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Marbury vs. Madison
The case was about Marbury becoming a Justice of Peace but the old Secretary of Stat, Marshall, forgot to send his letter out. Since Jefferson was an anti-federalist and Marbury was a federalists, Jefferson told Madison not to mail out the letter. Marbury's lawyer had three main points: 1) Was he appointed? 2) Was his rights neglected? and 3) SHould the courts issue a writ of mandamus? This opened the door for Judicial Review, even though Maurbury lost the case. -
McCulloch vs. Maryland
In this case Maryland state government tried to tax currency from out of state which at this time was currency issued by the US bank. The supreme court decided this was unconstitutional. This case established two principles. The constitution grants congress implied powers in order to maintain a functional national government, and state government may not impead actions by the federal government. -
Dred Scott vs. Sandford
In this case Dred Scott a slave was suing his owner for not allowing him to buy his own freedom. The court rulled that slaves and people decended from them were not protected by the constitution and were not citizens and therefore could not file suits. The court also rulled that slaves, as property, could not be taken away from their owners without due process. This was important because Blacks were considered "property". -
Plessy vs. Ferguson
In 1892, Homer Plessy, who was one-eighth black, purchased a first-class ticket and sat in the white-designated railroad car. Plessy was arrested for violating the Separate Car Act and argued in court that the Act violated the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Amendments to the Constitution. After losing twice in the lower courts, Plessy took his case to the U.S. Supreme Court, which upheld the previous decisions that racial segregation is constitutional under the separate but equal doctrine. -
Korematsu vs. U.S.
This supreme court case decided that the treatment of Japanese Americans during world war II was constitutional. It stated that it was constitutional because the protection of the US war is more importnat than individual rights. THis is important because this caused a lot of backlash from US citizens. -
Brown vs. Board of Education of Ed Topeka KS
This landmark supreme court case overturned the supreme court case of plessy vs. ferguson which delcared schools could be seperate as long as they were equal. This case decided that it was no longer legal to segerate public schools. THis was important because it affected the civil rights movement and the laws concerning segregation. -
Mapp vs. Ohio
They arrested Mapp and charged her with violating an Ohio law against the possession of obscene materials. At the trial the police officers did not show Mapp and her attorney the alleged search warrant or explain why they refused to do so. Nevertheless, the court found Mapp guilty and sentenced her to jail. After losing an appeal to the Ohio Supreme Court, Mapp took her case to the U.S. Supreme Court. The Court determined that evidence obtained through a search that violates the Fourth Amendment -
Gideon vs. Wainwright
One night, the Bay Harbor Pool Room was robbed for a bunch of quarters and beer. The next day, Gideon was found nearby with a pint of wine and change in his pocket, so the police arrested him.The court did not appoint him at his hearing, so he had to defend himself. In which he was found guilty. Gideon wrote a letter to the Supreme Court saying that the 6th Amendment was violated. They agreed and now there is a rule that you should appoints lawyers to those can't afford one. -
Miranda vs. Arizona
This supreme court case held that statements made by the defendant in interrogation and after arrest could be used against the defendant in trial so long as the defendant was read his right to self incrimination and right to an attorney. -
Tinker vs. Des Moines
John and Mary Beth Tinker of Des Moines, Iowa, wore black armbands to their public school as a symbol of protest against American involvement in the Vietnam War. They rfused, when school officials asked them to take it off, and got suspended. The Supreme Court decided that the Tinkers had the right to wear the armbands, with Justice Abe Fortas stating that no one expects students to “shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate.” -
Roe vs. Wade
Roe filed suit against Wade, the district attorney of Dallas County, contesting the statue on the grounds that it violated the guarantee of personal liberty and the right to privacy implicitly guaranteed in the First, Fourth, Fifth, Ninth, and Fourteenth Amendments. In deciding for Roe, the Supreme Court invalidated any state laws that prohibited first trimester abortions. -
NJ vs. T.L.O.
A high school student was accused of violating school rules by smoking in the bathroom. The vice principal discovered marijuana and other items when searching her bag. Since smoking was not against the rules therefore; a desire for evidence of smoking in the restroom did not justify the search. The Supreme Court decided that the search did not violate the Constitution and established more lenient standards for reasonableness in school searches. -
Hazlewood vs. Kuhlmeier
East High School Principle reviewed the school's student-written newspaper, before publication. The principla found two articles that concerned him, so he decided not to published them. The students sued the principal for violating their 1st Amendment. Unfortanetly, the court thought that the 1st Amendment wasn't violatd and their principla was doing the righ thing. In order for their articles to be published, the students have to be careful what they post in the newspaper. -
Texas vs. Johnson
George Lee Johnson set an American flag on fire. Texas thought it was wrong and sued Johnson for his action. The supreme Court said burning the flag was a symbol of speech. This was important because this case helped understand the different ways freedom of speech could be interpreted.
