Famous Court Cases Flashcards
Marbury v. Madison (1803)
The court case that stablished judicial review, and the idea that the Supreme Court can declare laws passed by Congress as unconstitutional.
Engel v. Vitale (1962)
Served as a precedent of the separation of church and state.
Roe v. Wade (1973)
established the right to privacy involving medical procedures. (Or in other words, abortion became legal, only with a few regulations during the second trimester).
McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)
Maryland set a precedent by requiring state taxes on banks that were not chartered by the state, since many states questioned the constitutionality of the national bank.
Gideon v. Wainwright (1963)
People who cannot afford a lawyer must receive one if they are charged with a felony.
Shaw v. Reno (1993)
A redistricting plan North Carolina first drew following the 1990 Census was rejected because only one minority-majority district was created, when two could have been created in the US Attorney General’s opinion.
Schenck v. United States (1919)
The court ruled that speech that creates a clear and present danger is not protected by the First Amendment.
Tinker v. Des Moines (1969)
The court ruled in favor of the students, saying that wearing the armbands did not distract them (protected by the first amendment).
United States v. Lopez (1995)
Gun-Free School Zones Act of 1990 was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.
Brown v. Board (1954)
This court case showed that the “separate but equal” clause is unconstitutional which desegregated schools. Also, it granted citizenship to everyone in the United States, recognizing them as citizens, and giving them equal rights under the law.
New York Times v. United States (1971)
The case solidified that the government would need a good enough reason to forcefully withhold information from the public. Something like a national emergency, protecting from public panic. But that was not what was happening in this case.
McDonald v. Chicago (2010)
The 2nd amendment applies to state and local governments, including for reasons like self-defense.
Baker v. Carr (1962)
Redistricting qualified as a justiciable question in this landmark United States Supreme Court decision, allowing a federal court to hear cases relating to it.
Wisconsin v. Yoder (1972)
The court ruled that parents could instruct (teach) their children outside of private or public schools.
Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010)
Taking the 1st Amendment into consideration, this case established that unrestricted funds can be spent on campaigning and independent expenditures.
