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Supreme Court Case #1: Marbury vs. Madison
Marbury petitioned the Supreme Court to force the new Secretary of State James Madison to deliver the documents. The Court, with John Marshall, found firstly that Madison's refusal to deliver the commission was both illegal and remediable.The petition was declined.
The decision established the doctrine of judicial review, which recognizes the authority of courts to declare statutes unconstitutional. -
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SUPREME COURT CASES
Series of supreme court cases expanding over a century. -
Supreme Court Case #2: McCullouch v. Maryland
The state of Maryland had attempted to impede operation of a branch of the Second Bank of the United States by imposing a tax on all notes of banks not chartered in Maryland. Chief Justice Marshall also determined that Maryland may not tax the bank without violating the Constitution. The Court voided the tax on the grounds that it was unconstitutional. In effect the state action may not impede valid constitutional exercises of power by the federal government. -
Supreme Court Case #3: Dred Scott v. Sanford
Dred Scott was a Missouri slave. Sold to John Emerson in Saint Louis around 1833, Scott was taken to Illinois, a free State, and on to the free Wisconsin Territory before returning to Missouri. Scott sued Emerson's widow for his freedom in the Missouri supreme court.The Court decided 7-2 in favor of the slave owner. A major landmark on the road to the Civil War, the Dred Scott decision was overturned with the adoption of the 13th and 14th amendments to the Constitution in 1865 and 1868. -
Supreme Court Case #4: Plessy v. Fergueson
Homer A. Plessy was a successful Louisiana businessman living in Baton Rouge. Plessy had one African-American grandparent. Although he did not consider himself African American, Louisiana law defined him as octaroon, one-eighth African American. The arguments in the case revolved around the 13th Amendment and the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment. The 7-1 decision of the Court that upheld the Louisiana law requiring segregation.The law did not violate the 13th/14th ammendments. -
Supreme Court Case #5: Korematsu v. US
Fred Korematsu refused to obey the wartime order to leave his home and report to a relocation camp for Japanese Americans. He was arrested and convicted. After losing in the Court of Appeals, he appealed to the United States Supreme Court, challenging the constitutionality of the deportation order.The Supreme Court upheld the order excluding persons of Japanese ancestry from the West Coast war zone during World War II. Three justices dissented.Congress issued a formal apology for the suffering. -
Supreme Court Case #6: Brown v. Board of Ed Topeka KS
Linda Brown was denied admission to her local elementary school in Topeka because she was black. Segregation maintained by more subtle and intractable forces, however, has remained an important element in American society. De facto school segregation, caused by residential housing patterns and various other conditions rather than by law, has been attacked by the busing of students and other mechanisms. -
Supreme Court Case #7: Mapp v. Ohio
The Warren Court's revolution in the criminal justice system began with the case of Mapp v. Ohio, the first of several significant cases.In a 6-3 decision, the Court overturned the conviction, and five justices found that the States were bound to exclude evidence seized in violation of the 4th Amendment. -
Supreme Court Case #8: Gideon v. Wainwright
In the case, the Supreme Court unanimously ruled that state courts are required under the Sixth Amendment of the Constitution to provide counsel in criminal cases for defendants who are unable to afford their own attorneys.The final decision was announced on 18 March 1963; the opinion of the Court was delivered by Justice Hugo Black. The three concurring opinions were written by Justices Clark, Douglas and Harlan. -
Supreme Court #9: Miranda v. Arizona
Ernesto Miranda was arrested after a crime victim identified him. The police did not iinform him of his 5th and 6th Amendment. His lawyer argued that his confession should have been excluded. The decision was 5-4. This case created te Miranda rights which all police officer must inform people of their rights. -
Supreme Court Case #10: Tinker v. Des Moines
Mary Beth Tinker and her friends wore black arm band as a protest against American involvement in Vietnam. The school suspended them for not taking it off when they asked them to. They argued it was symbolic speech. The decision was 7-2. The 1st Amendment do applied to public school. This case changed the world by allowing symbolic speech in school. -
Supreme Court Case #10: Roe v. Wade
Jane Roe was an unmarried and pregnant texas resident in 1970. Texas law made it a felony to abort a fetus unless it's life threatening. Roe filed a suit against Wade the district attorney of personal liberty and the right to privacy implicitly guaranteed in the 1th, 4th, 5th, 9th, and 14th Amendment. The decision was 7-2 in Favor of Roe. This case is still being debate today in our modern time period. -
Supreme Court Case #11: N.J. v. T.L.O
This case is about a high school student that had been stripped search. The school suspected her of possesing drugs from a tip they got from another students. Her mother filed a suit against the school stating that they violated the 4th Amendment. The decision was 6-3 stating that the 4th Amendment does applied to school. This case let the school around the world that you can't conduct a strip search without "reasonable suspicion". -
Supreme Court Case #12: Hazlewood v. Kuhlmeier
This case is about the students news paper. The principle had censor two article without informing the students. They filed a suit saying the principle had violated their 1st Amendment. The decisionn was 5-3 allowing them to practice freedom of press as long as the school had it open to the public which they did. The effect this case had is simply to validate whether or not can you censor school newspaper for all school.
