SCOTUS Cases

Question 1

Engel v. Vitale

Answer 1

The NY state board of regents authorized a short optional prayer at the beginning of class.
A group said this violates the establishment clause of the first amendment.
ruling - violates the establishment clause.
no prayers at the start of school.

Question 2

Schenck vs U.S

Answer 2

Schenck was arrested during world war 1 for violating the 1917 espionage act for writing/ handing out anti- draft pamphlets.

Ruling - speech that is considered dangerous to the public good was not protected by the 1st amendment.

Question 3

Wisconsin vs Yoder

Answer 3

Wisconsin compelled Amish students to attend school past the 8th grade which is against Amish religious practices.
Yoder claimed it violated the free exercise clause of the 1st amendment.

Ruling: Yes it violated the free exercise clause

Question 4

Tinker vs Des Moines

Answer 4

Public School students wear armbands in protest of the Vietnam war. School asked them to remove them but they refused causing them suspension.
Students sued arguing it violated their 1st amendment right of free speech.

Ruling - Symbolic speech is protected by the 1st amendment.

Question 5

New York Times vs U.s

Answer 5

Nixon administration attempted to prevent The New York Times and Washington Post from publishing the pentagon papers which were classified documents.
Ruling : in favor of NYT. Freedom of the press.

Question 6

McDonald vs Chicago

Answer 6

Several suits were filed against Chicago challenging their gun bans. Argued that the second amendment should apply to the states as well.
Ruling: that the right to bear keep and bear arms for self defense in ones home is applicable to the states through the 14th amendment.

Ruling: it does violate the 2nd amendment. 2nd amendment applied to the states.

Question 7

Gideon v Wainwright

Answer 7

Clarence Earl Gideon was charged in Florida state court w/ felony breaking in entering. He could not get a lawyer so he requested that the court appoint one. Florida state law only allows an attorney to be appointed to an indigent defendant in capital cases.

Ruling: The sixth amendments provision for a lawyer does apply to the states via the the 14th amendment equal protection clause.

Question 8

Roe v Wade

Answer 8

Norma McCorvey but during the case was known as jane roe wanted to get an abortion. Texas did not allow it. She argued that she has a right to privacy which is implicitly mentioned 1st, 4th, 5th, 9th, and 14th amendment.
Ultimately, this case came down to the implicit right to privacy embedded in the equal protection clause of the 14th amendment.

Ruling: The restrictive abortion laws in Texas violated Roe’s constitutional right to privacy.

Question 9

Brown v Board of Education

Answer 9

A black family tried to get their daughter enrolled in a white school that was close to their house but they were denied admission.
brown and other advocates argued that racial segregation in schools was a violation of the equal protection clause of the 14th amendment.

Ruling: The court agreed that separate facilities violated the equal protection clause of the 14th amendment, thus overturning the precedent set in plessy v fergusen.

Question 10

Plessy v Ferguson

Answer 10

Homer Plessy who was biracial and white passing Plessy as well as other black creole citizens wanted to test the constitutionality f the seperate car law so he rode on an all white car when he refused to leave he was arrested.
He argued this violated equal protection clause of the 14th amendment.

Ruling: Against Plessy seperate but equal doctrine. As long as the cars were equal they could be seperate.

Question 11

Lemon v Kurtzman

Answer 11

The Pennsylvania non-public elementary and secondary education act of 1968 allowed the state gov. to supplement the salaries of teachers of secular subjects in religious schools as well as pay for their textbooks and other materials.
tax payer money was going to religion affiliated schools.
Alton J lemon argued it went against the 1st amendment establishment clause.

Ruling: Yes it is unconstitutional

Question 12

Baron v. Baltimore

Answer 12

The ruling legally established the principle that the first ten amendments, the Bill of Rights, apply to and restrain the federal government’s powers but do not apply to state governments.

Question 13

Gitlow v NY

Answer 13

Gitlow a socialist was arrested in 1919 for distributing a "a left wing manifesto" called for the establishment of socialism through strikes and class action of any form. He was convicted under NY anarchy law 
Gitlow argued that because there was no action coming from the manifesto he shouldn't be charged.

Ruling: Sided with NY but first amendment can be applied to the states. 1st amendment gets incorprated.

Question 14

Mapp v Ohio

Answer 14

Dollree Mapp was convicted of possessing obscene materials after an illegal police search for a fugitive. She appealed on the basis of freedom of expression.

Ruling: Brushed aside the 1st amendment issues and instead declared that all evidence obtained in illegal searches and seizures couldn’t be used in court.

Question 15

Miranda v Arizona

Answer 15

Ernesto Miranda was arrested for kidnapping and rape when brought to the police station where he confessed after 2 hrs of interrogation. Miranda was not advised of his rights.

Ruling: violated the 5th amendment no self incrimination. Police officers are required to read a person getting arrested their Miranda Rights.

Question 16

Reynolds v U.S

Answer 16

George Reynolds was charged with bigamy which is when you marry someone while still being married to someone else. He argued this violated the 1st amendment because polygamy was apart of his religion.

Ruling: People cannot avoid a law due to their religion.

Question 17

Harper v Virginia State Board of elections

Answer 17

Annie Harper could not pay the state-imposed poll tax of 1.50. She filed suit stating the poll tax deprived Virginia residents of their rights under the equal protection clause of the 14th amendment.

Ruling: The poll tax violated the equal protection clause