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West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette
Court Ruling: Unconstitutional to force unanimity of opinion on any topic.
Why it Matters: Protects freedom of speech. -
Mapp v. Ohio
Court Ruling: Any evidence obtained by search and seizures in violation of the 4th amendment is inadmissible. Why it matters: Stops you from being charged with multiple things unlawfully. -
Engel v. Vitale
Court Ruling: Public schools cannot require students to pray Why it Matters: protects beliefs of all students -
Gideon v. Wainwright
Court Ruling: Constitutional to appoint attorneys for defendants who could not afford to retain counsel on their own.
Why it Matters: guaranties you will be well represented. -
NY Times v. Sullivan
Court Ruling: The prosecutor has to have a plaintiff to show any wrongdoing.
Why it Matters: Protects the freedom of press -
Griswold v. Connecticut
Court Ruling: They indeed had a constitutional right to marital privacy against the state's ban on contraceptives.
Why it mattered: Protected amendment 1,3,4,9. -
Miranda v. Arizona
Court Ruling: People are required to be told their rights when being arrested and if they aren't anything they say can't be used in a court of law.
Why it Matters: So they can't self incriminate themselves. -
Loving v Virginia
Court Ruling: Virginia's antimiscegenation violates the fourth amendment.
Why it matters: the freedom to marry, or not marry, a person of another race resides with the individual, and cannot be infringed by the State. -
Tinker v. Des
Court Ruling: They can't punish their students for wearing an armband to protest the Vietnam war.
Why it Matters: protect the right of free speech -
Brandenburg v. Ohio
Court Ruling: The speech didn't incite or cause lawlessness making Ohio's law unconstitutional.
Why it Matters: protect the freedom of speech. -
NY Times v. US
Court Ruling: The press can publish classified documents under the first amendment
Why it Matters: Government can't keep information away from the public. -
Furman v. Georgia
Court Ruling: The death penalty is unconstitutional when used in a discriminatory manner.
Why this Matters: Protects the 8 and 14 amendments. -
Lemon v. Kutzman
Court Ruling: Can't use tax money to pay teacher salaries in private religious schools. why it matters: Upholds the Establishment Clause. -
Roe v. Wade
Court Ruling: The 14th amendment protects women's choice for abortion.
Why it Matters: The right to privacy. -
Gregg v. Georgia
Court Ruling: The death penalty does not violate the 8 and 14 amendments.
Why it Matters: In extreme cases, the death penalty is carefully chosen. -
New Jersey v. T.L.O.
Court Ruling: The search of T.L.O.'s purse was following the 4th amendment.
Why it matters: The search fell under reasonable search so it was constitutional. -
Texas v. Johnson
Court ruling: Johnson burning the flag was protected by the first amendment.
Why it Matters: It doesn't matter what others say it is still legal. -
Employment Division v. Smith
Court Ruling: states can deny unemployment benefits for someone who gets fired for using drugs for religious purposes. Why this Matters: This would open the prospect of constitutionally required exemptions from civic obligations of almost every conceivable kind. -
Church of Lukumi Babalu v. Hialeah
Court Ruling: Church can make animal sacrifices because the ordinance was specific to just that church. Why it matters: It keeps states from restricting religion. -
Morse v. Fredrick
Court Ruling: School officials can prohibit students from showing messages promoting drugs.
Why it Matters: Students can't undermine the school's mission to stop harmful drug usage -
DC v. Heller
Court Ruling: Can't ban guns because of the 2nd amendment
Why it Matters: It protects the 2nd amendment -
McDonald v. Chicago
Court Ruling: The right to bear arms is applicable to the states. -
Snyder v. Phelps
Court Ruling: The First Amendment shields those who stage a protest at the funeral of a military service member from liability. Why it Matters: It keeps America's free and open debate alive -
Obergefell v. Hodges
Court Ruling: 14th amendment requires the states to accept same sex marriage and all states must recognize the other states.
Why it Matters: The 14th amendment gives the right to marry -
Mahaney Area School District v. B.L.
Court Ruling: The 1st amendment guarantees the student's freedom of speech off of campus.
Why it Matters: Students can say vulgar things without the fear of being kicked out of school.