GOPO Unit 3 SCOTUS Cases, Amendments, and Documents

SCOTUS Cases that are tied to Bill of Rights, Amendments, and Documents that are necessary

Schenck v. U. S. (1919)

Speech representing “a clear and present danger” is not protected (1) Because the pamphlets could have caused mass-protests and rebellion, there was iminent danger from the speech, allowing the government to restrict it.

Engel v. Vitale (1962)

School-sponsored prayer violates the establishment clause (1) Created a precedence of not allowing student-led prayer in official public school events and the government cannot endorse or deny any religions

Tinker v. Des Moines (1969)

Students in public schools are allowed to wear armbands as symbolic speech (1) Students do not shed their rights unless it creates a substantial disruption in the school environment.

NYT v. U.S. (1971)

The government cannot forbid a press publication ahead of time (1) The government cannot apply prior restraint unless the publication will create inevitable, direct, and immediate danger for the U.S. or its citizens

McDonald v. Chicago (2010)

The right to bear arms to protect one’s property (2)

Gideon v. Wainwright (1963)

States must provide poor defendants with an attorney (6)

Roe v. Wade (1973)

Abortion is in a woman’s privacy, but states have a legitimate interest in protection of the unborn (1, 3, 4, 5, 9)

Wisconsin v. Yoder (1972)

The state or national government cannot create laws that violate the free exercise clause, meaning that laws cannot violate a religious way of life (2)

Mc. Donald v. Chicago (2010)

The 2nd Amendment must be protected by states based on the due process clause of the 14th amendment (2) An individual has the right to “keep and bear arms,” which means that the individual states do not have the power to create or enforce gun laws.

Gideon v. Wainwright (1963)

States must provide an attorney for defendants who can’t afford one to guarantee a fair trial (6) Applies the 6th amendment to all states through selective incorporation and the 14th amendment.

First Amendment

freedom of speech, religion, assembly, and press

Second Amendment

right to bear arms

third amendment

right to not quarter soldiers

fourth amendment

right against unreasonable search and seizure

Fifth Amendment

Protects against self-incrimination, double jeopardy, and ensures just compensation for property takings.

Sixth Amendment

Ensures the right to a speedy trial, an impartial jury, to be informed of charges, to confront witnesses, to call witnesses, and to legal representation.

Seventh Amendment

Guarantees the right to a jury trial in civil cases.

Eigth Amendment

Protects against cruel and unusual punishment

Ninth Amendment

The people have rights that are not stated in the constitution

Tenth Amendment

The rights not reserved for the national government will go to the states, local government, or the people

Brown v. Board of Education (1954)

This landmark case ruled that racial segregation in public schools violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment, overturning the 'separate but equal' doctrine established by Plessy v. Ferguson (1896).

Fourteenth Amendment

Grants citizenship to all born or naturalized in the U.S. and ensures equal protection under the law.

Twenty Fourth Amendment

made illegal any tax related to the voting process

Civil Rights Act of 1968

made illegal the practice of selling real estate based on race, color, religion, national origin, or gender

Civil Rights Act of 1964

Prohibited discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin, and ended segregation in public places and schools.

Dr. Martin Luther King’s Letter from Birmingham Jail

Defends the strategy of nonviolent resistance to racism. Says people have a moral responsibility to break unjust laws and to take direct action rather than waiting potentially forever for justice to come through the courts.

Voting Rights Act of 1965

Federal law aimed at removing voting barriers for African Americans and enforcing voting rights under the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments.

Nineteenth Amendment

Women can vote!

Judiciary Act 1789

established the federal judiciary system in the United States, including the Supreme Court and lower federal courts, and outlined their jurisdiction.