US History - Supreme Court Test

Marbury v. Madison

Description/Decision:

• Judiciary Act - Unconstitutional (Only a constitutional amendment can change jurisdiction)

• Sets precedent for Judicial Review

• Court sides with Madison

Group: Marshall Court (expanded powers of federal government)

Amendment: None

McCulloch v. Maryland

Description/Decision:

• Maryland tried to tax national bank.

• The national bank is constitutional.

• States can’t tax federal govt

• Court sides with McCulloch

Group: Marshall Court (expanded powers of federal government)

Amendment: None

Gibbons v. Ogden

Description/Decision:

• Steamboat boundary lines

• State doesn’t have authority over federal govt to regulate interstate commerce

• Federal govt. regulates interstate trade

Group: Marshall Court(expanded powers of federal government)

Amendment: None

Plessy v. Ferguson

Description/Decision:

• Plessy (1/8 colored) arrested for going into white only train car

• Separate but equal does not violate the Constitution 

• Established Jim Crow laws

• Segregation was legal

Group: Civil Rights over Time

Amendment: 14th (equal protection) - not violated

Brown v. Board of Ed.

Description/Decision:

• Overturns Plessy v. Ferguson

• “Separate but equal” inherently unequal

• Segregation is illegal

Group: Civil Rights over Time

Amendment: 14th (equal protection) - violated

Schenck v.United States

Description/Decision:

• Espionage Act did not violate free specch

• No rights are absolute

• Schenck urged people to avoid going to draft during WWI

• Court makes a test for freedom of speech “clear and present danger” test

• Speech can be limited during times of war

• Protection of society outweighs protection of individual rights

Group: National Security vs. Civil Liberties

Amendment: 1st (freedom of speech) - not violated

Tinker v. Des Moines

Description/Decision:

• John and Mary-Beth Tinker wore peace arm bands to protest Vietnam War

• Freedom of Speech violated

• Students don’t lose their rights in school

• Symbolic speech is protected by first amendment

Group: Students’ Rights

• Students rights in school are limited

Amendment: 1st (freedom of speech) - violated

New Jersey v. TLO

Description/Decision:

• TLO - Caught smoking in the bathroom, assistant principal searched bag and found more illegal things

• Search and Seizure not violated

• School officials do not need a search warrant, nor probable cause to search students

• School officials need reasonable suspicion

Group: Students’ Rights

• Students rights in school are limited

Amendment: 4th (search and seizures) - not violated

Engel v. Vitale

Description/Decision:

• Students in NY schools had to recite the regents prayer

• School claimed it was non-denominal and students had choice to leave 

• Freedom of Religion was violated

• No school-sponsored prayers in public school

• Separation of CHURCH and STATE

Group: Freedom of Religion and Public Schools

Amendment: 1st (freedom of religion) - violated

Mapp v. Ohio

Description/Decision:

• Police were looking for a bombing suspect, searched house with a fake search warrant, found pornography

• Pornography was illegal in Ohio and evidence obtained without a warrant violated search and seizure

• Exclusionary Rule - Evidence without a warrant is not to be used in court

• People suspected of crimes are entitled to their due process rights

Group: Rights of Accused

Amendment: 4th (search and seizure) - violated

Miranda v, Arizona

Description/Decision:

• Miranda was accused of kidnapping and rape

• He was not made aware of his rights to remain silent and right to attorney

• Failure to inform a person of his rights violated no self incrimination

• Police must inform you of your Miranda Rights

• A confession cannot be used in court if not informed of your rights 

• People suspected of crimes are entitled to their due process rights

Group: Rights of the Accused

Amendment: 5th (right to remain silent) - violated

Gideon v. Wainwright

Description/Decision:

• Gideon was accused of something and asked for a lawyer but not given one

• Violation of right to a lwayer

• People are entitled to a lawyer.

• States create the public defenders office, which provides lawyers for people who can’t afford them

• People suspected of crimes are entitled to their due process rights

Group: Rights of the Accused

Amendment: 6th (right to a lawyer) - violated

Griswold v. Conneticut

Description/Decision:

• Connecticut forbade the use of contraception

• Griswold was arrested for giving people contraception

• Connecticut violated constitution

• Right to privacy exists in the Penumbras of the Constitution 

Group: Right to Privacy

Amendment: Right to privacy that is implied in various amendments - violated

Roe v. Wade

Description/Decision:

• Restricted rights of women to make private medical decisions about their pregenancy

• Laws barring abortion does not violated the right to implied privacy

• Right to an abortion is no longer protected by the constitution - it is up to the states

Group: Right to Privacy

Amendment: Right to privacy implied in 9 and 14 amendments - yes but…

Dobbs v. Jackson

Description/Decision:

• overturned Roe v. Wade

• Constitution does not confer a right to abortion

Group: Right to Privacy

Amendment: None

Obergefell v. Hodges

Description/Decision:

• Ohio did not put Obergefell’s names on his death certificate because gay marriage was illegal

• State bans on gay marriage violates due process clause (states can’t interfere with basic rights)

Group: Right to Privacy

Amendment: 14th (Due process and Equal Protection clause) - violated