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Marbury v. Madison
Marbury sued , James Madison, for failing to deliver the necessary documents to officially make Marbury Justice of the Peace. These documents where not delivered to keep newly elected members of the opposing political party from taking office. This case was decided 4 to 0. This decision made the Judiciary Act of 1789 unconstitutional. This case was very important because it equaled out power in the three branches of government. It made the Supreme Court that we know today. -
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Landmark Supreme Court Cases
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McCulloch v. Maryland
When Maryland attempted to close their branch of the national bank by passing a law that forced outside of state to pay yearly tax, McCulloch sued the state. Then it was questioned whether Congress was able to create a national bank. Maryland did not have the power to tax the country. This case was decided 7-0, and the Supreme Court decided that Congress was allowed to open a national bank and states could not tax federal government. This case defined how much power a state has over the country. -
Dred Scott v. Sandford
Dred Scott, a slave sued the widow of his master claiming that he was no longer a slave after living in a free state. Also, the Missouri Compromise was questioned. This case was decided 7 to 2. First, slaves were not residents of the state they live in and could not sue their owners. Also, Chief Justice Roger Taney stated that slaves were property and not humans. This is an important decision because it stated that all people were equal, beside slaves. -
Plessy v. Ferguson
When Plessy was arrested for violating the Separate Car Act and he claimed that it violated the Thirteenth and Fourteenth to the constitution. The Majority opinion stated that if one race is inferior to another race, they could not be on the same place. The Supreme Court decided this in a 7 to 1 decision. The result of this case made segregation legal; also known as the separate but equal decision. However, the Caucasian race was still superior and things were not equal. -
Korematsu v. U.S
Fred Korematsu was arrested for violating the executive order for refusing to relocate to an internment camp. He claimed that the order violated his rights and discriminated against his race. It was argued that it was necessary for people with Japanese dependency to relocate for national security. In 1944, this case was decided in 6-3. The majority opinion stated that Korematsu's decision was constitutional. This decision stated that the country's security is more important than a person's right -
Brown v. Board of Education Topeka, KS
Because of the decision in Plessy v. Ferguson, colored children were to go to a different school than white schools. Brown argued that even if the facilities were similar, segregated schools could never be equal to one another. The decision for this case was unanimous. The decision of this case overturned Plessy v. Ferguson and made segregation illegal. Schools and other public facilities were obligated to integrate. -
Mapp v. Ohio
Dollree Mapp was suspected of hiding a bomber in her home so the police asked to search her house. After Mapp refused and asked for a warrant, one was provided and instead of finding a bomber, they found porn. Mapp argued that the porn found had nothing to do with the reason for the search. In the decision, of 6 to 3, the exclusionary rule was applied and the evidence was removed. The boundaries of search and seizure were defined. Also, the exclusionary rule was defined by this decision. -
Gideon v. Wainwright
Clarence Earl Gideon was arrested as a suspect of murder and on trial, he was judged unfairly because he could not afford a lawyer therefore not having one. After educating himself, Gideon wrote a letter to the Supreme Court and argued that the Sixth Amendment entitles everyone to a lawyer. In the 9 to 0 decision, every suspect is entitled to a lawyer provided by the government. Thanks to this case, suspects now have the right to a lawyer if they cannot afford one. -
Miranda v. Arizona
Ernesto Miranda was arrested and the police officers questioning him did not inform him of his Fifth Amendment rights and he incriminated himself. At his trial, his attorney asked for confession to be excluded because it was unconstitutional. This case was decided 5 to 4 and stated not everyone knew their rights so suspects must be read their rights. Miranda v. Arizona made it mandatory for police officers to read the person's rights before they are arrested; also known as the Miranda Rights. -
Tinker v. Des Moines
As a symbol of protest against American involvement in the Vietnam War, The Tinker siblings wore black armbands and refused to take them off. This was a 7 to 2 decision. Students could not be punished or stopped for symbolic speech unless officials could prove that the speech disrupted discipline, which was required for school operation. This case is important because it defined symbolic speech as being protected under the first amendment. Also, it put limits to the First Amendment. -
Roe v. Wade
Jane Roe sued Wade after she attempted to get an abortion but could not because it was not medical advice and she was not dying from the pregnancy. Roe argued that this violated personal liberty as well as the First, Fourth, Fifth, Ninth, and Fourteenth Amendments. In the 5 to 4 decision, abortion was made legal, and if states chose they could illegalize abortion. This was a very controversial and important decision because abortion was against people's belifs. However, boundaries to abortion. -
NJ v. T.L.O
A principal found a student smoking in a school bathroom. The student's bag was searched and marijuana and evidence that they sold marijuana was found. The student argued that smoking in the bathroom did not justify the search. The case was decided 6 to 3. The majority opinion stated that schools might claim no real expectations of privacy. Also, that a search warrant was not necessary in school grounds as long as there is a reasonable search. This is important because it defined student rights. -
Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier
After a school principal removed articles from a school newspaper, students claimed that it was a violation of their first amendment. The principle claimed that the articles were questionable to be in a school newspaper. The decision was 5 to 3. School authorities are allowed not tolerate student speech that is not related to basic educational purposes. Educators do not violate the first amendment by editing the content of student speech. This was important because it specify student rights. -
Texas v. Johnson
Gregory Lee Johnson set a flag on fir during the Republican National Convention and was arrested. This was because it was offensive to some and was viewed as disrespect to the country. It was argued that the First Amendment of the Constitution could not punish Johnson for burning the flag because it was symbolic speech. This 5 to 4 decision is important because it defined whether or not flag burning is legal. Flag burning is symbolic speech, protected under the First Amendment.
