Landmark cases

  • Gibbons v. Ogden

    Gibbons v. Ogden
    Thomas Gibbons had a partnership with Aaron Ogden for a steamboat company for 3 years when Gibbons operated another steamboat on a New York route belonging to Ogden. Ogden files a lawsuit and won due to the New York state court rejecting Gibbons’ argument asserting that U.S. Congress controlled interstate commerce.
  • Dred Scott v. Sanford

    Dred Scott v. Sanford
    After returning to Missouri, Scott filed suit in Missouri court for his freedom, claiming that his residence in free territory made him a free man. The majority held that “a negro, whose ancestors were imported into the U.S, and sold as slaves,” whether enslaved or free, could not be an American citizen and therefore did not have standing to sue in federal court. Because the Court lacked jurisdiction, Taney dismissed the case on procedural grounds.
  • Plessy v. Ferguson

    Plessy v. Ferguson
    Homer Plessy decided he would help test the Separate Car Act and was asked to sit in a whites only car when he was technically black on a Louisiana train. When he was told to leave the whites only car, he refused and was arrested.
  • Korematsu v. United States

    Korematsu v. United States
    In response to the Japanese attack during World War II, the U.S. The government decided to require Japanese-Americans to move into relocation camps as a matter of national security. A Japanese-American man living in San Leandro, Fred Korematsu, chose to stay at his residence instead Korematsu was convicted of violating the order. He responded by arguing that Executive Order 9066 violated the Fifth Amendment. The Court ruled that the evacuation order violated by Korematsu was valid.
  • Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas

    Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas
    This case is a consolidation of cases in Kansas, South Carolina, Virginia, Delaware, and Washington D.C. relating to the segregation of public schools on the basis of race. Schools wouldn't let a kid go to their school because they were not white.
  • Mirand v. Arizona

    Mirand v. Arizona
    This case is about the consolidation of 4 cases in which a defendant was not told about their 5th amendment rights and admitted guilt about a case they were interrogated about. Ernesto Miranda was questioned about being part of a kidnapping a rape case. After a couple hours, the police got a confession from him. Ernesto didn't believe it was fair since he wasn't told about is 5th amendment rights. Ernesto was still convicted and arrested anyway because he didn't request counsel.
  • Roe v. Wade

    Roe v. Wade
    Roe v. Wade was and trial to try to make abortion illegal. This took place in the US District Court of the Northern District of Texas. it took place in 1971, ended in 1972 and was overturned.
  • United States v. Nixon

    United States v. Nixon
    A grand jury returned indictments against seven of President Richard Nixon's closest aides in the Watergate affair. The special prosecutor appointed by Nixon and the defendants sought audio tapes of conversations recorded by Nixon in the Oval Office. No. 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.
  • Texas v. Johnson

    Texas v. Johnson
    In front of the Dallas City Hall, Gregory Lee Johnson burned an American flag as a means of protest against Reagan administration policies. Johnson was tried and convicted under a Texas law outlawing flag desecration. He was sentenced to one year in jail and assessed a $2,000 fine. After the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals reversed the conviction, the case went to the Supreme Court. He was sentenced to one year in jail and assessed a $2,000 fine.
  • Obergefell v. Hodges

    Obergefell v. Hodges
    This case took place at the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, Western Division. The case was about people not respecting or acknowledging a same sex marriage. This case was won by the one who started this case. The 14th amendment requires all states to acknowledge same sex marriage as they would opposite sex.