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West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette
Compelling children to salute to the American Flag is a violation of their First Amendment Right, Freedom of Speech and Religion. The court ruled it unconstitutional saying that one should not be force to speak against ones will. The significance says that one does not have to say the pledge of allegiance or salute to the flag. -
Mapp v. Ohio
Ruling that the Fourth Amendment of was violated and could not he held agains them in court because the search was illegally preformed. It had a significance with changing the law enforcement procedures in the country. -
Engel v. Vitale
Deals with the issue of a public school promoting prayer and religion in the classroom, relating to the first amendment. Ruling that it is against the constitution because it is not appropriate for government to endorse a belief system. Impacting students and their right to free religion. -
Gideon v. Wainwright
Gideon was charged in Florida with a felony of breaking and entering. He appeared in court without a lawyer. He then requested one from the court and did not receive an attorney and lost his case. The court decided in favor of Gideon and appointed him another trial because it touched base with violating the Sixth and Fourteenth Amendments. -
New York Times Company v. Sullivan
The NY Times published something during the civil rights movement regarding MLKJ and asking for donations, though some of what they issued was inaccurate and not factual. Sullivan filed for liable action because they were violating the First Amendment. The court voted in favor of the New York Times Company. -
Griswold v. Connecticut
Connecticut put a ban on any drug or medical device that furthering contraception. When a gynecologist opened a birth control clinic in New Haven the were arrested for violating the law. The court voted in favor of Griswold due to the First, Third, Fourth, and Ninth Amendments. -
Loving v. Virginia
An interracial couple was charged for being married in D.C. then sentenced to a year. The court voted in favor of the couple because they were protected by the Fourteenth Amendment. This impacts ongoing interracial couples. -
Tinker v. Des Moines
To support the truce of the Vietnam War, students of Des Moines decided to wear black arm bands through the holiday season. The school learned about the plan and created a rule saying that anybody wearing an armband to school will be asked to remove it, if not the children will be suspended. The next day many were sent home. The court said that the kids did not lose their First Amendment Rights when they stepped on school property. Impacting the importance of free speech in school. -
Brandenburg v. Ohio
A leader in the KKK made a speech in a rally and was later convicted. The court ruled that Ohio violated his First Amendment right of speech. This helped determine when speech is protected under the First Amendment. -
Lemon v. Kurtzman
An entanglement between the church and the state that funded certain instructors of a religious private school. The court ruled out that it was unconstitutional because it violated the free exercise clause of the first amendment. Importance... -
New York Times Company v. United States
The Nixon Administration tried to prevent NY Times and The Washington Post from publishing materials that were classified. The court ruled that it violated the First Amendment of classified information. -
Furman v. Georgia
Furman was burglarizing a home when he was caught by a member of the house. When he attempted to flee he tripped, setting off his gun and killing that member. The Court found that the death penalty was unconstitutional when it is being compared to "arbitrary or discriminatory manner." This would be the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendment’s. -
Roe v. Wade
"Jane Roe" filed a lawsuit against Henry Wade, a district attorney in Texas by challenging a Texas law, making abortion illegal unless a doctor has to save a woman's life. The court ruled the Fourteenth Amendment was violated by Texas. This gave women the right to abortion by the federal law. -
Gregg v. Georgia
Gregg found guilty of an armed robbery and murder then sentenced to death. This violated the Fourth and Eighth Amendments of cruel and unusual punishment. The court ruled that it did not violate the rights. This upheld the death penalty. -
New Jersey v. T.L.O.
TLO was a high school student when her purse was searched because the school suspected that she had cigarettes and marijuana, she was tried and found guilty. The court voted in favor of the State even though the Fourth Amendment was violated, it was reasonable under these circumstances. -
Texas v. Johnson
This argued the issue whether flag burning as a symbol of "symbolic speech" and if it was protected by the First Amendment. The court ruled that it was a symbol of "symbolic speech" and that it is protected. Though the government could lawfully prohibit the burning of the flag. -
Employment Division v. Smith
Two counselors of a Native American Church filed for unemployment and got denied for "misconduct." The Supreme Court appealed the decision because it violated their First Amendment right to free exercise of religion. In result, Congress passed The Religious Freedom Restoration Act of1993. -
Church of Lukumi Babalu v. Hialeah
The church used animal sacrifice as a form of worship. The ordinance prohibited animal sacrifice or slaughter with exceptions for state licensed activities.Court ruled that the ordinance violated the First Amendment right of free exercise. -
Miranda v. Arizona
Man confessed to being guilty without being informed of his Fifth Amendment rights during interrogation. This was the right to an attorney. The court ruled that the defendants rights were violated. Now police must inform the person they are arresting about their right to remain silent and right to an attorney. -
Morse v. Fredrick
Fredrick held up a poster saying "Bong Hits 4 Jesus" and his principal suspended him for 10 days. She reasoned it because it advocated for the use of illegal drugs. This challenged the First Amendment, though the court ruled that the promotion of illegal activities in school is prohibited. -
DC v. Heller
DC created it a code that made it illegal to carry an unregistered handgun. Heller was a police officer who registered to carry one and keep one at home but he was denied so he sued. This is regarding the Second Amendment to see if the right to bear arms is intended for everyone or state militias. The court ruled in favor of Heller. -
McDonald v. Chicago
After the DC v. Heller case, Chicago and Oak Park Illinois several law suits were filed on the handgun ban. The court voted in favor of McDonald because the Second Amendment of the right to bear arms and upheld by the Fourteenth Amendment. -
Snyder v. Phelps
The Westboro Baptist Church has held protests at military funerals to voice its belief that God hates the United States for tolerating homosexuality, especially in the military. This regards the First Amendment. The court ruled that the First Amendment prohibited the "civil liability" of the ones who protested the funeral of a Marine. -
Obergefell v. Hodges
Groups of same sex couples sued their state agencies to challenge their states banns on same sex marriages. The Supreme Court ruled that same sex marriage is protected under the Fourteenth Amendment. This allowed same sex marriages to be equal to opposite sex marriages. -
Mahanoy Area School District v. B.L.
A student posted a comment to her snapchat story explaining her dislike toward the school and the cheer team after she tried out and didn’t make the team. The school later suspended her. The student went on to sue the school for their cheer handbook being too broad and violating her First Amendment right. The court voted in favor of the student and said that this speech was off campus.
