Landmark Court Cases

McCULLOCH v. MARYLAND

FACTS: Maryland taxed the Bank of the United States
CONSTITUTIONAL CLAUSE: Necessary and Proper Clause, Supremacy Clause
HOLDING: Can Congress have a bank? YES - implied powers
Can Maryland tax the bank? NO - national govt supreme over states

McDONALD v. CHICAGO

FACTS: Chicago banned handguns (but in DC v Heller the SC recognized an individual right to own a gun)
CONSTITUTIONAL CLAUSE: Due Process Clause of 14 (incorporation of a new individual right), Second Amendment Right to Bear Arms
HOLDING: following Heller states could not ban ownership of a handgun

ROE v. WADE

FACTS: a woman wanted to terminate her pregnancy, but Texas law forbid abortions
CONSTITUTIONAL CLAUSE: Right to Privacy
HOLDING: states cannot ban abortions in the first two trimesters but can regulate them
(This has been overturned by Dobbs v. Jackson)

BROWN v. BOARD

FACTS: Linda Brown was assigned to a segregated school for non-white people, despite having an all white school nearby, "separate but equal" was the rule
CONSTITUTIONAL CLAUSE: Equal Protection
HOLDING: "separate but equal" is inherently unequal, schools must desegregate

BAKER v. CARR

FACTS: Tennessee did not update their legislative districts to reflect population changes. Memphis was growing while the rural areas nearby were losing population
CONSTITUTIONAL CLAUSE: Equal Protection Clause
HOLDING: "One Man, One Vote!" Districts must be drawn and updated to ensure equal population in each district

BARRON v. BALTIMORE

Clarified that the Bill of Rights only protects from the national government, not the states

ABINGDON SCHOOLS v. SCHEMP

Ruled that required Bible readings violate the Establishment Clause

MARBURY v. MADISON

FACTS: judges appointed on the last day of President Adams's term were not going to be paid by President Jefferson so they sued
CONSTITUTIONAL CLAUSE: none (Article 3 does not mention Judicial Review)
HOLDING: ESTABLISHES JUDICIAL REVIEW because the SC overturned a law passed by Congress for the first time

US v. LOPEZ

FACTS: Congress used the Commerce Clause to pass a law creating "Gun Free School Zones"
CONSTITUTIONAL CLAUSE: Commerce Clause
HOLDING: gun ownership is not commerce, so Congress cannot use the commerce clause to pass laws unrelated to commerce

GITLOW v. NEW YORK

FACTS: The Bill of Rights did not apply to states pre-14th Amendment. New York was punishing Gitlow for speech
CONSTITUTIONAL CLAUSE: Freedom of Speech AND Due Process Clause of 14th Amendment
HOLDING: parts of the Bill of Rights can be applied to the states using 14th amendment
(states have to give you those rights)

ENGEL v. VITALE

FACTS: A school was saying a prayer over the intercom that students had to hear even if they didn't participate
CONSTITUTIONAL CLAUSE: Establishment Clause
HOLDING: School sponsored prayer promotes religion and so it's a violation of the Establishment Clause

WISCONSIN v. YODER

FACTS: Amish families wanted to withdraw their kids from school after 8th grade, but they were required to attend high school by law
CONSTITUTIONAL CLAUSE: Free Exercise Clause
HOLDING: They could withdraw, and be given an exemption to a religiously neutral law that limited their religious practice

SCHENCK v. UNITED STATES

FACTS: A man was urging people to avoid the military draft and was punished
CONSTITUTIONAL CLAUSE: Freedom of Speech
HOLDING: Speech that presents a "CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER" is not protected by the First Amendment

TINKER v. DES MOINES

FACTS: Students wore black arm bands in protest of the Vietnam War and were suspended
CONSTITUTIONAL CLAUSE: Freedom of Speech
HOLDING: free speech (and symbolic speech) was protected for students because it was political and non-disruptive

CITIZENS UNITED v. FEC

FACTS: laws were in place that limited how much money groups/businesses could spend during an election cycle. A group (Citizens United) wanted to challenge the limits as limitations on their free speech
CONSTITUTIONAL CLAUSE: Freedom of Speech
HOLDING: independent spending in elections was free speech, so it could not be limited. Interest groups and businesses can make unlimited independent expenditures

NEW YORK TIMES v. US

FACTS: the New York Times obtained a classified report called the Pentagon Papers that President Nixon wanted to prevent the publication of
CONSTITUTIONAL CLAUSE: Freedom of Press
HOLDING: no prior restraint! The government could not prevent the publication of this document.

GRISWOLD v. CONNECTICUT

FACTS: a Connecticut law banned the use of contraception. Griswold opened a birth control clinic to challenge the law
CONSTITUTIONAL CLAUSE: Right to Privacy
HOLDING: the 9th (and other) amendments implies a right to privacy, so this prevents states from making contraception illegal

GIDDEON v. WAINWRIGHT

FACTS: Gideon was arrested for breaking and entering and requested a lawyer because he could not afford one
CONSTIUTIONAL CLAUSE: 6th Amendment Right to Counsel, 14th Amendment Due Process
HOLDING: states are required to provide attorneys to defendants in all criminal cases if they cannot afford one

SHAW v. RENO

FACTS: North Carolina gerrymandered districts using race
CONSTITUTIONAL CLAUSE: Equal Protection Clause
HOLDING: Race can be a factor in redistricting, but it cannot be the ONLY factor in redistricting. No racial gerrymandering (but partisan gerrymandering is allowed)

MASTERPIECE CAKE SHOP v. COLORADO

Allowed businesses to refuse services to same-sex weddings based on free exercise religious protections

OREGON v. SMITH

Stated that individuals can be fired for using peyote as part of a religious ceremony

BURWELL v. HOBBY LOBBY

Confirmed that closely held for-profit corporations can have religious beliefs

BRANDENBURG v. OHIO

Stated that inciting speech must lead to imminent unlawful action to be limited; hate speech is not inciting speech

CHAPLINSKY v. NEW HAMPSHIRE

Ruled that fighting words are not protected speech

BETHEL v. FRASER

Held that disruptive student speech is not protected free speech

MORSE v. FREDERICK

Stated that disruptive student speech can be punished when not at school

TEXAS v. JOHNSON

Confirmed that flag burning is protected symbolic and political speech

NEW YORK TIMES v. SULLIVAN

Ruled that public figures must prove 'actual malice' by the publisher to win a libel case

NAACP v. ALABAMA

Stated that groups do not have to disclose their membership to the state

BOY SCOUTS v. DALE

Confirmed that groups can control their own membership and can remove members for any reason

DC v. HELLER

Confirmed that the Second Amendment protects an individual's right to own a gun

WEBSTER v. REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH

Ruled that states can restrict abortions as long as they don't create 'undue burdens' for the people seeking care

DOBBS v. JACKSON

Overturned ROE v. WADE, allowing states to ban abortions

LAWRENCE v. TEXAS

Stated that states can't ban certain sexual acts due to the right to privacy

FURMAN v. GEORGIA

Halted the death penalty as it violated the equal protection clause

MAPP v. OHIO

Established the exclusionary rule, preventing the use of illegally obtained evidence in court

MIRANDA v. ARIZONA

Mandated that police inform people of their constitutional rights

SCOTT v. SANFORD

Stated that people of African descent cannot be citizens of the United States

PLESSY v. FERGUSON

Upheld the 'separate but equal' interpretation of the equal protection clause

SWANN v. CHARLOTTE

Confirmed the legality of bussing to integrate public schools

HEART OF ATLANTA v. UNITED STATES

Ruled that Congress can ban segregation using the Commerce Clause, making the Civil Rights Act of 1964 legal

REGENTS OF CALIFORNIA v. BAKKE

Allowed the use of race in college admissions, but prohibited racial quotas

FISHER v. TEXAS

Confirmed the legality of Texas's Top 10% admissions program, an affirmative action program that does not use race

REED v. REED

Banned gender/sex-based discrimination under the equal protection clause

BOSTOCK v. CLAYTON CO.

Stated that sexual orientation/transgender identity is a form of sex-based discrimination and is illegal

HENDERSON v. TEXAS

Ruled that all-white juries are illegal

PLYLER v. DOE

Prohibited schools from denying services to undocumented children

KOREMATSU v. US

Stated that Japanese internment camps during WW2 were legal

BUCK v. BELL

Confirmed the legality of forced sterilization of those with intellectual disabilities

WINDSOR v. US

Mandated the national government to recognize same-sex marriages

OBERGEFELL v. HODGES

Ruled that states must recognize and allow same-sex marriages