Major United States Supreme Court Cases

Marbury v. Madison (1803)

First use of judicial review.

McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)

Maryland could not tax the Bank of the United States because of federal supremacy and the right of the national government to charter a bank.

Worcester v. Georgia (1832)

The Supreme Court ruled that Georgia could not pass legislation regarding Cherokee land.

Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857)

Chief Justice Roger B. Taney said that slaves were property and owners could not be deprived of them.

Slaughterhouse Cases (1873)

The Fourteenth Amendment did not protect slaughterhouse workers attempting to conduct a business.

Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)

Justified Jim Crow laws. “Separate but equal” was fine.

Insular Cases (early 1900s)

Stated that Constitutional rights did not necessarily extend to US territories acquired during the Age of Imperialism.

Muller v. Oregon (1908)

The Court ruled that women were not permitted to work such long hours because they might damage their bodies for maternity.

Schenck v. US (1919)

Said that free speech was not absolute. One can’t utter something that creates a “clear and present danger,” as someone can’t shout “FIRE!” in a crowded theater.

Schechter Poultry Corp. v. US (1935)

Declared the New Deal’s NIRA unconstitutional.

Korematsu v. US (1944)

Japanese internment was constitutional, as in times of war, rights can be limited.

Dennis v. US (1951)

Upheld the Smith Act during the Cold War, which made it illegal to speak about overthrowing the government. Due process was limited because of a fear of communism. This was similar to the “clear and present danger” decision of the Schenck case.

Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas (1954)

Ended segregation in schools. “Separate but equal” is inherently unequal.

Miranda v. Arizona (1966), Gideon v. Wainwright (1963), Mapp v. Ohio (1961)

All of these decisions of the Warren Court protected the rights of the accused.

Heart of Atlanta Motel v. US (1964)

Public accommodations, such as hotels, can’t reject customers based on race. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 does not violate the commerce clause.

NY Times v. US (1971)

Publication of the Pentagon Papers was protected by freedom of the press.

Roe v. Wade (1973)

Legalized abortion in 1973, but not in all cases. Most important to know is that a woman’s right to privacy is protected by the Constitution.

Planned Parenthood v. Casey (1992)

Affirmed the major points of the Roe decision. The Supreme Court ruled that states could also regulate abortions with requirements such as parental consent.

United States v. Nixon (1974)

President Richard Nixon was not protected by executive privilege and had to hand over tape recordings. Nixon remains the only President to resign the office.

Regents of the University of California v. Bakke (1978)

Race can be considered in the university admissions process, but distinct racial quotas are illegal.

Texas v. Johnson (1989)

Burning of the American flag was protected by the First Amendment.

Engel v. Vitale (1962)

The Supreme Court ruled that official school-sponsored prayer is a violation of the establishment clause of the First Amendment. Even if the prayer was non-denominational and optional, it was still unconstitutional.

Tinker v. Des Moines (1969)

Students wanting to protest the Vietnam War wore a black armband to school. They were suspended for making such a political statement. The Supreme Court ruled that clothing is an extension of free speech (First Amendment), and the students did not lose that right when entering the school.

New Jersey v. T.L.O. (1985)

T.L.O. was a girl smoking in the bathroom. The principal came in and confiscated her pocketbook, which had rolling papers for drugs and a list of contacts to sell them to. She was suspended. T.L.O. believed her rights were violated and the search was illegal. However, the Supreme Court ruled that freedom against searches and seizures in schools may be limited to protect the student body. Thus, this decision curtails the Fourth Amendment rights of students.