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West Virginia State Board of Education v Barnette
-The West Virginia Board of Education required all students to salute to the flag and a child of a Jehovah's Witness family refused. They were threatened with sending the child to a reform school
- 1st Amendment
-Challenges whether mandatory flag-saluting violated the 1st Amendment
-The Court found the rule to be unconstitutional as it interferes with religious expression -
Mapp v Ohio
-Dollree Mapp was convicted after 'obscene materials' were found in her home under an illegal search
-Challenges whether an illegal search is just if the person was a criminal
- 4th Amendment, illegal search
-Court ruled it was in violation of the 4th Amendment since the search was without a warrant -
Engel v. Vitale
Amendment?: First , Freedom of religion What is this about? A school in new york had a prayer that you could opt out in everyday before the school day starts. What did the court rule?; you can’t have a prayer in a public school, even if participation isn’t required Why?: Because it breached the wall of church and state, making it so they mixed and that can’t happen. Impact: Public school can’t lead students in prayer -
Gideon v Wainwright
-Clarence Gideon was convicted and was not appointed an attorney since it was not a capital case. He was found guilty and then filed a habeas corpus petition against the state of Florida
-Challenges the law in state courts
- 6th Amendment and 14th
-The Court decided that an attorney must always be appointed no matter the case under the 6th and 14th Amendment -
New York Times Company v Sullivan
-The Public Safety Commissioner, LB Sullivan filed for libel after the NY Times published an article defending Martin Luther King Jr. with multiple factual inaccuracies. He won and the state gave him $500,00.
-1st Amendment
-Interferes with freedom of the press and what is legal under the Constitution
-The Court ruled it was protected as there was not information to prove it was under malicious intent -
Griswold v Connecticut
-A birth control clinic was opened in violation of a law passed in Connecticut that banned contraception
-14th Amendment
-Questions if contraception is a constitutional right
-The court ruled that marital privacy was a constitutional right under the 14th Amendment -
Miranda v Arizona
-Ernesto Miranda was arrested and not informed of his rights and denied his right to an attorney. He gave a written confession
- 5th Amendment
-Court ruled the interrogation was unconstitutional as he was not read his rights
-Case questions individual rights conflicting with trials -
Loving v Virginia
-An interracial couple, Mildred Jeter and Richard Loving, were sentenced to a year in prison for violating laws banning interracial marriages in Virginia
-Brought up whether inter racial marriage laws were interfering with the Equal Protection Clause
- 14th Amendment
-The Court ruled against the Virginia statute stating it had no purpose other than for racial discrimination and violated the Constitution -
Brandenburg v Ohio
-Brandenburg was a leader of the KKK and was arrested for advocating for violence under a law of syndicalism
-1st Amendment
-Court decided the law was in violation of free speech because they failed to make the distinction between what violates the law and free speech
-Clarifies what laws protect even terrorist organizations -
Tinker v. Des Moines
- 1st amend -a few of The students of Des Moines wanted to show support for the Vietnam war by wearing black armbands. They told the kids that anyone who was were going to be sent home. Mary Beth Tinker and Christopher Eckhardt wore theirs and got sent home, so did john, Tinker. They sued their parents because it violated their free speech.
- That both were kinda in the wrong and their speech was violated, but they still had it.
- It just made it more clear for student speech rights
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NY Times v US
The Nixon Administration tried to keep the New York Times and Washington Post from publishing classified documents about Vietnam
-Could be seen as censorship
- 1st Amendment\
-Court decided it was Constitutional because the First Amendment trumps a matter of security
-Opens debate over whether constitutional rights hold up in matters of national security -
Lemon v. Kurtzman
-First amendment
-This is about how states Rhode Island and Pennsylvania gave money to struggling church schools. Covering teacher salaries and other items for said schools.
-They ruled church schools violated First Amendment.
-"Lemon Test," a three-pronged test for determining whether a statute passes scrutiny under the First Amendment's prohibition of laws "respecting an establishment of religion." -
Furman v Georgia
Furman burglarized a home and his gun went off as he fell and killed a resident, he was given the death penalty
-8th amendment
-Raised questions as to what constitutes the death penalty
- Court ruled that it was a cruel and unusual punishment as it was not intentional murder and some believed the punishment was racially motivated -
Roe v Wade
-Jane Roe sued Texas District Attorney, Henry Wade for illegalizing abortion claiming it was a Constitutional right
-14th Amendment
-Brings up abortion in the constitution as it is a modern process and whether the Constitution protects it
-The Court ruled abortion is protected by the Constitution since it is part of individual rights in healthcare -
Gregg v Georgia
Gregg was found guilty of armed robbery and murder, so he was sentenced the death penalty. Gregg claimed the sentence was a cruel and unusual punishment.
-Challenged whether the death penalty was constitutional
-Court decided the death penalty was not unconstitutional for this case since he deliberately killed someone -
New Jersey v TLO
-TLO was a student convicted for possession of marijuana after her school searched her. The State Supreme Court tried to deny motion to suppress since they believed it violated the 4th Amendment
-4th Amendment
-Decides whether schools are held to the same rule over search and seizure
-The Court ruled that probable cause is not held to the same standard in school so it was acceptable -
Texas v. Johnson
Amendment? First, Freedom of speech
What was this about? It was about a person burning the US Flag and how it was against the law in texas. And someone found that it destroyed their freedom of speech.
What did the court rule: They said that symbol speech no matter what is protected under the first amendment.
Why? Because people need to not have their speech blocked. And if they block this they can start blocking everything else.
Impact: We have our protected speech now. Even more than ever -
Employment Division v Smith
-Two counselors at a rehabilitation center administered hallucinogens' to patients as part of a religious ceremony and were fired. They tried to receive compensation as it was 'freedom of religion'
-1st Amendment
-Demonstrates how far freedom of religion can go
-Court ruled the firing was constitutional as laws regarding conduct do not have exceptions for religious purposes -
Church of Lukumi Babalu v Hialeah
-A church in Florida practiced ritualistic animal sacrifice. Florida then adopted ordinances to prohibit animal sacrifice
-Questions whether states can withhold any sort of religious practice
- 1st Amendment
-Court ruled the ordinances were unjust due to it being a reaction to only the church -
Morse v Frederick
-At a school event, Joseph Frederick held up a banner that said ' bong hits for jesus'. Principal Morse took the banner and punished Frederick. Frederick sued for it being free speech
-Shows whether institutions have power over free speech
-Court ruled it constitutional because schools can ban promoting drug use -
DC v Heller
-Dick Anthony Heller was a police officer that applied for possessing a firearm and was denied by the state, so he sued the state saying it was in violation of the 2nd Amendment
- 2nd Amendment
-Questions state power over constitutional rights
-Court ruled the state law is unconstitutional because it interferes with the national right to a firearm -
McDonald v Chicago
-Several plaintiffs filed suit to Chicago saying the 2nd Amendment must be enacted under state laws
- 2nd and 14th Amendment
-Decides whether the 2nd Amendment is applicable to state laws
-The Court ruled that under the 2nd Amendment, all states must follow the Constitution -
Snyder v Phelps
Amendment : first amendment What was it about?: Westboro Baptist Church harassing people at this soldier's funeral saying "Thank God for dead soldiers" at snyder's funeral. The family obviously didn’t like this at all and filed a lawsuit. Court's ruling?: The first amendment does shield the rights of those protesting at a military funeral. Impact: people can protest at a funeral of military no matter if it disrupts and dishonors them. -
Obergefell v Hodges
-Same-sex couples sued states that illegalized recognizing same-sex marriages
- 14th Amendment denying rights based on same-sex marriage
-The court ruled it unconstitutional, but brought up the argument of same sex marriage as it is not in the constitution -
Mahanoy Area School District v B.L
-B.L was a student who posted on Snapchat cursing out her school after she didn't make the varsity cheer team. The school suspended her and she filed for a lawsuit saying it was in violation of the 1st Amendment
-Court ruled that schools may only regulate speech if it is dangerous or on school grounds since students do not lose their 1st Amendment rights