Major court cases from 1877-2011

  • Munn v. IIinois

    This case was dealing with business taxes and farming. This case allowed certain businesses that is commonly regarded as a milestone in the growth of federal government regulation. No side won they resolved their problems placing resonsibility for the regulation.
  • Plessy v. Ferguson

    The state of Lousiana enacted an law that required separate railway cars for blacks. Plessy sat on the white's car refusing to move. He was charged and took his case to court demanding non-segration on trains. He won his case
  • Muller v. Oregon

    Ergon passed a law limiting the number of hours a women could work in a laundry to ten a day. This case upheld oregon state restrictions on the working hours of women as justifield by special state interest in protecting womens health
  • Schenck v. United States

    Schenck attempted to distribute thousands of flyers to American service men recently drafted to fight in WW1. He was charged by the government for violating the Espionage Act.He went to court with his case and won now their is the freedom of speech
  • Schechter v. U.S.

    This was a descision by the court system that deprived regulations of the meat industry, This descison went in favor with Schechter poultry corp.
  • Brown v. Board of Edcation

    Brown wanted to ban segregation in public schools. The court concluded that separating children on the basis of race creates dangergous inferiority complexes that may adversity affect black children ability to learn.
  • Gideon v. Wainwright

    the supreme court ruled that gideon convection was unconstitutional because gideon was denied an defense lawyer at trial. Now the supreme court ruled that state courts are required under law to provide counsel in criminal cases for defendants who are unable to pay for their own attorneys.
  • Reynolds v. Sims

    african americans march for equal voting rights. This case created alot of controversy. The U.S. supreme court ruled that state legislative districts had to be roughtly equal in popualtion. sims won
  • United States v. Nixon

    This case was nixon was being charged with being involved in the break-ins at the watergate and other illegal actions. He was caught on tape confussing. When ask to release the tapes he refused. This descision went with the United States. The court made it clear that the president can not withhold evidence from an ongoing criminal prosecution just because he was president. Nixon was then impeached 7 days later
  • Texas v. Johnson

    Johnson doused an American flag with kerosene and set on fire. Johnson was charged and convicted with descration. The court determined his action were symbolic speech protected by his first amendment right.