Supreme Court Cases MUST KNOW Flashcards
(14 cards)
Marbury V. Madison
Does Marbury have a right to his commission, and can he sue the federal government for it? Does the Supreme Court have the authority to order the delivery of the commission?
-John Marshall declared Marbury does have a right his commission; however, the constitution states courts do not have authority to require Madison to deliver Marbury’s commissions.
McCulloch v. Maryland
Does Congress have the authority to establish a national bank? Can a state tax a federal institution?
-Court ruled that the Federal Government had the right and power to set up a Federal bank through the necessary and proper clause and that Maryland did not have the power to tax the Federal Government because of the Supremacy Clause.
Schenck v. U.S.
-Does the conviction of Charles Schenck under the Espionage Act for criticizing the draft violate his First Amendment right to free speech?
-Schneck’s conviction was upheld for violating the Espionage Act and his First Amendment rights were not violated as he was actively engaging men to avoid the draft not protesting against it
Brown v. Board of Education
Does racial segregation in public schools violate the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment?
-Ruled racial segregation in public schools were unconstitutional and violated the 14th Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause
Baker v. Carr
Do federal courts have the authority to decide cases involving state legislative apportionment?
-Federal courts do have the authority to rule on questions of legislative reapportionment because issues of reapportionment were justiciable.
Engel v. Vitale
Does a voluntary prayer in public schools violate the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment?
-Ruled a school sponsored prayer violated the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. Specifically, the Court held that government-sponsored prayer in schools, even if voluntary and non-denominational, is unconstitutional.
Gideon v. Wainwright
Does the Sixth Amendment’s right to counsel apply to state courts through the Fourteenth Amendment?
-Ruled that the Sixth Amendment’s guarantee of the right to legal counsel in criminal trials applies to states through the Fourteenth Amendment.
Tinker v. Des Moines
Does the prohibition of symbolic protest (wearing armbands) in public schools violate the First Amendment?
-Ruled that students do not lose their constitutional rights to freedom of speech and expression when they enter school property. Students’ First Amendment rights are protected in schools as long as their expression does not “materially and substantially interfere” with the school’s operations or infringe on the rights of others.
New York Times Co. v. US
Does the government’s attempt to prevent the publication of classified information violate the First Amendment’s freedom of the press?
-Ruled that the President’s attempt to prevent the publication was a violation of First Amendment protections for press freedom.
Wisconsin v. Yoder
Does a state law requiring compulsory school attendance violate the First Amendment’s Free Exercise Clause when applied to religious practices?
-Ruled that Wisconsin’s compulsory education law was unconstitutional as applied to Amish children, violating their First Amendment right to free exercise of religion.
McDonald v. Chicago
Does the Second Amendment apply to state and local governments through the Fourteenth Amendment’s Due Process Clause?
-Ruled the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which guarantees “the right of the people to keep and bear Arms,” applies to state and local governments as well as to the federal government.
Shaw v. Reno
Does redistricting based on race violate the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment?
-Redistricting plan that draws district lines primarily based on race violates the Fourteenth Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause.
United States v. Lopez
Does the Gun-Free School Zones Act exceed Congress’s power under the Commerce Clause?
-Ruled that the Gun-Free School Zones Act of 1990, which prohibited gun possession near schools, was unconstitutional because it exceeded Congress’s power under the Commerce Clause.
Citizens United v. FEC
Does restricting corporate political spending violate the First Amendment’s protection of free speech?
-Corporations and unions could spend unlimited amounts of money on independent political expenditures, effectively overturning existing campaign finance regulations.
