Supreme Court Cases Flashcards
Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka
WHY: brought on by students denied admittance to certain public schools based on race
- challenge to “separate but equal” established by Plessy v. Ferguson
- unanimous decision that racially segregated schools violated the equal protection clause of the 14th amendment
Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission
WHY: nonprofit Citizens United was prevented by the FEC from showing a movie about then-presidential candidate Hillary Clinton
- FEC noted that the movie violated the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act, which prohibited campaign communications noe month before primary/two months before general election
- 5-4 decision that the BCRA violated the first amendment
Gideon v. Wainwright
WHY: Gideon was arrested, accused of breaking and entering and stealing money
- Gideon could not afford a lawyer and was denied a public defender by the judge
- Gideon represented himself and was found guilty
- Case was appealed to SCOTUS saying the denial by the judge violated his constitutional right to representation
- unanimous decision agreed that the 6th amendment required those facing felony criminal charges be supplied legal rep.
Marbury v. Madison
WHY: nomination of justices; despite Senate confirming the nominations, some were not delivered to President Adams before he left office
- Marbury said the Judiciary Act of 1789 empowered the court to force the Secretary of State James Madison to deliver the commissions
- unanimous decision that the court had to power to force the secretary to do so despite what the Judiciary Act says
- declared that the law conflicted with the US Constitution, established judicial review
Obergefell v. Hodges
WHY: groups of same sex couples who brought suits against states that refused to recognize same-sex marriage where those marriages were legal
- 5-4 decision that the 14th amendment provided equal protection under the law that requires states to recognize same-sex marriage
- No state could deny marriage licenses to same-sex couples if they also issued it to other couples
Roe v. Wade
WHY: pregnant woman in Texas who wanted an abortion
- Roe said the Constitution provides women the right to terminate an abortion
- 7-2 decision that the right to privacy upheld in Griswold v. Connecticut included a woman’s right to an abortion
- court created trimester framework (women can have abortions during the first trimester with no restrictions)
- Second/third trimester: state could regulate abortions based on health needs
Trump Immunity Case
- president has absolute immunity from prosecution for official acts
- presumptive immunity for non-official acts
- personal behavior is not covered under the immunity
- expanded the power of the president
Striking down the Chevron Doctrine
Regulatory perspective: decision said that the executive branch overstepped its boundaries
- case is reigning back the power the executive branch gained over the years
New York State Rifle & Pistol Association v. Bruen Superintendent of New York Police
case challenged NYs law requiring individuals to demonstrate “proper cause” to obtain a concealed carry license for firearms
- 6-3 decision, said the law is unconstitutional and goes against the 2nd amendment
West Virginia v Environmental Protection Agency
who gets to decide what authority the EPA has?
- does the EPA have the authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions
- 6-3 decision that the EPA had exceeded its authority without clear congressional authorization
- limited the govt ability regulate emissions
Kennedy v. Bremerton School District
PUBLIC religious liberty and freedom
- 6-3 decision that the coach has the right to pray after the game due to the First Amendment (first amendment rights do not go away even in public)
Dobbs v Jackson Women’s Health Organization
can there be limited on abortions by a state?
- 6-3 decision turned over Roe v. Wade saying the Constitution does not grant the right to an abortion
- returned the authority to regulate abortion to the states
