Case
Found on
Page(s)
Year of
Decision
Marbury v. Madison
(government)
78 (green)
794 (text)
1803
McCulloch v. MD
(government)
78 (green)
795 (text)
1819
Plessy v. Ferguson
(government)
79 (green)
796 (text)
1896
Brown v. Topeka KS BOE
(citizen)
79 (green)
792 (text)
1954
Gibbons v. Ogden
(government)
79 (green)
793 (text)
1824
Heart of Atlanta Motel
Inc. v. US (government)
79 (green)
Swann v. CharlotteMecklenburg Board of
Education (government)
79 (green)
394 (text)
Korematsu v. US
(government)
79 (green)
794 (text)
Miranda v. AZ (citizen)
85 (green)
795 (text)
Gideon v. Wainwright
(citizen)
85 (green)
794 (green)
Hazlewood SD v.
Kuhlmeier (government)
85 (green)
325 (text)
Bethel School District v.
Frasier (government)
85 (green)
Brief background of the case and the case's Constitutional significance (the Supreme Court's decision)
Incoming President Jefferson blocked outgoing President Adams' appointments to the federal courts. One appointee, Marbury, challenged Jefferson's action.
Although the Court ruled against Marbury, it established the principle of judicial review. This gave the Supreme Court and all courts the authority to review all
legislative and executive actions (federal, state, or local) to determine if the actions were in agreement or were in conflict with the US Constitution.
The state of Maryland levied a tax on the Bank of the US in Baltimore. The bank's representative, McCulloch, refused to pay the tax. The Court ruled that
Maryland's tax was unconstitutional. And that Congress has both expressed and implied powers, or the authority to do what is necessary and proper to
carry out its duties as set forth in the Constitution. Thus the Court upheld the supremacy clause and the authority of the federal government over the states
Plessy, a black man, challenged Louisiana's law banning blacks from using white's public facilities (i.e., a train compartment). The Court determined states had the
authority to establish and apply policies and practices that maintained values and traditions deemed important to the majority of their citizens. The Court
established the separate but equal doctrine by upholding Louisiana's practice and policy of separate white and black facilities. It set the path for
decades of institutionalized discrimination and segregation in the south after the Civil War.
A black family, the Browns, challenged the separate but equal doctrine by attempting to enroll their daughter in an all-white school in Topeka, Kansas, for which
they were denied admittance. The Court ruled in favor of the Brown's, overturning Plessy v. Ferguson and ending the separate but equal doctrine.
Separate public facilities, such as schools, hotels, restaurants, etc., were inherently unequal, and thus denied equal justice for all as required by the Constitution's
14th Amendment. However, the Court ordered the south to desegregate its facilities "with all deliberate speed." Most states interpreted this to mean they could
proceed at their own pace, thus prolonging segregation for a decade.
Gibbons attempted to operate his steamboat between NY and NJ using a federal operator's license. He was denied the freedom by NY. The Court established
that Congress has the authority to regulate both intrastate commerce (between two states) and interstate commerce (within a state) if the trade
affects or relates to intrastate commerce.
1964
While traveling from the north through the south, a black family was denied a room from a hotel chain that served whites only on the basis that it was privately
owned and was not subject to federal commerce laws. The Court held that the Commerce Clause allowed Congress to regulate local incidents of
commerce, and that the Civil Right Act of 1964 passed constitutional muster. The Court thus concluded that places of public accommodation had no
"right" to select guests as they saw fit, free from governmental regulation.
1971
Like the Brown case, a black student was denied admittance to a mostly white public school in Charlotte, NC. The Court ruled that NC must dismantle its
codified system of segregated schools and ordered the Charlotte school district to use mandatory or forced bussing to transport white students
to predominately black schools and black students to predominately white schools as means to achieve ethnic diversity, for the purpose of
reflecting the demographics of the school district.
1944
Following the Japanese attack on Pearl harbor, the federal government ordered certain Japanese (mostly those near government facilities), regardless of citizenship
status, interned in detention facilities while WW II was fought. The Court ruled that the Japanese-Americans were not denied their 5th Amendment right
to due process before being interred because the government has the responsibility and authority to isolate and detain groups deemed
potentially dangerous during a national crisis.
1966
Miranda raped and kidnapped a young lady. When caught, the police interrogated him without informing him of his 5th amendment rights. He then confessed.
Miranda argued that the police practice of interrogating individuals without notifying them of their right to counsel and their protection against self-incrimination
violated the Fifth Amendment. The Court specifically outlined the necessary aspects of police warnings to suspects, including warnings of the right to remain
silent and the right to have counsel present during interrogations.
1963
Gideon, a hobo, broke into a hardware store to steal. Gideon wasapprehended, tried and forced to represent himself in court because he could not afford one, and
Florida would not appoint one. The SC ruled that a defendant has the right to be represented by a lawyer according to the 6th Amendment. Without
a lawyer, you can’t have a fair trial because a typical defendant does not possess the skill or ability to represent themselves adequately, compared to a typical
prosecutor.
1988
High school student Kuhlmeier wrote articles for the school paper concerning divorce and teenage pregnancy. The principal determined the stories would be
detrimental to the story's subjects, and possibly be disturbing and disruptive to school life, even though their identities were concealed. So he censored the stories.
Kuhlmeier believed first Amendment rights of freedom of speech and press were violated. The Supreme Court decided that school newspapers did NOT
enjoy first Amendment protection, and that school officials had the authority and responsibility to establish standards for all students.
1986
Frasier delivered a speech using sexual innuendo at a high school assembly. He was disciplined after the speech for violating school standards of speech and
decency. Frasier believed his right to free speech had been violated.
The SC ruled Frasier's right to free speech protected his political speech, but did NOT extend to offensive language, and that school officials had
a responsibility to maintain discipline and decorum by disallowing offensive language.
1
Case
Found on
Page(s)
NJ v. T.L.O. (government) 85 (green)
Year of
Decision
1985
T.L.O., a student was caught smoking and had her bag searched for tobacco, but the teacher found marijuana, enough to distribute.
SC ruled that a teacher or school official could search personal belongings if the official had “reasonable suspicion” of contraband that could
potentially harm other students. This is a lower standard than that of probable cause, which is the standard followed by a law enforcement
officer.
Dolree Mapp was convicted of possessing obscene materials after an admittedly illegal police search of her home for a fugitive. She appealed her conviction on the
basis of freedom of expression. The Court declared that "all evidence obtained by searches and seizures in violation of the Constitution is, by [the Fourth
Amendment], inadmissible in a state court." Mapp had been convicted on the basis of illegally obtained evidence. The decision placed the requirement of
excluding illegally obtained evidence from court at all levels of the government. It marked the beginning of the Exclusionary Rule, and "fruit of the poisonous
tree" doctrine which means that police cannot use evidence gain in a way that violates a suspect's 4th Amendment rights in a court of law.
Mapp v. Ohio (citizen)
84 (green)
In Re Gault (citizen)
463 (text),
an indirect
reference
1967
Gault, a minor placed several obscene phone calls to his neighbor. The calls were traced to his home, where police apprehended him and brought him in for
questioning while his parents were not home, nor did the police leave notice of their actions. Gault gave evidence that led to his conviction. He was sentenced to
reformatory school for six years until he reached 21, then the age of adulthood in Arizona. The punishment for an adult would have been several months
confinement in jail. The Supreme Court ruled that minors should be afforded the same due process under the 14th Amendment rights as an adult.
Minors are also entitled to have their parents present during questioning if charged or suspected of a misdemeanor.
Gregg v. Georgia
(government)
85 (green)
1976
Gregg, a convicted murderer and robber, argued his death sentence was cruel and unusual, in violation of his 8th and 14 Amendment rights. The SC ruled that it
was NOT. The court stated that in circumstances where a person deliberately kills another, the death penalty may be appropriate if sentenced
and administered appropriately (wisely and judiciously).
Furman v. Georgia
(citizen)
793 (text)
1972
Furman, a black man, was convicted of murder and sentenced to death. He argued that more blacks than whites were sentenced to death in similar circumstances.
The SC ruled that the death penalty was cruel and suspended it temporarily. They ordered states to devise and read proper instructions when
the death penalty was invoked.
Tinker v. Des Moines
School Board (citizen)
796 (text)
132 (text)
1969
The Tinkers (HS students) wore black arm bands to school to protest the Viet Nam War. They believed they had the right to express their political views silently.
The SC ruled that freedom of expression does not stop at the “school house gates.” As long as the expression does not disrupt or distract from
instruction, it is permissible.
Engle v. Vitale (citizen)
84 (green)
258c (text)
1962
A New York school district imposed a prayer before the start of classes each school day. It was a secular prayer to a “divine authority.” In effect, the school had
established a religious practice
The SC ruled mandatory prayer in school is not allowed, However, the school can make time during the school day for the student to leave
campus and attend religious training or service. School prayer was ruled to be a violation of the Establishment Clause of the US Constitution.
Texas v. Johnson (citizen) 84 (green)
1989
Johnson burned a flag to protest Ronald Reagan’s foreign policy. Johnson was tried and convicted by the state of Texas.
The SC ruled that Johnson has the right to express his political views by burning the flag.
1978
Bakke applied to medical school. Although he met entrance requirements, he was not accepted, and a minority with slightly less qualifications was admitted in
Bakke's place, in order to fill a racial quota. He sued claiming he was denied equal protection an application of the law under the 14th Amendment.
The SC ruled that a citizen's ethnicity alone cannot be the basis for admission or preferential treatment. However, race (skin color) can be used
as part of many factors of admission.
The special prosecutor appointed by Nixon and the defendants sought audio tapes of conversations recorded by Nixon in the Oval Office. Nixon asserted that he was
immune from the subpoena claiming "executive privilege," which is the right to withhold information from other government branches to preserve confidential
communications within the executive branch or to secure the national interest. Decided together with Nixon v. United States. Is the President's right to safeguard
certain information, using his "executive privilege" confidentiality power, entirely immune from judicial review? Conclusion: No. The Court held that neither the
doctrine of separation of powers, nor the generalized need for confidentiality of high-level communications, without more, can sustain an
absolute, unqualified, presidential privilege. The Court granted that there was a limited executive privilege in areas of military or diplomatic
affairs, but gave preference to "the fundamental demands of due process of law in the fair administration of justice." Therefore, the president
must obey the subpoena and produce the tapes and documents. Nixon resigned shortly after the release of the tapes.
Regents of CA v. Bakke
(citizen)
85 (green)
1961
Brief background of the case and the case's Constitutional significance (the Supreme Court's decision)
US v. Nixon
(Government)
796-7 (text)
1974
State v. Mann
(Important NC State
Case)
107 (green)
393 (text)
1830
Leandro v. NC
(Important NC State
Case)
107 (green)
393 (text)
1997
Mann shot and wounded a slave fleeing his punishment. The NC State Supreme Court ruled that slaves were the absolute property of their owners who
could not be punished at common law unless the legislature authorized such punishment. Although the court sympathized with Lydia, the slave,
it was bound by law to affirm and uphold the state Constitution.
Leandro's children attended school in a financially disadvantaged district. He believed the North Carolina Constitution guaranteed equality of material educational
resources throughout the state, and that it could be achieved by reallocating funds from wealthier districts to poorer districts. The NC State Supreme Court
ruled that the NC Constitution only guaranteed NC students a sound, basic education, and that varieted property tax bases justified inequality in
resources amongst schools
2