Important Court Cases Flashcards
Marbury v. Madison
Established the Supreme Court’s right of judicial review, the right to determine the constitutionality of laws.
McCulloch v. Maryland
Said no state could tax a federally chartered bank because “the power to tax involves the power to destroy.” Ruling established the principle of national supremacy, that the Constitution and federal laws overrule state laws when the two conflict. Used the necessary and proper clause.
Gibbons v. Ogden
States may only regulate what is solely intrastate commerce (within a state). The Congress has power to regulate interstate commerce. The boat one.
Worcester v. Georgia
The Constitution gives the federal government, not state governments, exclusive jurisdiction over Native American nations. Georgia laws were voided as they could not take another nation’s land. Andrew Jackson defied the ruling of this court case.
Dred Scott v. Sanford
Ruled that African Americans were not citizens (overturned by 14th Amendment). Declared slaves to be property of their owners. The Missouri Compromise was unconstituitonal
Civil Rights Cases
Declared the 1875 Civil Rights Act, which prohibited racial discrimination in access to public accommodations and facilities, unconstitutional. The 14th Amendment prohibited states, not people, from discriminating. Private discrimination, such as in theaters, hotels, and restaurants, was not a violation of the 13th amendment.
Wabash, St. Louis & Pacific R.R. v. Illinois
Invalidated state law setting railroad rates on the part of an interstate trip within state borders. The federal government has the power to regulate rates, this strengthened the interstate commerce clause.
Plessy v. Ferguson
Upheld Louisiana law providing for “equal but separate accommodations for white and colored races.” Supported Jim Crow Laws. Said law did not conflict with the 13th and 14th amendment. Overturned in Brown v. Board of Education.
Northern Securities Co. v. United States
Federal suit using Sherman Antitrust Act, which banned monopolies. Court ruled that the Northern Securities Company was formed only to eliminate competition and ordered it to be dissolved. Congress under commerce clause had authority to regulate any conspiracy to eliminate competition.
Schenck v. United States
Established limits on free speech; right is not absolute but dependent on certain circumstances. Schenck was trying to stop the military; was charged with espionage.
Korematsu v. United States
Upheld the power of the president in wartime to limit a group’s civil liberties. Ruled that the relocation of Japanese Americans was legal. Shown later to violate the 5th Amendment.
Brown v. Board of Education
Segregation in educational facilities were banned. Overturned the Plessy v. Ferguson case. Ruled that it violated the 14th Amendment.
Mapp v. Ohio
Mapp was convicted of possessing obscene material. However the court ruled that the 4th and 14th amendment protected citizens from illegal searches.
Engel v. Vitale
Reciting an official prayer in a school violated the 1st Amendment. Allowing students to leave room for praying did not make New York law constitutional.
Gideon v. Wainwright
Gideon could not afford a lawyer and requested the court to appoint counsel in his defense. However, his request was refused because Florida law allowed courts to appoint counsel for indigent defendants only in death penalty cases. Ruled unanimously that the 6th Amendment showed a right to an attorney, which was applied to the states with the 14th amendment. States needed to provide lawyers for poor people accused of felony crimes.
Heart of Atlanta Motel v. United States
The Court held the government could prohibit the motel from discriminating on the basis of race under the Commerce Clause.
Miranda v. Arizona
Those incriminated have to know their rights. They have the right to remain silent, the right to a lawyer, and that what they say can be used against them in court. Evidence obtained without this warning cannot be used.
Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District
Students were protesting about the Vietnam War. The court ruled that neither students or teachers shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the school gate. Symbolic, silent expression of opinion is protected under the 1st Amendment.
Roe v. Wade
Making abortions illegal would be unconstitutional. Citing primarily the due process clause of the 14th Amendment which stated that no state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States
New Jersey v. T.L.O.
Affirmed that the 4th Amendment applied to school officials. The necessity of maintaining discipline allowed for searches when there is suspicion that a student has broken the law.
Scopes Trials (Tennessee v. Scopes)
Criminal action brought by the state of Tennessee against high school teacher John T. Scopes for violating the state’s Butler Act, which prohibited the teaching of evolution in public schools. Scopes was found guilty. Anti-evolutionists claimed victory for forty-two years.
Loving v. Virginia
Virginia didn’t allow interracial marriage. The court decided that laws against marriage violated the 14th Amendment.
Sacco and Vanzetti
Italian immigrant anarchists who were controversially accused of murder and armed robbery of a company. Anarchists believed that all authority shouldn’t be believed in. They seek to abolish all institutions it claims maintain unnecessary coercion and hierarchy. Court case was controversial because people thought they were convicted for being immigrants.
Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania, et al. v. Casey
Had reaffirmed the decision of Roe v. Wade (1973) prohibiting states from disallowing abortion prior to viability.
