AP Gov Unit 3 Court Case Cards

Barron v. Baltimore

Established that the Bill of Rights only applies to the national government, meaning states could infringe on civil liberties.

Gitlow v. New York

Established the doctrine of selective incorporation, applying the Bill of Rights to the states through the 14th Amendment's Due Process Clause; overturned Barron v. Baltimore.

Near v. Minnesota

Ruled that prior restraint (censorship before publication) is unconstitutional under the 1st Amendment, except in exceptional cases.

Lemon v. Kurtzman

Established the "Lemon test" for determining whether a law violates the Establishment Clause by excessively entangling government with religion.

Engel v. Vitale

Ruled that official recitation of prayers in public schools violated the Establishment Clause of the 1st Amendment.

Schenck v. U.S.

Established the "clear and present danger" test for restricting speech, allowing the government to limit speech that poses a direct threat to national security.

Brandenburg v. Ohio

Clarified the limits on free speech, ruling that speech advocating illegal activity is protected unless it incites imminent lawless action.

New York Times v. U.S.

Strengthened freedom of the press by ruling that the government could not prevent the publication of the Pentagon Papers without a valid justification.

New York Times v. Sullivan

Established the "actual malice" standard for press reports about public officials, protecting the press from libel lawsuits unless intentional falsehood is proven.

Texas v. Johnson

Affirmed the right to symbolic speech by ruling that flag burning is protected under the 1st Amendment.

Tinker v. Des Moines

Upheld students' 1st Amendment rights to free speech in public schools, as long as the expression does not disrupt educational activities.

Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier

Ruled that schools can censor school-sponsored publications if the content is inconsistent with the school's educational mission.

Reynolds v. U.S.

Held that religious duty does not excuse individuals from compliance with the law, particularly in the context of anti-polygamy statutes.

Wisconsin v. Yoder

Affirmed that the state's interest in compulsory education must yield to the religious interests of Amish parents who wished to keep their children out of school.

U.S. v. Lopez

Limited Congress's power under the Commerce Clause, ruling that the Gun-Free School Zones Act exceeded federal authority.

D.C. v. Heller

Held that the 2nd Amendment protects an individual's right to possess firearms, unconnected to service in a militia.

McDonald v. Chicago

Incorporated the 2nd Amendment's right to keep and bear arms to the states through the 14th Amendment's Due Process Clause.

New Jersey v. T.L.O.

Determined that students have reduced expectations of privacy in schools, allowing school officials to conduct reasonable searches without a warrant.

Miranda v. Arizona

Established the Miranda rights, requiring that individuals be informed of their rights when taken into police custody.

Mapp v. Ohio

Applied the exclusionary rule to the states, stating that evidence obtained in violation of the 4th Amendment cannot be used in court.

Gideon v. Wainwright

Guaranteed the right to an attorney for criminal defendants in state courts through the 6th Amendment, applied via the 14th Amendment.

Griswold v. Connecticut

Recognized a constitutional right to privacy, particularly regarding marital contraception, based on "penumbras" of the Bill of Rights.

Brown v. Board of Education

Declared racial segregation in public schools unconstitutional, overturning the "separate but equal" doctrine established in Plessy v. Ferguson.

U.C. Regents v. Bakke

Upheld affirmative action but struck down the use of racial quotas in college admissions.

Grutter v. Bollinger

Affirmed that race could be considered as one of many factors in college admissions to promote diversity; overturned by Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard in 2023.

Gratz v. Bollinger

Struck down the University of Michigan's undergraduate admissions policy of awarding points based on race because it was too mechanistic and not narrowly tailored.