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Near v. Minnesota
This case helped define freedom of press and speech. The court ruled that Minnesota violated the first amendment. This case helped established the principle that the government can't censor or prohibit a publication. Minneapolis newspaper editor Jay Near attacked local officials by claiming in print that they were associated with gangsters -
Dennis v. United States
Eleven Communist Party leaders were convicted of planning the violent overthrow of the US government. The Court ruled that they did not have the right under the First Amendment to the United States Constitution to exercise free speech, if the exercise involved the plot to overthrow the government. -
Zorach v. Clauson
A case in which the Supreme Court of the United States considered a school district allowing students to leave school for part of the day to receive religious instruction. New York State law permitted schools to allow some students to leave school during school hours for purposes of religious instruction or practice while requiring others to stay in school. The Supreme Court upheld the arrangement by finding that it did not violate the first amendment. -
Torcaso v. Watkins
The Constitution of Maryland required "a declaration of belief in the existence of God" in order for a person to hold any office of profit or trust in this State. The Court found that Maryland's requirement for a person holding public office to state a belief in God violated the First and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution. -
Engel v. Vitale
A supreme court case in which the Court ruled that it is unconstitutional for state officials to compose an official school prayer and its recitation in public schools. The state of New York approved a piece of legislation which required students to start their school days with the Pledge of Allegiance and a prayer. -
Stone v. Graham
The Kentucky statute that required the Ten Commandments to be posted in school classrooms was in violation of the First Amendment. The Court concluded that the requirement of posting the ten Commandments were unconstitutional. -
Board of Education v. Pico
a case in which the United States Supreme Court split on the First Amendment issue of removing library books from junior high/ high schools. Recommendations of a committee of parents and school staff ordered that certain books, which the Board characterized as anti-American and anti-Christian be removed. -
Lee v. Weisman
-A supreme court decision regarding school prayer.
-It ruled that schools may not sponsor priest to conduct prayers.
-The school district appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, arguing that the prayer was voluntary -
Van Orden v. Perry
A United States Supreme Court case involving whether a display of the Ten Commandments on a monument given to the government at the Texas State Capitol in Austin violated the First Amendment. -
Guiles v. Marineau
The court says it is a violation to the first and fourteen amendment for a public school to require a student to partially obscure images relating to drugs and alcohol on a shirt criticizing the President of the United States. -
Morse v. Frederick
A case that the First Amendment does not prevent educators from suppressing student speech that is reasonably viewed as promoting illegal drug use. Juneau-Douglas High School principal Deborah Morse suspended Joseph Frederick after he displayed a banner reading "BONG HiTS 4 JESUS". His suit was dismissed by the federal district court by reversed by the ninth circuit, concluding his rights were violated.
