Supreme Court Cases Flashcards
(14 cards)
Marbury v Madison (1803)
• Background: William Marbury was appointed as a Justice by President John Adams, but the new Secretary of State, James Madison, refused to deliver his commission. Marbury sued to compel delivery
• Ruling: although Marbury had a right to his commission, the law allowing the Court to enforce it (Judiciary Act of 1789) was unconstitutional. This established judicial review - the Court’s power to declare laws unconstitutional
• Impact: gave the Supreme Court the power to interpret the Constitution
McCulloch v Maryland (1819)
• Background: Congress created the Second Bank of the United States. Maryland tried to tax the bank, and McCulloch, a bank cashier, refused to pay
• Ruling: the Court ruled that Congress had the implied power to create the bank under the Necessary and Proper Clause, and stated couldn’t tax federal institutions due to the Supremacy Clause
• Impact: strengthened federal power over the states
Schenck v United States (1919)
• Background: Charles Schenck distributed leaflets urging men to resist the WW1 draft. He was convicted under the Espionage Act
• Ruling: the Court upheld the conviction, establishing they speech can be limited during wartime if it presents a “clear and present danger”
• Amendment: 1st Amendment - freedom of speech
• Impact: defined limits of free speech during wartime
Brown v Board of Education (1954)
• Background: Black students were denied access to white schools under segregation laws. Thurgood Marshall and the NAACP Legal Defense Fund challenged the “separate but equal” doctrine
• Ruling: the Court unanimously ruled that racism segregation in public schools was unconstitutional because it created a sense of inferiority and violated equal protection
• Amendment: 14th Amendment - Equal Protection Clause
• Impact: declared racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional => started the end of legal segregation
Engel v Vitale (1962)
• Background: a New York school required students to recite a short prayer each morning. Parents sued, claiming it violated the Constitution
• Ruling: the Court ruled that even a voluntary, non-denominational prayer led by public school officials violates the Establishment Clause
• Amendment: 1st Amendment - Establishment Clause
• Impact: banned state-sponsored prayers in schools => reinforced the separation of church and state
Baker v Carr (1962)
• Background: Tennessee had not redistricted since 1901, despite population changes. Baker claimed his urban vote was diluted compared to rural votes
• Ruling: the Court held that redistributing is a judicial issue, not purely political. This opened the doors for courts enforcing the principle of “one person, one vote”
• Amendment: 14th Amendment - Equal Protection Clause
• Impact: enabled federal courts to hear redistricting cases, establishing the principle of “one person, one vote”
Gideon v Wainwright (1963)
• Background: Clarence Gideon was charged with a felony in Florida but was denied a lawyer because the state only provided one in capital cases
• Ruling: the Court unanimously ruled that the 6th Amendment right to counsel applies to defendants in state courts through the 14th Amendment
• Amendment(s): 6th Amendment, 14th Amendment - Due Process
• Impact: guaranteed the right to legal counsel for criminal defendants in state courts
Tinker v Des Moines (1969)
• Background: Students wore black armbands to protest the Vietnam War. The school suspended them, claiming it would disrupt learning
• Ruling: the Court ruled the suspensions violated the students’ 1st Amendment rights. Symbolic speech is protected unless it causes substantial disruption
• Amendment: 1st Amendment - freedom of speech
• Impact: protected student expression in schools
New York Times v United States (1971)
• Background: the Nixon Administration tried to block the New York Times and Washington Post from publishing classified Pentagon Papers about the Vietnam War
• Ruling: the Court ruled that the government could not impose prior restraint without showing that publication would cause direct harm to national security
• Amendment: 1st Amendment - freedom of press
• Impact: upheld press freedom against prior restraint and limited government censorship
Wisconsin v Yoder (1972)
• Background: Amish parents refused to send their children to high school due to religious beliefs. Wisconsin law required school till the age of 16
• Ruling: the Court ruled that the state’s interest in compulsory education did not override the Free Exercise rights of the Amish to educate their children within their fate
• Amendment(s): 1st Amendment - Free Exercise Clause, 14th Amendment - selective incorporation
• Impact: protected religious freedom in education
Shaw v Reno (1993)
• Background: North Carolina created a second majority-Black congressional district in a bizarre shape. White voters sued, claiming it was racially discriminatory (gerrymandering)
• Ruling: the Court held redistributing based on race must meet strict scrutiny and could violate the Equal Protection Clause
• Amendment: 14th Amendment - Equal Protection Clause
• Impact: prohibited racial gerrymandering under the Equal Protection Clause
United States v Lopez (1995)
• Background: a high school student was charged under the federal Gun-Free School Zones Act for bringing a gun to school
• Ruling: the Court ruled the law exceeded Congress’s power under the Commerce Clause, as carrying a gun in a school zone is not an economic activity
• Impact: limit congressional power under the Commerce Clause
McDonald v Chicago (2010)
• Background: Otis McDonald challenged Chicago’s strict handgun ban, arguing that it violated his 2nd Amendment rights
• Ruling: the Court ruled that the 2nd Amendment applies to state and local governments through the 14th Amendment
• Amendment(s): 2nd Amendment, 14th Amendment - Due Process
• Impact: applied 2nd Amendment right to bear arms to state and local governments
Citizens United v FEC (2010)
• Background: Citizens United wanted to show a film criticizing Hilary Clinton close to the 2008 election. The FEC said it violated campaign finance law
• Ruling: the Court struck down limits on independent expenditures by corporations and unions, arguing that they are protected political speech
• Amendment: 1st Amendment - Freedom of Speech
• Impact: allowed unlimited independent political spending by corporations under the 1st Amendment
