Required Supreme Court Cases Flashcards
1
Q
Marbury v Madison (1803): Background
A
- Before John Adams’ presidential term ended, Congress passed the Judiciary Act of 1801 (creating new courts, adding new judges)
- It was an effort by John Adams to keep his own influence in federal courts even though he was leaving office
- His appointments to these courts, however, were not valid until the appointed judges were delivered their commissions by Jefferson’s Secretary of State, James Madison, who refused to deliver the commissions
- William Marbury was one of the judges appointed, and sued over his failed commission
2
Q
Marbury v Madison (1803): Constitutional issue
A
- Whether the Court had the authority to order the delivery of commission
- If a federal judge could even bring the case to court
3
Q
Marbury v Madison (1803): Holding
A
- The Court held that although legally, the commission should have been delivered, the clause of the Judiciary Act of 1789 which enabled Marbury to bring the case to court was unconstitutional
- By declaring a law made by Congress unconstitutional, the practice of judicial review was established
4
Q
McCulloch v. Maryland (1819): Background
A
- In 1816, the Second Bank of the United States was chartered; soon after, in 1818, however, Maryland decided to pass a law that imposed taxes on the bank
- James McCulloch, who served as a cashier at the Baltimore branch of the Second Bank, decided not to pay the tax
- The state court had ruled that the Bank was unconstitutional, to begin with, and that the federal government did not have the authority to charter a bank
5
Q
McCulloch v. Maryland (1819): Constitutional principle
A
- The supremacy clause
- The necessary and proper clause
6
Q
McCulloch v. Maryland (1819): Holding
A
- The Court concluded based on the Necessary & Proper Clause that Congress is not limited by its expressed powers
- It was decided that through Congress’ implied powers, they had the ability to create a bank
- Congress is allowed to borrow money, coin money, and tax expressly by the Constitution. The implied power of creating a national bank allows for the federal government to implement this expressed power
- Based on the Supremacy Clause, the national laws were superior to state laws, so the states were not allowed to tax the federal government
7
Q
Schenck v United States (1919): Background
A
- During World War I, a pair of socialists, including Charles Schenck distributed leaflets that stated the draft violated the 13th Amendment - which prohibits involuntary servitude
- The leaflet wanted people to disobey the draft. Schenck was charged with violating the Espionage Act of 1917
- They appealed on the grounds of the First Amendment
8
Q
Schenck v. United States (1919): Constitutional principle
A
The 1st Amendment’s free speech clause
9
Q
Schenck v. United States (1919): Holding
A
- The Supreme Court held that the Espionage Act did not violate the First Amendment and it was an appropriate exercise of Congress’ wartime authority
- Schenck’s speech represented a “clear and present danger” as it encourage people to boycott a draft during a time of war
- This was a key limitation on the First Amendment as the free speech clause does not allow for advocacy of unlawful behavior
10
Q
Brown v. Board of Education (1954): Background
A
- In 1951, Oliver Brown had attempted to enroll his daughter in an all-white school close to the family’s home. However, the school refused to accept her enrollment and she was forced to attend a segregated school much farther away
- The Browns, along with other families, sued the Topeka Board of Education, arguing that racial segregation in public schools violated the 14th Amendment’s equal protection clause
11
Q
Brown v. Board of Education (1954): Constitutional principle
A
The 14th Amendment’s equal protection clause
12
Q
Brown v. Board of Education (1954): Holding
A
- The Court held that “separate but equal is inherently unequal,” and therefore racial segregation of public schools is unconstitutional
- The segregated schools allowed by the previous Plessy case were declared unconstitutional
13
Q
Engel v. Vitale (1962): Background
A
- The New York Board of Regents had authorized that at the beginning of each day, a short but voluntary prayer would be recited
- Several organizations filed suit against the Board of Regents, claiming that the prayer violated the Constitution
- The New York Court of Appeals dismissed their arguments
14
Q
Engel v. Vitale (1962): Constitutional principle
A
The 1st Amendment’s establishment clause
15
Q
Engel v. Vitale (1962): Holding
A
- The court held that states could not hold prayers in public school EVEN IF it was voluntary and EVEN IF the prayer did not adhere to a specific religion
- Because the act of prayer was considered a religious activity, having it occur in a public school (which is funded by the government) would go against the establishment clause of the first amendment
16
Q
Baker v. Carr (1962): Background
A
- A Tennessee law stated that every 10 years, legislative districts must be redrawn. However, in 1962, the districts had not been redrawn since 1901
- Due to rapid changes in population areas (meaning people began moving to urban areas rapidly, causing them to be heavily populated), rural areas with lower populations were more represented versus populated urban areas
