Constitutional Law Cases Flashcards

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1
Q

Department of Human Resources of Oregon v Smith

A

• Individual’s religious beliefs do not excuse person from complying with a law

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2
Q

Edwards v Aguillard

A

• Louisiana law “Balanced Treatment for Creation-Science and Evolution-Science” Act unconstitutional

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3
Q

Elk Grove Unified School District v Newdown

A
  • Newdown did not have standing to bring suit because did not have sufficient custody over his daughter
  • Dealt with Pledge of Allegiance “under God”
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4
Q

Engle v Vitale

A

• There may not be a prayer, even a nondenominational once, in public schools

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5
Q

Epperson v Arkansas

A

• States cannot prohibit the teaching of material objectionable to a particular religious sect

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6
Q

Lemon v Kurtzman (1971)

A
  • Supreme Court strikes down state effort to subsidize parochial school salaries
  • Established “Lemon Test” (3 obstacles to federal funds)
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7
Q

ACLU v Reno

A
  • Ruled internet to be “mass speech…unlike broadcasting…non-invasive…same protection as print media”
  • A law that bans sending “indecent” material to minors over the Internet is unconstitutional because “indecent” is too vague a term
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8
Q

Tennessee v Scopes

A
  • Challenged a Tennessee law that made it a crime to teach evolution
  • Fined Scopes, but the fine was reversed on a technicality
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9
Q

Baker v Carr

A

• Enables federal courts to intervene in and to decide redistricting cases

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10
Q

Brown v Board of Education

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• Ruled that separation was not equal → outlawed segregation

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11
Q

Bush v Gore

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• Held that Florida Supreme Court’s scheme for recounting ballots was unconstitutional

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12
Q

Gratz v Bollinger

A

• Michigan’s use of racial preference in undergraduate admissions violates Equal Protection Clause

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13
Q

Guinn v US

A

• Bans grandfather clause that had been used to prevent blacks from voting

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14
Q

Harper v Virginia

A

• The 14th Amendment forbids making a tax a condition of voting in an election

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15
Q

Heart of Atlanta Motel Inc. v US

A

• Congress can force private businesses to abide by the Civil Rights Act of 1964

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16
Q

Ledbetter v Goodyear

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• Employment discrimination case dismissed because did not file within limitations period

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17
Q

Lochner v NY

A

• State limit of working hours unconstitutional because interferes with freedom of contract

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18
Q

Regents of University of CA v Bakke

A

• University can use special criteria to determine which students gained acceptance so long as it did not use a quota system

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19
Q

Reynolds v Sims

A
  • Struck down AL’s apportionment law

* Must apportion based on population

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20
Q

Clinton v NY

A

• Ruled line item veto unconstitutional

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21
Q

Fletcher v Peck

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• First case to declare a state law in violation of the Constitution

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22
Q

Gibbons v Ogden

A
  • Expanded interstate commerce

* Established federal authority over states

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23
Q

Gonzales v Oregon

A

• Controlled Substances Act did not authorize Attorney General to declare medical marijuana illegal

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24
Q

National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebelius

A

Upheld most provisions of Obamacare

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25
Q

US v Nixon

A

• Granted that presidents have limited “executive privilege,” but it did not apply in Nixon’s case

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26
Q

US v Darby

A

• Affirmed the right of Congress to exercise to the “utmost extent” its power under the Commerce Clause, so Congress can regulate employment under the Fair Labor Standards Act

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27
Q

US v Windsor

A
  • States have the authority to define marital relationships

* Struck down DOMA

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28
Q

DC v Heller

A

• 2nd Amendment protects right to possess firearm unconnected with service in a militia

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29
Q

Korematsu v US

A

• Internment of Japanese Americans was illegal → give compensation

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30
Q

Marbury v Madison

A

• Upheld judicial review of congressional acts

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31
Q

McCulloch v Maryland

A

• Said that creating a federal bank, though not mentioned in the Constitution, was a “necessary and proper” exercise of the government’s right to borrow money

32
Q

Worchester v Georgia

A
  • Marshall invalidated GA law concerned Cherokee nation

* Only federal government has power to control Native American nations

33
Q

Board of Education (Island Tree) v Pico

A

• Board could not restrict the availability of books in its libraries just because its members disagreed with their content

34
Q

Buckley v Valeo

A
  • Struck down limits on campaign spending

* Upheld restriction of individual contributions

35
Q

Chaplinsky v New Hampshire

A

• Fighting words are not protected by the Constitution

36
Q

Citizens United v FEC

A

• Corporate funding of independent political broadcasts in candidate elections cannot be limited

37
Q

Gitlow v NY

A
  • “Dangerous tendency” test

* First Amendment applies to states

38
Q

Miller v CA

A

• Tried to define obscenity
Must appeal to prurient interests
Displays sexual conduct in an offensive manner
Lacks artistic value
• Issue left to local jurisdiction to define

39
Q

Morse v Frederick

A

• School officials can prohibit students from displaying messages that promote illegal drug use

40
Q

New York Times v Sullivan

A

• To libel a public figure, one must prove “actual malice”

41
Q

New York Times v US

A
  • Upheld ability to publish Pentagon Papers

* Denied Nixon his “executive authority” over this

42
Q

Schenk v US

A

• Clear and present danger test of free speech = advocacy is allowed so long as it does not incite a violation of another’s rights

43
Q

Texas v Johnson

A

• There may not be a law to ban flag burning

44
Q

Tinker v Des Moines Independent School Board

A

• Upheld the right of students to wear black armbands in protest of the Vietnam War

45
Q

Cohen v California

A

• Supreme Court overruled a conviction (man wearing a jacket saying “fuck the draft”) stating “one man’s vulgarity is another man’s lyric”

46
Q

Near v Minnesota

A

• Government could not censor or otherwise prohibit a publication in advance, even though the communication might be punishable after publication

47
Q

Bowers v Hardwick

A

• Unsuccessful challenge to GA’s anti-sodomy laws

48
Q

Boy Scouts of America v Dale

A

• A private organization may ban gays from its membership

49
Q

Lawrence v Texas

A

• State law may not ban gay sexual relations

50
Q

Romer v Evans

A

• Colorado violated the equal protection clause by singling out gay people

51
Q

US v Windsor

A

• States have the authority to define marital relationships

Struck down DOMA

52
Q

Barron v Baltimore

A

• Ruled Bill of Rights is only on federal issues, not the state

53
Q

Gideon v Wainwright

A
  • Granted people in need the right to counsel

* 6th Amendment extends to states

54
Q

Mapp v Ohio

A

• Incorporated the exclusionary rule

55
Q

Griswold v Connecticut

A
  • Original privacy case

* Found a “right to privacy” in the Constitution that would ban any state law against selling contraceptives

56
Q

Katz v US

A

• Extended Fourth Amendment protection to all areas where a person has a “reasonable expectation of privacy”

57
Q

Madsen v Women’s Health Clinic

A
  • State of FL could only restrict abortion protesters to extent necessary to allow clinic to run
  • Limited noise but not images
58
Q

Planned Parenthood v Casey

A

• Reaffirmed Roe but tolerated limitations like parent notification for minors by upholding PA’s restrictive abortion regulations

59
Q

Roe v Wade

A
  • Most disputed privacy case

* State laws against abortion were unconstitutional

60
Q

Dolan v City of Tigard

A

• There must be an “essential nexus” between a legitimate state interest and the permit requirements

61
Q

Kelo v City of New London

A

• City’s taking of private property to sell for private development qualified as a “public use” within the meaning of the takings clause

62
Q

Nolan v CA Costal Commission

A

• If CA wished to use its power of eminent domain to make residents keep a sidewalk, it must provide “just compensation”

63
Q

Dred Scott v Sanford

A
  • Supreme Court could not forbid slavery because slavery were property and had no rights
  • Missouri Compromise was unconstitutional
64
Q

Brown v Board of Education

A

• Ruled that separation was not equal → outlawed segregation

65
Q

Plessy v Ferguson

A

• “Separate but equal”

66
Q

Dred Scott v Sanford

A
  • Supreme Court could not forbid slavery because slavery were property and had no rights
  • Missouri Compromise was unconstitutional
67
Q

Shaw v Reno

A

• NC’s gerrymandered reapportionment was bizarre and unconstitutional

68
Q

Smith v Allwright

A

• Denying blacks the right to vote in primary elections was unconstitutional

69
Q

Swann v Charlotte Mecklenberg County Schools

A

• Approved busing as a means of combating racial segregation

70
Q

Atkins v Virginia

A

• No capital punishment for the mentally disabled

71
Q

Brewer v Williams

A
  • Clarifies what constitutes “waiver” of the right to counsel for the purposes of the Sixth Amendment
  • “Christian Burial Speech” was tantamount to an interrogation → officer violated
72
Q

Furman v Georgia

A

Limited use of death penalty

73
Q

Gideon v Wainwright

A

• Granted people in need the right to counsel

74
Q

Hamdi v Rumsfelt

A

• Terrorist detainees must have access to a neutral court to decide if they are legally held

75
Q

Mapp v Ohio

A

• Established that illegally obtained evidence could not be used in a trial (exclusionary rule)

76
Q

Miranda v Arizona

A

• Established Miranda rights (rights policy have to read when they arrest you)

77
Q

Burwell v Hobby Lobby

A

Exemption for “for profit” organization to provide contraception