POLS 1200- Key Supreme Court Cases

Gideon v. Wainwright

After a young adult is accused of attempting to commit a misdemeanor following breaking and entering, he is denied legal counsel

Upon SCOTUS review, it’s determined that right to legal counsel is a fundamental right, outlined in Amendment 6 of the constitution, that cannot be denied

Overturned prior case in Betts v. Brady, which ruled that the 6th amendment didn’t apply to state laws

Palko V. Connecticut

-Frank Palko gets charged of first-degree murder, but instead gets convicted of 2nd degree murder, resulting in life imprisonment

-After state of Connecticut appeals decision, Frank Palko gets convicted of 1st degree murder, is sentenced to death

-Upon arrival at the Supreme Court, SCOTUS upholds the state of Connecticut’s decision, claiming that the protection of double jeopardy from the 5th amendment does not apply universally to the states

Lemon v. Kurtzman

-Rhode Island and Connecticut adopt statutes for the state to pay for aspects of non-secular, non-public education

-Taxpayers and citizens of Rhode Island, including Lemon, sue on the grounds that non-public, religious educational funding was in violation of the establishment clause, thus making such an action unconstitutional

-Established the “lemon test”, asserting that government actions, in order to be deemed secular in nature, must have 1) a secular legislative purpose, 2) must not promote or inhibit a religion, and 3) must not entangle government affairs excessively with religion

Kennedy V. Bremmerton School District

-Joseph Kennedy, a Football Coach in Bremerton School District in Washington state, gets sent to court for practicing prayer in the middle of the football field before games

-Supreme Court rules that the school’s attempt to prevent him from conducting the player was a violation of the free exercise clause

-Overturned lemon test in Lemon v. Kurtzman, essentially established that Supreme Court determines violation of wall between church and state based on history rather than specific principles

Carson v. Makin

- Religious, private schools in Maine are denied access to funding program on the grounds that it would violate establishment clause

-Supreme Court holds that denying funding to private schools is a violation of equal protection and free exercise of religion

Board of Education v. Barnette

-Students in West Virginia and across the United States are required to pledge allegiance at the beginning of the school day

-With the words, “one nation, under god”, Supreme Court determines this to be unconstitutional by the establishment clause of the 1st amendment as applied through the equal protection clause of the 14th amendment

-Overturns previous case from 3 years earlier, Minersville School District v. Gobitis, which ruled constitutional schools which forced students to recite the pledge of allegiance

Cantwell v. Connecticut

-The Cantwells, who were Johavas Wtinesses, go around Connecticut Distributing religious material promoting their religion

-After Catholics accuse Cantwells of breach of the peace, case is brought to court

-Supreme Court determines that, following a conviction of the Cantwells based on an anti-solicitation law by Connecticut, is unconstitutional based on the free exercise clause of the 1st amendment

Marbury v. Madison

Kennedy v. Bremmerton School District

Roe V. Wade

Brian V. Dobbs

Tinker V. Des Moines

Obergefell v. Hodges

Bostock v. Clayton County