supreme court cases

brown v board of education

The Court unanimously overturned the "separate, but equal" doctrine. The Court ordered that public schools desegregate with "all deliberate speed."

citizens united v federal elections commision

The Court ruled that the prohibition of all independent expenditures by corporations and unions violated the First Amendment's protect of engaging in political speech. The First Amendment does not distinguish between media and corporations. The suppression of any political speech would interfere with the "free market-place of ideas."

corporations con donate as freedom of expression to political campaigns

roe v wade

The Court rejected the "fetal right to life" argument and instead asserted the "right to privacy." Abortion was deemed a fundamental right under the Constitution and all laws attempting to restrict it were subject to the standard of strict scrutiny.

gideon v wainwright

legal counsel must be provided by the state in that the Sixth Amendment did not distinguish between capital and non-capital offenses. right to an attorney, selection incorporation

mcdonald v chicago

The Privileges or Immunities Clause of the 14th Amendment incorporates the Second Amendment. The decision also reaffirmed that certain firearms restrictions mentioned in District of Columbia v. Heller (2008) are assumed permissible such as restrictions of firearms by felons or the mentally ill and laws that forbid firearms in sensitive places such as schools and government buildings. The ruling did not protect bans on handguns for lawful purposes and stated that the 2nd Amendment was fully applicable to the states,

schneck v us

resisted draft as unconstitutional. The Supreme Court ruled that the Espionage Act was constitutional. Additionally, the Court stated that the First Amendment guarantees are not absolute. Speech can be restricted if the words create a "clear and present danger."

tinker v des moines

The Court agreed that the First Amendment applied to public schools. Administrators would have to demonstrate constitutionally valid reasons for any speech to be regulated. Wearing the armbands did not cause disruption and the activity represented constitutionally protected symbolic speech.

nyt v us

The Court ruled that the U.S. did not have a valid argument for prior restraint. The Espionage Act had not be violated. Therefore, the press had unlimited freedom to publish classified documents. pentagon freedom of press

wisconsin v yoder

compulsory school attendance law violated their rights under the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment made applicable to the states by the Fourteenth Amendment. amish.

engel v vitale

The Court ruled that government written prayers violated the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment, and therefore, could not be recited in public schools. The Court rejected the argument that the prayer was not aimed at any specific religion and was voluntary.

baker v carr

reformulated the political question doctrine to determine which cases were political in nature. Legislative districts must be as near equal as possible in population. The "one person, one vote" standard was formulated. Numerous states were required to reapportion based on population shifts.

shaw v reno

gerrymandering; Race cannot be the sole or predominant factor in redrawing legislative boundaries or drawing school and voting district.

marbury v madison

declared the Judiciary Act unconstitutional because the Constitution did not grant Congress the right to enact such a law. Congress had no authority to expand the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court as explained in Article III.The ruling established the principal of judicial review.

us v lopez

Controlling guns at schools cannot be argued as part of a larger regulatory scheme to control commerce.The Court ruled that the law was a criminal statute that had nothing to do with commerce. For the first time in over fifty years the Court held that Congress had overstepped its power under the Commerce Clause.

mcculloch v maryland

bank issued the notes without paying the tax. state courts ruled that he was in violation of the law. The Constitution is a creation of the people - not of the states. Therefore, the states are bound in obligation to the Constitution,Enumerated powers of Congress includes making all laws "necessary and proper" to executing specific tasks. This implies that Congress has the power to carry out enumerated powers. It also established the federal government as supreme over the states.