Supreme Court Cases

Allegheny County v. ACLU

Ruled nativity scenes in courthouses unconstitutional under the Establishment Clause, but permitted menorahs alongside Christmas trees.

Board of Ed of Pottawatomie County v. Earls

Upheld drug testing for students in extracurricular activities, affirming limited privacy expectations.

Brandenburg v. Ohio

Established criteria for limiting free speech intended to incite imminent lawless action.

Chaplinsky v. New Hampshire

Defined 'fighting words' as unprotected under free speech rights.

Citizens United v. F.E.C.

Confirmed corporate free speech rights, allowing unlimited campaign donations.

D.C. v. Heller

Guaranteed individual gun ownership rights, moving away from a collective interpretation.

Gideon v. Wainwright

Mandated that states provide attorneys to defendants unable to afford counsel.

Kennedy v. Bremerton School District

Permitted football coach's prayers, signaling a shift away from the Lemon Test.

Lee v. Weisman

Prohibited religious prayers at public school graduations, viewed as coercion.

Lemon v. Kurtzman

Articulated criteria for government assistance to religious institutions.

Mapp v. Ohio

Established the exclusionary rule at the state level, preventing illegally obtained evidence from being used.

Marbury v. Madison

Established the principle of judicial review, enabling courts to invalidate unconstitutional laws.

McCulloch v. Maryland

Confirmed federal government supremacy over states, allowing national bank establishment.

McDonald v. City of Chicago

Extended 2nd Amendment protections to states through the 14th Amendment.

Miller v. California

Established the Miller Test for determining what constitutes obscene material.

Miranda v. Arizona

Affirmed that suspects must be informed of their rights before questioning.

Near v. Minnesota

Ruled against prior restraint and established press freedoms.

New Jersey v. T.L.O.

Created a reasonableness standard for school searches, with diminished privacy rights for students.

New York Times Co. v. Sullivan

Set precedent that defamation requires proof of actual malice against public figures.

Safford Unified School District v. Redding

Ruled against excessive intrusiveness in school searches in sensitive contexts.

Schenck v. U.S.

Established that speech can be restricted if it presents a "clear and present danger."

Texas v. Johnson

Confirmed that flag burning is a form of protected symbolic speech.

Tinker v. Des Moines

Upholds students' free speech rights within educational environments.

U.S. v. Miller

Clarified that the Second Amendment does not guarantee the right to own specific weapons.

U.S. v. New York Times (Pentagon Papers case)

Protects press freedoms against governmental censorship concerning national security.

West Virginia Board of Ed. v. Barnette

Prohibits mandatory salute to the flag or recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance in schools.