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United States v. Cruikshank
The Supreme Court said that the "right of the people peaceably to assemble for the purpose of petitioning Congress for a redress of grievances, or for any thing else connected with the powers and duties of the national government, is an attribute of national citizenship, and, as such, under the protection of, and guaranteed by, the United States." The high court applied the liberty only to any federal government's encroachment. -
Minersville School District vs. Gobits
Two Jehovah's Witness school children, ages 10 and 12, were suspended from school for refusing to salute the American flag. Since they were suspended,their father had to pay for them to enroll in a private school. Their parents claimed that the children's' due process rights had been violated by the school district. -
Thornhill vs. Alabama
The Supreme Court held that orderly union picketing that informs the public of the issues is protected by the constitutional freedom of speech and of the press and the right of petition and peaceable assembly and cannot be prosecuted under state loitering and picketing laws. -
Burstyn Inc, vs. Wilson
Provisions of the New York Education Law which forbid the commercial showing of any motion picture film without a license and authorize denial of a license on a censor's conclusion that a film is "sacrilegious," held void as a prior restraint on freedom of speech and of the press. -
Shelton v. Tucker
An Arkansas statute requires every teacher, as a condition of employment in a state supported school or college, to file annually an affidavit listing without limitation every organization to which he has belonged or regularly contributed within the preceding five years. Teachers in state supported schools and colleges are not covered by a civil service system, they are hired on a year-to-year basis, and they have no job security beyond the end of each school year. The contracts of the teachers -
Edwards vs. SC
In an 8-to-1 decision the high court overturned 180 black students who had marched to the state capitol to protest discrimination. The police stopped the demonstration and arrested the students because they were afraid that the 200-300 who gathered to watch the demonstration might cause a riot. The court held the state law unconstitutionally overbroad because it penalized the exercise of free speech, peaceable assembly -
Edwards v. South Carolina
The 187 petitioners, all of whom were black, organized a march to the South Carolina State House grounds in which small groups of fifteen would walk in an open public area protesting the policies of segregation in their state. The march was peaceful, did not block pedestrian or vehicular traffic, and was conducted in an orderly fashion on public property. A group of approximately thirty police officers confronted the group and ordered its members to disperse or to submit to arrest. -
Brown vs. Louisiana
The Supreme Court reversed the convictions of five black individuals who participated in an orderly and peaceful sit-in at a local branch library to protest segregation at the library. The court protected their right of petition and freedom of assembly. -
Johnson vs. Robison
Free Exercise claim denied; the withholding of educational benefits involves only an incidental burden, if any at all upon free exercise of religion. -
Bates v. State Bar of Arizona
In the state of Arizona, apellants who are licensed attorneys and members of the Arizona State Bar, were charged in a complaint filed by the State Bar's president with violating the State Supreme Court's disciplinary rule, which prohibits attorneys from advertising in newspapers or other media -
Marsh vs Chambers
Whether the Nebraska Legislature’s practice of begin each of its sessions with a prayer by a chaplain paid by the State with the Legislature’s approval violates the Establishment Clause. The court ended up rejecting this idea. -
Laffey v. Begin
“Friend of the court” brief challenging a state Board of Elections’ ruling that the hosting of a radio talk show by Cranston’s Mayor constituted an illegal campaign contribution under state election law. The defendant agreed not to enforce the ruling pending lower court consideration of state law issues raised by the case. The suit was then voluntarily dismissed after the plaintiff formally declared his candidacy for a U.S. Senate seat. -
Bilodeau v. Daly- LaBelle
Defense representation of a South Kingstown resident sued for defamation by a political candidate for distributing a political flyer critical of the candidate. Shortly after a counter-claim was filed under the state’s SLAPP suit law, the plaintiff agreed to drop the suit -
Driver v. Town of Richmond
Federal lawsuit challenging a town’s actions in repeatedly removing a political candidate’s signs from private property. The court ruled unconstitutional the statute under which the actions were purportedly taken, and the defendants thereafter agreed to an award of damages and attorneys’ fees. -
Florida Sheriff vs. his county
A Florida county sheriff agreed on Thursday to stop his four-year custom of greeting potential jurors in a parking lot prior to their arrival at court for jury duty. The sheriff's decision comes in the face of news reports regarding concerns raised by judges, and a defense attorney's filing of a motion alleging the sheriff's practice could lead to potential juror bias and an inability to ensure a right to a fair trial.