Important Court Cases + Tricks for Memorization (AP US Government)

Marbury v Madison

Judicial Review, first major US supreme court case

McCulloch v Maryland

Established supremacy of national gov't over the state

Plessy v Ferguson

Separate but equal

Brown v Board of Education

Overturned Plessy v Ferguson (seperate but equal)

Gitlow v New York

Made the Bill of Rights applicable on the state level :

Mapp v Ohio

Established Exclusionary Rule under the 4th amend

Terry v Ohio

Modified Mapp v Ohio so that the police can search w reasonable doubt :

Gideon v Wainwright

Right to counsel in a trial, even if you can't afford a lawyer : "

Miranda v Arizona

Miranda Rights (read by a police officer during an arrest)

California v Bakke

Upheld affirmative action (if two people with equal qualifications are eligible for a position, the minority gets it) :

Roe v Wade

Abortion is a woman's right to privacy :

Tinker v Des Moines

The right to free speech goes beyond the spoken word (armbands)

Baker v Carr

One man, one vote (gerrymandering) :

Miller v California

Provided means of identifiying obscenity :

Buckley v Valeo

Individual campaign financing is protected under the first amendment

New York Times v Sullivan

Can't print libel/commit slander against public figures, not freedom of speech :

Dred Scott v Samford

Non-citizens are not protected under the Constitution :

Engel v Vitale

Establishment Clause, can't pray in school :

Gibbons v Ogden

Only Congress can control interstate commerce :

Bush v Gore

All votes are equal under the law

US v Nixon

Even the President is not above the rule of law :

Texas v Johnson

Flag-burning is protected by the 1st amendment :

Heart of Atlanta Motel v US

The Civil Rights Act is upheld by the Commerce Clause :

Lemon v Kurtzman

The Lemon Test, test for giving aid to church-related schools

Reynolds v US

Personal actions are protected/legal, but gov't actions aren't (Polygamy is illegal, but polyamory isn't) :

Griswold v Connecticut

Birth control is protected by the right to privacy :

Boy Scouts of America v Dale

You are allowed to disinclude people from an organization bc of freedom of association under the 1st amendment

Schenk v US

In wartime, freedom of speech is restricted :

Korematsu v US

Japanese internment in WWII was legal bc wartime permits nonconstitutional action :

Escobedo v Illinois

Right to counsel during questioning by police :

Lopez v US

Set limits to Congress's ability to interpret power from the Commerce Clause : /George Lopez limits Commerce/

Santa Fe Board v Doe

Student-led/initiated prayer at a school event violates the 1st amend. under the establishment clause :

Swann v Mecklenburg Board

Busing as a means of desegregation is legal :

Gonzales v Raich

Congress can criminalize marijuana on the basis of the Commerce Clause

Citizens United v FEC

Corporations can support candidates under the 1st amendment

Fletcher v Peck

Right to apply judicial review to state law

Dartmouth v Woodward

Upholds the sanctity of private contracts :

Brandenburg v Ohio

Advocating violence in speech for political reform is not illegal so long as it doesn't lead to unconstitutional action :

Duncan v Louisiana

RIght to trial by jury when a sentence of >2yrs is involved :

Abbington v Schempp

Prohibits indoctrinating bible study in public school, establishment clause :

Wesberry v Sanders

House districts need to be near equal in population :

Epperson v Arkansas

States can't ban teaching of evolution : "

Furman v Georgia

There needs to be a degree of consistency in the death penalty by state :

Gregg v Georgia

Capital punishment doesn't violate the 8th Amendment :

Webster v Reproductive Health Service

Regulation of abortion does not violate Roe v Wade :

Shaw v Reno

No racial gerrymandering :

Parker v Gladden

Juries should be impartial :

Barron v Baltimore

The same rules for eminent domain that apply to the federal govt DON't apply to states :

Near v Minnesota

Upheld freedom of the press :

Everson v Board of Education

Establishment clause applies to state law :

Palko v Connecticut

Harsher sentence on an appealed trial doesn't violate double jeopardy :