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West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette
West Virginia schools required the students to salute to the flag but kids who were Jehovah's Witnesses refused to do that because of their religion. Related to first Amendment.
Court decided that the situation violated the first Amendment.
they reasoned that since it was breaking freedom of religion that it was unlawful.
Impact was that the first amendment cant enforce one opinion on anything. -
Mapp v. Ohio
Dollree Mapp had illegal materials in her house but the police search was illegal. Related to the fourth amendment.
The court reasoned that all evidence gotten from breaking the fourth amendment was not valid in court.
Court decided that the situation violated the fourth amendment.
impact is that it caused the court to think about when to use the exclusionary rule. -
Engel v. Vitale
New York schools had a voluntary prayer at the start of every school day, and several organizations claimed it violated the first amendment.
Court decided that having the prayer violated the first amendment as public schools cannot hold prayer no matter what, even if its not required.
Impact was that it cemented that public schools cannot have prayer no matter what. -
Gideon v. Wainwright
Gideon was denied a lawyer in court, as it was not a capital case, so he claimed his 6th amendment was violated.
The court ruled that the Florida court did violate his rights as it was required in the constitution for state courts to give attorneys.
Impact was that states cant refuse people of lawyers. -
NY Times v Sullivan
The NY times made an add defending MLK jr., but had a few inaccuracies in the facts they gave, so Sullivan wanted Times to retract the information and they refused.
The court ruled for the NY Times as they were protected under the 1st amendment, and the inaccuracies were not defamation or made with malice.
Impact was that small inaccuracies could not be considered malice or defamation. -
Griswold v. Connecticut
Connecticut banned contraception drugs and devices. Griswold was arrested for violating that for having a planned parenthood clinic.
Court ruled that Connecticut's laws violated the 1st, 3rd, 4th, and 9th amendments marital privacy rights. the fourteenth amendment was also violated. Impact was that contraception was legal by the amendments, as least for the time being. -
Miranda v. Arizona
Ernesto Miranda was arrested and confessed guilty, but was not informed of his rights given to him by the fifth amendment.
court decided that his fifth amendment was violated, as he was not informed of his rights, which was required by law.
Impact was that this was the origin of the Miranda rights. -
Loving v. Virginia
Loving was white, and he was married to a black woman. when they came back to Virginia from the DC, they were found guilty for breaking the states law against inter racial marriages.
The court ruled that the Virginia law did violate the 14th amendment as it was racist and restricted freedom.
Impact was that it made inter racial marriages legal and protected under the constitution. -
Tinker v. Des Moines
Students wanted to show their support for a truce in the Vietnam war, so they planned to wear black armbands to school, but the school banned that, and some were suspended. the students sued the school for violating the first amendment.
The court ruled that the school violated the amendment in this case, as wearing armbands was not causing any problems, and that while freedom of speech is limited in schools, it is not gone.
Impact was what freedom of speech was allowed in schools. -
Brandenburg v. Ohio
Brandenburg, who was in the ku klux klan, gave a speech insiting violence, which Ohio law said was illegal because it encouraged violent acts.
the Court decided that Ohio law violated the first amendment, as due to freedom of speech, Brandenburg had the right to give the speech.
Impact was that Ohio had to revise the law, as it was not specific enough. -
NY Times v. US
the Nixon Administration tried to stop the NY times from publishing anything related to the United States actions in Vietnam.
Court decided that the NY Times was in the right, as preventing them from publishing that information violated the first amendment.
Impact was that it established that the government could not prevent news outlets from publishing information. -
Furman V. Georgia
Furman was robbing a family's home when he was noticed, he tripped and fell down the stairs, causing his gun to go off and kill one of the family members. He was charged with murder and given the death sentence.
Court decided that since he had not done anything to deserve the death penalty, giving him it violated the eighth and fourteenth amendments as cruel and unusual punishment.
Impact was that the decision forced the national legislature to rethink when to give the death penalty. -
Roe v. Wade
Roe argued that texas laws against abortion violated her personal privacy rights given by the 1st 4th 5th 9th and 14th amendments.
Court ruled in favor of Roe, as the 14th amendment protects a woman's choice to have an abortion.
Impact was that it allowed for abortion to be legal, and more recently this has been overturned by the court. -
Lemon v. kurtzman
Court allowed payment to non public religious schools, which Lemon and others challenged.
Court decided that it was fine, and reasoned that it did not break any amendments.
Impact was argument on how the first amendment applied. -
DC v. Heller
the district of Columbia made it illegal . Heller was a police officer for D.C. who was allowed to carry a handgun on duty, but upon applying to have one year license to keep a handgun at home he was denied. He claimed it violated his second amendment.
Court ruled that banning handguns violated the second amendment because the term "militia" could apply to the police, so it was illegal to prohibit them.
Impact was that there should be more explanation for gun laws. -
DC v. Heller
the district of Columbia made it illegal . Heller was a police officer for D.C. who was allowed to carry a handgun on duty, but upon applying to have one year license to keep a handgun at home he was denied. He claimed it violated his second amendment.
Court ruled that banning handguns violated the second amendment because the term "militia" could apply to the police, so it was illegal to prohibit them.
Impact was that there should be more explanation for gun laws. -
Gregg v. Georgia
Gregg was given the death sentence for murder, claimed it violated the 8th and 14th amendments as cruel and unusual punishment.
Court ruled that in this case the death penalty was not cruel and unusual, as gregg was convicted of killing another person on purpose.
Impact was that when was the death penalty ok and when was it not. -
New jersey v. TLO
TLO had her purse searched in school because it was suspected she had cigarettes, she did and she also had marijuana and was eventually put on probation. She claimed this violated her 4th amendment rights.
The court ruled that in this case the school was in the right to search her purse.
Impact is that students do not have full 4th amendment rights while in school. -
Texas v. Johnson
Johnson was convicted of murder and was given the death sentence, but he argued that the court did not account for his youth and wanted a rehearing.
The court decided that his death sentence was constitutional with the 8th and 14th amendments as he had a fair trial.
Impact was that his age was not a determining factor for his conviction. -
Employment Division v. Smith
Workers at a drug rehab place were fired for using drugs because of their religion, they said it violated their first amendment.
Court decided that freedom of religion does not follow when it breaks laws, and so they were right to be fired.
Impact was that religion does not allow people to break valid laws. -
Church of Lukumi Babalu v. Hialeah
The church practices animal sacrifice, and upon setting up a church in Florida, the state prohibited animal sacrifice.
Court decided that the polices made by the state broke the first amendment, and they had no other purpose other than to pressures religious freedom and had no positives.
laws that targeted religious actions were not allowed. -
Morse v. frederick
Student at a school held up a sign that said "bong hits 4 jesus" and was suspended as it violated school policy. he sued saying that his first amendment was violated.
The court ruled that the amendment was not violated because schools could prohibit students from speech that caused disturbance or violated the schools policies.
Impact was that it established that freedom of speech is more limited in the school environment than in public. -
McDonald v. Chicago
In response to DC v Heller, suits were filed against gun bans in Illinois saying that the 2nd amendment was being violated.
The court agreed, deciding that the bans were unconstitutional as chicagos gun ban violated the peoples right to bear arms. Impact was that states couldn't ban guns. -
Snyder v. Phelps
members of a church displayed signs insulting the dead Matthew Snyder at his funeral. So the family accused the church of defamation.
Court decided that since the first amendment allows freedom of speech, the church members were allowed to do those things.
impact was that it caused debate on how far freedom of speech goes. -
Obergefell v. Hodges
A same sex couple sued some states for not recognizing same sex couples as legally married or having bans on them which violated their fourteenth amendment.
Court ruled that the right to marry was a fundamental liberty and that same sex couples should be recognized. -
Mahanoy Area School District v B.L.
Student who tried for the varsity team at school was not accepted, which then they posted on snapchat saying "f school", and she was suspended from it. She sued saying it violated her first amendment.
the court ruled that since the students words did not cause school disruption and were in circumstances where her parents were responsible, she was protected by the first amendment. Showed that students to have first amendment protections outside of school.