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Gibbons v. Ogden
Does the Commerce Clause give Congress authority over interstate navigation?
Under the Constitution's Supremacy Clause, the New York monopoly was void because it conflicted with federal law -
Dred Scott v. Sanford
Was Dred Scott free or a slave?
Held portions of the Missouri Compromise unconstitutional in violation of the Fifth Amendment, treating Scott as property, not as a person. -
Plessy v. Ferguson
Does the Separate Car Act violate the Fourteenth Amendment?
Equal but separate accommodations for whites and blacks imposed by Louisiana do not violate the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment -
Miranda v. Arizona
Does the Fifth Amendment’s protection against self-incrimination extend to the police interrogation of a suspect?
The Fifth Amendment requires that law enforcement officials advise suspects of their right to remain silent and to obtain an attorney during interrogations while in police custody. -
Roe v. Wade
Does the Constitution recognize a woman's right to terminate her pregnancy by abortion?
Inherent in the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment is a fundamental “right to privacy” that protects a pregnant woman’s choice whether to have an abortion. However, this right is balanced against the government’s interests in protecting women's health and protecting “the potentiality of human life.” The Texas law challenged in this case violated this right. -
United States v. Nixon
Is the President's right to safeguard certain information, using his "executive privilege" confidentiality power, entirely immune from judicial review?
The Court held that neither the doctrine of separation of powers, nor the generalized need for confidentiality of high-level communications, without more, can sustain an absolute, unqualified, presidential privilege. -
Bethel School District #43 v. Fraser (1987)
Students do not have a First Amendment right to make obscene speeches in school.
The Court found that it was appropriate for the school to prohibit the use of vulgar and offensive language. -
Texas v. Johnson
Is the desecration of an American flag, by burning or otherwise, a form of speech that is protected under the First Amendment?
In a 5-to-4 decision, the Court held that Johnson's burning of a flag was protected expression under the First Amendment. -
Board of Education of Independent School District #92 of Pottawatomie County v. Earls (2002)
Random drug tests of students involved in extracurricular activities do not violate the Fourth Amendment.
Yes. In a 5-4 opinion delivered by Justice Clarence Thomas, the Court held that, because the policy reasonably serves the School District's important interest in detecting and preventing drug use among its students, it is constitutional. -
Obergefell v. Hodges
(1) Does the Fourteenth Amendment require a state to license a marriage between two people of the same sex? (2) Does the Fourteenth Amendment require a state to recognize a marriage between two people of the same sex that was legally licensed and performed in another state?
The Fourteenth Amendment requires both marriage licensing and recognition for same-sex couples.