Landmark Cases Flashcards
Collin v. Smith
The nazi party may march through a largely Jewish neighborhood
Chaplinsky v. New Hampshire
“Fighting words are not protected by the first amendment
McConnell v. Federal election commission
Upholds 2002 campaign finance reform law
Miller v. California
Obscenity defined as appealing to prurient interests of an average person with materials that lack literary, artistic, political, or scientific value
New York Times v. Sullivan
To libel a public figure, there must be “actual malice”
Reno v. ACLU
A law that bans sending “indecent” material to minors over the Internet is unconstitutional because “indecent” is too vague and broad a term
Schenck v. United States
Speech may be punished if it created a clear-and-present danger test of illegal acts
Gitlow v. New York
Supreme Court says the first amendment applies to the states
Palko v. Connecticut
Supreme Court states that states must observe all “fundamental” liberties
Texas v. Johnson
There may not be a law to ban flag-burning
Engel v. Vitale
There may not be a prayer, even a nondenominational one, in public schools
Everson v. Board of Education
The wall-of-separation principle is announced
Lee v. Weisman
Public schools may not have clergy lead prayers at graduation ceremonies
Lemon v. Kurtzman
Three tests are described for deciding whether the government is improperly involved with teligion
Santa Fe independent school district v. Doe
Students may of lead prayers before the start of a football game at a public school
Zelman v. Simmons-Harris ?
Voucher plan to pay school bills is upheld
Zorauch v. Clauson
States may allow students to be released from public schools to attend religious instruxtion
Dickerson v. United States
The Mapp decision is based to the constitution and it cannot e altered by congress passing a law.
Gideon v. Wainwright
Persons charged with a crime have a right to an Attorney even if they cannot afford lbe
Mapp v. Ohio
Evidence illegally gathered by the police may not be used in a criminal trial
Miranda v. Arizona
Court describes ruling that police must give to arrested persons
Rasul v. Bush
Terrorist detainees must have access to a neutral court to decide if they are legally hekd
United States v. Leon
Illegally obtained evidence may be used in a trial if it was gathered in good faith without violating the principles of the Mapp decision
What are civil liberties?
Protections from the Avis’s of government power by all americans
What are civil rights?
Protections for discrimination based on race, gender, or other minority status
Barron v. Baltimore
The bill of rights restricted the national government but not the state governments
Gitlow v. New York
State limits on speech and the press could not exceed the limits allowed the national government.
Plessy v. Ferguson
Uphel separate-but equal facilities for white and black people on railroad cars
Brown v. Board of education
Separate public schools are inherently unequal, thus starting racial desegregation
Green v. County school board of new kent county
Banned a freedom-of-choice plan for integrating schools, suggesting that blacks an whites must actually attend racially mixed schools
Swann v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of Education
Approved busing an redrawing district lines as ways of integrating public achools
Civil disobedience
Opposing a law by peacefully disobeying it an accepting the resultant punishment
Reed v. Reed
Gender discrimination violates the equal protection clause of the constitution
Craig v. Boren
Gender discrimination can only be justified if it serves “important governmental objectives” and be “substantially related to those objectives”
Roster v. Goldberg
Congress can draft men without drafting women
United States v. Virginia
State may not finance an all-male military school
Griswold v. Connecticut
Found a “right to privacy” in the constitution that would ban any state law against selling contraceptives
Roe v. Wade
State laws against abortion were unconstitutional
Webster v. Reproductive health services
Allowed states to ban abortions from public hospitals an permitted doctors to serif fetuses were viable
Planned parenthood v. Casey
Reaffirmed Roe v. Wade but upheld certain limits on its use
Stenberg v. Carhart
States may not ban partial birth abortions if they fail go allow an exception to protect the health of the mother
Lawrence v. Texas
State law may not ban sexual relations between same-sex partners
Boy Scouts of America v. Dale
A private organization may ban gays from its membership
