-
Period: to
Justice System Timeline
-
Crime Labs
A method for using hydrogen peroxide to detect traces of blood through oxidation was discovered. This helped provide proof for individuals in court. -
William McKinley's Assassination
William McKinley, the 25th President of the United States, was shot on the grounds of the Pan-American Exposition at the Temple of Music in Buffalo, New York. -
Origins of the State Police Force
The Pennsylvania State Police became the first state police agency established in the United States, as recommended by Theordore Roosevelt’s ‘s Anthracite Strike Commission and Governor Samuel Pennypacker. -
The FBI is Born
When Congress outlawed that practice in May, Charles Bonaparte had no choice but to pull together his own corps of agents. -
First U.S. Policewoman Hired
The first U.S. policewoman was paid $75 dollars a month during the four-and-half month event and was given arrest authority. She recruited volunteers from Portland’s women’s clubs to provide surveillance of the 400-acre fairgrounds. -
District Courts
Congress votes against U.S. circuit courts and instead develops district courts. -
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire
The deadliest industrial disaster in the history of NYC, and one of the deadliest in US history. The fire caused the deaths of 146 garment workers – 123 women and 23 men – who died from the fire, smoke inhalation, or falling or jumping to their deaths. -
Schenck v. United States
A Supreme Court case concerning enforcement of the Espionage Act of 1917 during World War I. A unanimous Supreme Court, in an opinion by Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr., concluded that defendants who distributed fliers to draft-age men, urging resistance to induction, could be convicted of an attempt to obstruct the draft, a criminal offense. -
The ACLU is Founded
The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is a non-profit, non-partisan organization that was created to defend the Constitutional rights and liberties of all Americans. -
Women's Suffrage
Women in America gain the right to vote. -
Black Suffrage
Black men and women gain the right to vote. -
The Lie Detector is Invented
John Larson invents the modern lie detector (polygraph). Used in police interrogation and investigation, the lie detector is still controversial among psychologists, and is not always judicially acceptable. -
Judge's Bill
The Supreme Court recommends the Judges' Bill to Congress for approval, Congress agrees to give the court a stronger authority. -
Officers are Murdered
Eight Correctional Officers are killed at the Colorado State Penitentiary — the most ever to die in one incident at a correctional institution. -
Stock Market Crash
A sudden dramatic decline of stock prices across a significant cross-section of a stock market, resulting in a significant loss of paper wealth. Crashes are driven by panic as much as by underlying economic factors. -
Young Brothers Massacre
Six lawmen were killed as they attempted to apprehend two suspects wanted in the murder of Greene County Marshal Mark Noe.This incident became known as the Young Brothers Massacre. -
Supreme Court Building Established
The Supreme Court building in Washington D.C. was opened. -
Pearl Harbor
A surprise military strike by the Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service against the United States naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii Territory. -
Korematsu v. United States
A United States Supreme Court case concerning the constitutionality of Executive Order 9066, which ordered Japanese Americans into internment camps during World War II regardless of citizenship. -
America's Most Wanted
An article entitled FBI’s Most Wanted Fugitives Named appeared in The Washington Daily News. A United Press International reporter contacted the Federal Bureau of Investigation and asked for the names and descriptions of the “toughest guys” the FBI wanted to capture. -
Brown v. Board of Education
A landmark United States Supreme Court case in which the Court declared state laws establishing separate public schools for black and white students is unconstitutional. -
Civil Rights Act
The United States Congress passes the Civil Rights Act of 1957. This was the first act of Civil Rights legislation since Reconstruction in America. -
Gideon v. Wainwright
The Supreme Court unanimously ruled that states are required under the Sixth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution to provide an attorney to defendants in criminal cases who are unable to afford their own attorneys. -
Reynolds v. Sims
A case that ruled that unlike in the election of the United States Senate, in the election of any chamber of a state legislature the electoral districts must be roughly equal in population. -
J.D. Tippit is Mudered
Dallas Police Officer J.D. Tippit is shot and killed by Lee Harvey Oswald after Oswald assassinates President John F. Kennedy. -
President John F. Kennedy is Assassinated
President John F. Kennedy is murdered while riding in a presidential motorcade. -
Kitty Genovese
A young woman named Kitty Genovese was stalked, stabbed, raped, and murdered. The New York Times reported that 37 people saw the incident, yet no one reported it. Or they may have tried to contact police but never got through. Law officials then created the power of dialing 911. -
Miranda v. Arizona
The Supreme Court held that statements made in response to interrogation by a defendant in police custody will be admissible at trial only if the prosecution can show that the defendant was informed of the right to consult with an attorney before and during questioning. -
Miranda Rights
The Supreme Court rules that all persons accused of a crime must be informed of their constitutional rights, including the right against self-incrimination and the right to an attorney. -
Anti-Stalking Laws
When model and actress Rebecca Schaeffer was shot and killed near her Los Angeles apartment in July of 1989, new laws in California made stalking a crime, and restrictions were placed on public access to driving records. The state also created a special unit to protect celebrities from obsessed fans. -
Federal Judicial Center
Congress establishes a Federal Judicial Center to help Supreme Court justices better manage their increase of cases. -
The First Emergency Number (911)
America's first emergency system that used 9-1-1 was in Haleyville, Alabama, and the country's first 9-1-1 call was made there on February 16, 1968 -
Martin Luther King Jr. is Assassinated
Martin Luther King Jr., a leader in the civil rights movement is shot and killed. -
The Newhall Incident
Four California die in a 4 minute gun battle with two heavily-armed suspects. The Newhall Incident, as it became known, reverberated throughout the law enforcement community and led to major reforms in training procedures, firearms use, and arrest techniques. -
Roe v. Wade
The Court ruled 7–2 that a right to privacy under the Due Process Clause of the 14th Amendment extended to a woman's decision to have an abortion, but that this right must be balanced against the state's interests in regulating abortions: protecting women's health and protecting the potentiality of human life. -
The Death Penalty
In the Supreme Court Case Gregg v. Georgia (1976), the Court reaffirmed the death penalty as constitutional. -
Advanced Police Protection
The National Institute of Justice initiates a project in that leads to the development of lightweight, flexible, and comfortable protective body armor for the police. -
Frontiero v. Richardson
A U.S. Supreme Court Case in which it was decided that benefits given by the United States military to the family of service members cannot be given out differently because of sex. -
Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act
This act was passed to explore organizations focusing on better opportunities for juveniles. -
United States v. Nixon
A U.S. constitutional law, campaign finance, and corporate law case dealing with regulation of political campaign spending by organizations. -
Abood v. Detroit Board of Education
A US labor law case where the United States Supreme Court upheld the maintaining of a union shop in a public workplace. -
James Earl Ray Escapes
Martin Luther King Jr.s killer escapes prison for the second time after the assassination. -
Code Adam
Six year old Adam Walsh was abducted from a Sears department store in Florida. This inspired the Code Adam alert. If you hear "Code Adam" in a store, it means you should be on alert for a missing child. -
Sandra Day O'Connor Appointed to Supreme Court
The U.S. Senate ruled in favor of appointing Sandra Day O'Connor, the first female Supreme Court Justice in history. -
U.S. Court of Appeals
Congress establishes a national court of appeals defined by its jurisdiction rather than geography. -
New Jersey v. T.L.O
A Supreme Court case of the United States addressing the constitutionality of a search of a public high school student for contraband after she was caught smoking. A subsequent search of her purse revealed drug paraphernalia, marijuana, and documentation of drug sales. -
Help for the Innocent
After studying a sample closer, a geneticist identified a family group in the sample and realized he could distinguish all three members of his friends family by a simple pattern of inheritance. -
Public Law
President Ronald Reagan signs Public Law 98-534, authorizing the Law Enforcement Officers Fund to establish a Memorial in Washington, D.C. to honor law enforcement officers who have died in the line of duty. -
The Eighth Amendment
Courts ruled that executing an individual under the age of 16 is a violation of the eighth amendment. It was seen as cruel and unusual punishment. -
The First Suspected Terrorist
Fawaz Younis becomes the first suspected foreign terrorist arrested for a crime against Americans on foreign soil. -
Texas vs. Johnson
In a highly controversial case, the Supreme Court ruled that the burning of the American flag is protected under the First Amendment's freedom of speech clause. -
Serial Killer's Insanity Defense Fails
In order to be found not guilty by reason of mental disease or defect the defendant must prove by clear, satisfactory, and convincing evidence that he suffered from some serious mental disease or defect that caused him to be unable to appreciate the wrongfulness of his behavior. Jeffrey Dahmer did not plea as insane. -
National Law Enforcement Officers
The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial is dedicated in Washington, D.C. -
Planned Parenthood v. Casey
A case in which the constitutionality of several Pennsylvania state statutory provisions regarding abortion was challenged. The Court's plurality opinion reaffirmed the central holding of Roe v. Wade. -
Four Agents are Murdered
Four Special Agents of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) were killed attempting to execute a search warrant at the Branch Davidian compound in Waco, Texas. -
Three Strikes Law
12-year-old Polly Klaas was kidnapped from a sleepover and murdered in 1993 and during the investigation, it was discovered that Polly’s killer had committed multiple previous offenses. This led to the “three strikes law” in California, which states that defendants with one serious or violent felony conviction may have their sentence doubled for a second offense. -
Zero Tolerance Policy
The Zero Tolerance Policy was established to promote concerns and prevent the possession of the use of drugs and weapons on the grounds of a school. -
The American Flag
Public Law 103-322 authorizing American Flag to be flown at half-staff on May 15, Peace Officers Memorial Day, was enacted into law. -
Violence Against Women Act
A United States federal law that provided $1.6 billion toward investigation and prosecution of violent crimes against women, imposed automatic and mandatory restitution on those convicted, and allowed civil redress in cases prosecutors chose to leave un-prosecuted. -
Oklahoma City Bombing
Timothy McVeigh explodes a truck bomb that destroys the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City. The blast kills 168 people, including eight Federal law enforcement officers. -
O.J. Simpson
Actor Orenthal James "O. J." Simpson was tried on two counts of murder for the deaths of his ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman. -
Megan's Law
New Jersey Legislature enacts Megan’s Law, which requires community notification when a sex offender is scheduled to be released. Megan’s Law is named for Megan Kanka, a seven-year-old girl from New Jersey who was sexually assaulted and murdered. -
Amber Hagerman / Amber Alert
Nine year old Amber Hagerman was kidnapped and murdered in 1996. Thus, the amber alert was created to broadcast important and dangerous breaking news. -
Defense of Marriage Act
This act defined marriage for federal purposes as the union of one man and one woman, and allowed states to refuse to recognize same-sex marriages. -
Columbine High School Shooting
In Columbine, Colorado two high school students murder 12 classmates and a teacher. This was the deadliest high school shooting until the Marjory Stoneman Douglas shooting in Parkland Florida in 2018. These events brought question to gun restriction laws and mental health of teenagers. -
Bush v. Gore
A decision of the United States Supreme Court that settled a recount dispute in Florida's 2000 presidential election. -
Democrats Gain Control
Democrats gains narrow control of Senate after James Jeffords defects from the Republican Party. -
Twin Towers Terrorist Attack
On September 11, 2001 attacks were made by Islamic terrorist group al-Qaeda against the United States. -
The Patriot Act
President George W. Bush signs the USA Patriot Act, a controversial anti-terrorism law that allows law enforcement agencies to employ court-approved wiretaps on suspected terrorists. -
Economic Growth and Tax Relief
A sweeping piece of tax legislation in the United States passed by the 107th Congress and signed by President George W. Bush. It is commonly known by its abbreviation EGTRRA. -
No Child Left Behind Act
A U.S. Act of Congress that reauthorized the Elementary and Secondary Education Act; it included Title I provisions applying to disadvantaged students. -
Department of Homeland Security
A cabinet department of the United States federal government with responsibilities in public security, roughly comparable to the interior or home ministries of other countries. -
Grutter v. Bollinger
A case in which the Supreme Court upheld the affirmative action admissions policy of the University of Michigan Law School. It was ruled that the University of Michigan Law School had a compelling interest in promoting class diversity. -
Lawrence v. Texas
The Court struck down the sodomy law in Texas in a 6–3 decision and, by extension, invalidated sodomy laws in 13 other states, making same-sex sexual activity legal in every U.S. state and territory. -
Prison Rape Elimination Act
The Prison Rape Elimination Act of 2003 (PREA) is the first United States federal law intended to deter the sexual assault of prisoners. -
Roper v. Simmons
A decision in which the Supreme Court of the United States held that it is unconstitutional to impose capital punishment for crimes committed while under the age of 18. -
Justice for All Act
President George Bush signed the Justice for All Act, which significantly enhanced funding and guidelines for the use of DNA technology in the judicial process. -
Virginia Tech Shooting
A school shooting in Blacksburg, Virginia. A student shot 49 people on campus with two semi-automatic pistols killing 32 and wounding 17. -
Global Financial Crisis
The subprime mortgage crisis reached a critical stage, characterized by severely contracted liquidity in the global credit markets and insolvency threats to investment banks and other institutions. -
Barack Obama is President
Barack Obama is the first african american man to be in office. -
Citizens United v. FEC
A landmark U.S. constitutional law, campaign finance, and corporate law case dealing with regulation of political campaign spending by organizations. -
Helping Families Save Their Homes Act
An enacted public law in the United States. The stated purpose of the act, a product of the 111th United States Congress, was to allow bankruptcy judges to modify mortgages on primary residences, among other purposes. -
Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act
A federal statute in the United States that was signed into law by President Barack Obama. The Act gives the Food and Drug Administration the power to regulate the tobacco industry. -
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
A United States federal statute enacted by the 111th United States Congress. The term "Obamacare" was first used by opponents, then reappropriated by supporters, and eventually used by President Obama himself. -
Osama bin Laden is Found
Osama bin Laden, leader of al-Qaeda, is found and killed by the FBI. -
Aurora Shooting
A mass shooting occurred inside a Century 16 movie theater in Aurora, Colorado, during a midnight screening. James Eagan Holmes set off tear gas grenades and shot into the audience with multiple firearms. This event raised restrictions on bags carried in movie theaters. -
Sandy Hook Elementary School Shooting
A school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, where a 20-year-old fatally shot 20 children between six and seven years old, as well as six adult staff members. -
The Defense of Marriage Act is repealed
The Supreme Court strikes down the Defense of Marriage Act, which resulted in the re-legalization of same-sex marriage in California. -
Black Lives Matter
Black Lives Matter emerges as a political movement, protesting against what it sees as widespread racial profiling, police brutality, and racial inequality in the United States criminal justice system. -
Agricultural Act
The Agricultural Act of 2014 is an act of Congress that authorizes nutrition and agriculture programs in the United States for the years of 2014-2018. -
Shooting of Michael Brown
Brown, an 18-year-old African American, was a suspect in a robbery of a convenience store. Brown was fatally shot by Darren Wilson, a 28-year-old white police officer. Outrage struck after the officer shot Brown when he was unarmed. -
I.M.P.A.C.T. Act
The Improving Medicare Post-Acute Care Transformation Act of 2014 is a bill that is intended to change and improve Medicare's post-acute care services and how they are reported. -
Same Sex Marriage Ruling
The U.S Supreme Court struck down all state bans on same sex marriage. -
Microsoft Corp. v. United States
A data privacy case involving the extraterritoriality of law enforcement seeking electronic data under the 1986 Stored Communications Act, Title II of the Electronic Communications Privacy Act of 1986, in light of modern computing and Internet technologies such as data centers and cloud storage. -
Orlando Nightclub Shooting
Omar Mateen, a 29-year-old security guard, killed 49 people and wounded 53 others in a terrorist attack inside Pulse, a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida, United States. -
Sexual Assault Survivors Rights Act
A landmark civil rights and victims rights legislation that establishes, for the first time, statutory rights in federal code for survivors of sexual assault and rape. -
President Trump
Donald Trump is inaugurated as the 45th President of the United States. He is the first person without prior military or government service to hold the office. -
2017 Women's March
A worldwide protest to advocate legislation and policies regarding human rights and other issues, including women's rights, immigration reform, healthcare reform, reproductive rights, the natural environment, LGBTQ rights, racial equality, freedom of religion, and workers' rights. -
Mass Shooting in Las Vegas
A gunman opened fire on a crowd of concertgoers at the Route 91 Harvest music festival on the Las Vegas Strip in Nevada, leaving 58 people dead and 851 injured. -
Unite the Right rally
a far-right rally that occurred in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States. Protesters included white supremacists, white nationalists, neo-Confederates, Klansmen, neo-Nazis, and various militias.
