Landmark Impact on law And Society Flashcards
Engel v. Vitale
Ruled that it is unconstitutional for state officials to compose an official school prayer and encourage its recitation in public schools, due to a violation of the First Amendment
D.C. v. Heller
Guaranteed an individual the right to possess firearms independent of service in a state militia and to use firearms for traditionally lawful purposes, including self-defense within the home
Hazel wood v. Kuhlmeier
Kuhlmeier and another high school students brought suit alleging that their First Amendment rights were abridged when their articles in a school newspaper were edited out by school officials
Ruling: The school officials could censor content since they sponsor it
Mapp v. Ohio
Ruled that under the 4th and 14th amendments, illegally seized evidence could not be used in a state criminal trial
Marbury v. Madison
Established the principle of judicial review, meaning that American courts have the power to strike down laws they find to violate the Constitution
McCulloch v. Maryland
Congress has the authority to establish a federal bank, and that the financial institution could not be taxed by the states
Helped establish that the Constitution gave Congress powers that weren’t spelled out in the document
Miranda v. Arizona
Restricts prosecutors from using a person’s statements made in response to interrogation in police custody as evidence at their trail unless they can show that the person was informed of the right to consult with an attorney and the right against self-incrimination
“Right to remain silent”
Tinker v. Des Moines
Tinker and a group of students wore black armbands to school to protest the war in Vietnam. The school board banned the armbands and suspended the students
Ruling: The court found that the First Amendment applied to public schools, and school officials could not censor student speech unless it disrupted the educational process
U.S. v. Nixon
Ruling: The President cannot shield himself from producing evidence in a criminal prosecution based on the doctrine of executive privilege
Regents of the U. of California v. Bakke
Upheld affirmative action, allowing race to be one of the several factors in the college admission policy. However, the court rules that specific racial quotas were not allowed
Schenck v. US
Shenck and Baer were opposed to World War I so they began to hand out pamphlets that urged men who were drafted to ignore the draft and not fight the war. Shenck and Baer assumed they were protected under the First Amendment, but the local government arrested Shenck
Ruling: The court unanimously voted against Shenck arguing that his actions presented a ‘clear and present danger’ to the US
Texas v. Johnson
Gregory Johnson burned an American flag outside of the convention center where the Republic National Convention to protest the policies of Reagan
Ruling: Burning the American flag was protected speech under the First Amendment
Gibbons v. Ogden
Ruled that Congress alone had the power to regulate interstate commerce
Dred Scott v. Sandford
Ruled that African Americans, whether enslaved or free, were not citizens of the United States
Plessy v. Ferguson
Ruled that racial segregation laws did not violate the U.S. Constitution as long as the facilities for each race were equal in quality
“Separate but equal” doctrine
