100 Court Cases Flashcards
Marbury v. Madison (1803)
the court established its role as the arbiter of the consitutionality of federal laws, the principle is known as judicial review
Fletcher v. Peck (1810)
the decision stems from the Yazoo land cases, 1803, and upholds the sanctity of contracts
McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)
the court ruled that states cannot tax the federal government
Dartmouth College v. Woodward (1819)
New Hampshire had attempted to take over Dartmouth College by revising its colonial charter.
Gibbons v. Ogden (1824)
clarified the commerce clause and affirmed Congressional power over interstate commerce
Johnson v. McIntosh (1823)
established the Indian tribes had rights to tribal lands that preceded all other American law
Cherokee Nation v. Georgia (1831)
established a “trust relationship” with the tribes directly under federal authority
Worcester v. Georgia (1832)
Established tribal autonomy within their boundaries
Charles River Bridge v. Warren Bridge (1837)
the interests of the community are more important than the interests of business
Commonwealth v. Hunt (1842)
declared that labor unions were lawful organizations and that the strike was a lawful weapon
Scott v. Sanford (1857)
speaking for a widely divided court, Chief Justice Taney ruled that Dred Scott was not a citizen and had no standing in court
Ex parte Milligan (1866)
Ruled that a civilian cannot be tried in military courts while civil courts are available
Civil Rights Cases of 1883
Legalized segregation with regard to private property
Wabash, St. Louis, and Pacific Railway Co. v. Illinois (1886)
declared state passed Granger laws that regulated interstate commerce unconstitutional
Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railroad Co. v. Minnesota (1890)
found that Granger law regulations were violations of the 5th Amendment right to property
Pollock v. The Farmers Loan and Trust Co. (1895)
Declared the income tax under the Wilson-Gorman Tariff to be unconstitutional
U.S v. E.C. Knight Co. (1895)
due to a narrow interpretation of the Sherman Anti-Trust Act, the Court undermined the authority of the federal government to act against monopolies
Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)
legalized segregation in publicly owned facilities on the basis of “separate but equal”
“Insular Cases”/Downes v. Bidwell (1901)
confirmed the right of the federal government to place tariffs on good entering the U.S. from U.S. territories on the grounds that “the Constitution does not follow the flag”
Northern Securities Co. v. U.S. (1904)
re-established the authority of the federal government to fight monopolies under the Sherman Anti0Trust act
Lochner v. New York (1905)
declared unconstitutional a New York act limiting the working hours of bakers due to a denial of the 14th Amendment rights
Muller v. Oregon (1908)
First case to use the “Brandeis brief”; recognized a 10-hour work day for women laundry workers on the grounds of health and community concerns
Hammer v. Dagenhart (1918)
declared the Keating-Owen Act unconstitutional on the grounds that it was an invasion of state authority
Schenck v. U.S. (1919)
unanimously upheld the Espionage Act of 1917 which declared that people who interfered with the war effort were subject to imprisonment; declared that the 1st Amendment right to freedom of speech was not absolute
Adkins v. Children’s Hospital (1923)
Declared unconstitutional a minimum wage law for women on the grounds that it denied women freedom of contract
Schenchter v. U.S. (1936)
sometimes called the “sick chicken case.” Unanimously declared the National Industrial Recovery Act (NIRA) unconstitutional on three grounds: that the act delegated legislative power to the executive; that there was a lack of constitutional authority for delegated legislative power to the executive; that it sought to regulate businesses that were wholly intrastate in character
Korematsu v. U.S. (1941)
the court upheld the constitutionality of detention camps for Japanese-Americans during World War 2
Ex parte Endo (1944)
the court forbade the internment of Japanese-Americans born in the U.S.
Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas (1954)
unanimous decision declaring “separate but equal” unconstitutional
Gideon v. Wainwright (1963)
extends to the defendant the right of counsel in all state and federal criminal trials regardless of their ability to pay
Escobedo v. Illinois (1964)
ruled that a defendant must be allowed access to a lawyer before questioning by police
Miranda v. Arizona (1966)
the court ruled that those subjected to in-custody interrogation be advised of their constitutional right to an attorney and their right to remain silent
Roe v. Wade (1973)
the court legalized abortion by ruling that state laws could not restrict it during the first three months of pregnancy. Based on 4th Amendment rights of a person to be secure in their persons
U.S. v. Richard Nixon (1974)
the court rejected Richard Nixon’s claim to an absolutely unqualified privilege against any judicial process
Bakke v. Regents of the University of California (1978)
ambiguous ruling by a badly divided court that dealt with affirmative action programs that used race as a basis of selecting participants. the court general upheld affirmative action, but with a 4/4/1 split, it was a very weak decision
Marbury v. Madison (1803)
Establishment of judicial review
McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)
National supremacy, elastic clause
Gibbons v. Ogden (1824)
Commerce clause
Barron v. Baltimore (1833)
States can take property without compensating owner
Plessy v. Ferguson
“Separate but equal” doctrine
Schenck v. US (1919)
Speech may be limited when there is a “clear and present danger”
Gitlow v. New York (1925)
States cannot deny free speech –> beginning of the incorporation of the Bill of Rights
Near v. Minnesota (1931)
Freedom of the press from prior restraint
Korematsu v. US (1944)
Internment of Japanese was acceptable to protect the nation
Brown v. Board of Education (1st and 2nd) (1954-1955)
Segregation is unconstitutional
Mapp v. Ohio (1961)
Exclusionary rule
Engel v. Vitale (1962)
School-sponsored prayer is unconstitutional
Baker v. Carr (1962)
Redistricting is not a political question. One person, one vote
Abington School District v. Schempp (1963)
No school-sponsored devotional bible reading in public schools
Gideon v. Wainright (1963)
Right to counsel must be respected by the states
Wesberry v. Sanders (1963)
House of Representatives districts must be equal in population
Griswold v. Connecticut (1965)
Married couples have the right to a “zone of privacy”
Miranda v. Arizona (1966)
People must be made aware of their right to counsel and right to remain silent at the time of arrest, protection against self-incrimination
Tinker v. Des Moines (1964)
Symbolic speech is protected in schools
NY Times v. US (1971)
No prior restraint of the press without immediate imperiling of American forces
Lemon v. Kurtzman (1971)
Lemon test: legislation must have secular legislative purpose, must neither promote nor inhibit religion, and must not create “excessive entanglement”
Miller v. California (1972)
Defined obscenity (something that has no purpose other than obscenity, depicts sexual acts/body parts in a way that would be offensive to the “average person”)
Roe v. Wade (1973)
Women have the right to an abortion in the 1st trimester
US v. Nixon (1974)
President does have executive privilege but not in a criminal trial
Buckley v. Valeo (1976)
A candidate’s self-contributions are symbolic speech
Regents of the University of California v. Bakke (1978)
Racial quotas are unconstitutional (but race can be a factor in admissions)
New Jersey v. TLO (1985)
Schools only need “reasonable suspicion” to search students
Bethel v. Frasier (1986)
Student speech (verbal) can be limited in a school environment when it does not contribute to education
Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier (1988)
Prior restraint of the press exists in a school environment (because school newspapers are not a public forum)
Webster v. Reproductive Health Services (1989)
States can place regulations on abortion