SCOTUS Cases

  • Yakus v. United States

    The case concerned the Emergency Price Control Act which gave the Executive Branch the power to set the maximum price for commodities during wartime.
    The Question: Is it unconstitutional to give the Executive Branch this power that reaches beyond the right to execute the law?
    Decision: No, Congress may delegate authority to the Executive Branch.
  • Korematsu v. United States

    The question: Is it constitutional for the government to withhold rights during wartime?
    Decision: Yes, the need to protect the country against acts of espionage is more important than civil liberties.
  • Johnson v. Eisentrager

    Decision: War detainees (Germans) did not have the right to seek a writ of habeas corpus.
  • Sweatt v. Painter

    The Question: Did the University of Texas violate the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment?
    Decision: Yes, Sweatt must be admitted into the law school intended for white people because this separate was not equal.
  • Hernandez v. Texas

    The Question: Does it violate the 14th Amendment to try by jury with none of the person's peers?
    Decision: Yes, races cannot be excluded in voir dire.
  • Brown v. Board

    The Question: Does segregating children in public schools violate the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment?
    Decision: Yes, separate is not equal.
  • Windsor v. United States

    The Question: Does the Defense of Marriage Act violate the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment?
    Decision: Yes, DOMA infringes on the equal liberty of persons.
  • Schuette v. BAMN

    The Question: Is it constitutional to ban the inclusion of race in admission policies for state universities?
    Decision: Yes.
  • Town of Greece v. Galloway

    The Question: Does prayer before a town board meeting violate the 1st Amendment?
    Decision: No, because it was deeply embedded into the town's history.
  • McCullen v. Coakley

    The Question: Do buffer zones around abortion clinics violate the 1st Amendment?
    Decision: Yes.