Required Court Cases

Gibbons v Ogden

• 1824

• broadening the authority of Congress, the supreme court ruled that under constitution, congress has the power over states to regulate commerce between states and foreign countries

Brown v Board of Education

• 1954

• widely viewed as the most important decision of the 20th century, the Supreme Court ruled unanimously that separate public schools for blacks and whites are inherently unequal

• Overturned Plessy v Ferguson

• states that maintain segregated schools violate the 14th amendments guarantee unequal protection under the law

Engel v Vital

• 1962

• first amendment, establishment clause

• an official school prayer is unconstitutional in public schools

Tinker v Des Moines

• 1969

• first amendment, free/symbolic speech

• the court decided that the wearing of the armbands was not going to disrupt the school environment

• public schools are a place where free expression can flourish

Gideon v Wainwright

• 1963

• 6th amendment, right to council

• the supreme court guaranteed counsel for all poor persons facing a felony charge. States must provide an attorney for defendants who are unable to afford one.

Mapp v. Ohio

• 1961

• 4th amendment, unreasonable search and seizure

• police raided Mapps home without a warrant and found obscene materials

• Supreme court ruled that evidence collected must be obtained with a search warrant or else it is inadmissible

• Exclusionary Rule now applied to states as well

Miranda v Arizona

• 1966

• requires officers to tell criminal suspects that they are not required to answer specific questions without a lawyer present and that a lawyer will be provided for them if they can no longer afford one

Roe v Wade

• 1973

• struck down laws in most states that banned abortions across the country

• By declaring that women have constitutional right to choose abortions and control their reproductive lives, the supreme court brought change to the US society

• overturned in June 2022 by Dobbs v Jackson women's health department

Gregg v Georgia

• 1976

• 8th amendment, cruel and unusual punishment

• Death penalty is legal when convicted of deliberately killing someone

Texas v Johnson

• first amendment, freedom of speech

• Flag burning part is included as part of freedom of speech

Obergefell v Hodges

• In a historic 5-4 ruling, the Supreme Court declared that same-sex couples are entitled to the right to marry under Due Process and the Equal Protection clauses of the 14th amendment.

• Ruling requires that all 50 states plus DC had to recognized marriages of same-sex couples on the same terms and conditions of opposite-sex couples.