed under arrest, he didn’t know that he had the right to remain silent or to an attorney, showed that we need to let people know their rights to consult an attorney and against self-incrimination. Caused individual rights to remain silent, arrest rights. Convictions were reversed.

Question 18

What was the Roe vs. Wade 1973 case?

Answer 18

Supported rights of individuals to have an abortion within the first trimester.

State had rights in regulating the situation

Question 19

What was the Regents of UC vs. Bakke (1978) case?

Answer 19

Bakke was a white man that was denied entry to UC Davis medical school twice even though some people got in with lower test scores. He sued and won.

• Placed into question the concept of Affirmative Action
• Challenged that quotas violate the rights of non-minority applicants
• Stated that race can be a factor in acceptance but not the deciding factor

Question 20

What was the United States vs. Virginia Military Institute (1996) case?

Answer 20

Virginia Military Institute had a male-only policy. This was challenged and was deemed as unconstitutional and against the 14th amendment’s equal protection requirement. Resulted in a women’s paralleled program

Question 21

What was the INS vs. St. Cyr act of 1996?

Answer 21

Did the use of the Illegal Immigration Reform & Immigrant Responsibility Act deny lawful permanent residents access to apply for relief from deportation, specifically to those whose application for relief was pending at the time of the law’s enactment & those who would have qualified but were convicted before the law was enacted?

Supreme Court ruled in favor of immigrants stating that a law can not be put into place to retroactively deport applicants

Question 22

What was the Bush v. Palm Beach County Canvassing Board case?

Answer 22

A 2000 Supreme Court case following the 2000 election between Gore & Bush in Florida. Gore asks for recount in Palm Beach and 3 other counties. Law says election results must be announced in 7 days, and recount didn’t happen in time so FL Secretary of State Katherine Harris called for the certification of votes despite recount. Gore said nuh-uh and went to Florida supreme court which said that Katherine Harris had to allow an extension for the recount. The extension also didn’t work and the same thing happens again. Bush then takes the Florida Supreme Court’s rulings to the Supreme Court saying it violates Equal Protection Clause of 14th Amendment and Article II, Section I. Supreme Court agreed and Bush won election