Cases
Case Descriptions:
Marbury v. Madison (1803): Established the principle of judicial review, allowing the Supreme Court to strike down laws that violate the Constitution. The case arose when William Marbury petitioned the Court to compel Secretary of State James Madison to deliver his commission as a justice of the peace.
McCulloch v. Maryland (1819): Affirmed the supremacy of federal laws over state laws and addressed the implied powers of Congress. The case involved the state of Maryland's attempt to tax the Second Bank of the United States, which the Court ruled was unconstitutional.
Schenck v. United States (1919): Introduced the "clear and present danger" standard regarding free speech. Charles Schenck was convicted for distributing flyers urging resistance to the draft during World War I, and the Court ruled that his actions posed a danger to national security.
Brown v. Board of Education (1954): Declared the segregation of public schools unconstitutional, overturning the precedent set by Plessy v. Ferguson. The case involved a challenge to the segregation of schools in Kansas, and the Court held that "separate but equal" educational facilities are inherently unequal.
Baker v. Carr (1962): Addressed the issue of legislative redistricting and the principle of "one person, one vote." The Court ruled that federal courts had jurisdiction to hear cases on redistricting, thus allowing courts to enforce equal representation.
Engel v. Vitale (1962): Ruled that the practice of reciting a voluntary school prayer violated the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. The case involved a New York State law that encouraged a short, voluntary prayer for students to recite at the beginning of each school day.
Gideon v. Wainwright (1963): Held that the Sixth Amendment's right to counsel is applicable to state courts via the Fourteenth Amendment. Clarence Gideon was charged with a felony but could not afford an attorney; the Court ruled he was entitled to one.
Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District (1969): Affirmed students' rights to free speech in schools. The case involved students wearing black armbands to protest the Vietnam War, and the Court held that schools could not silence student expression unless it significantly disrupted the educational process.
New York Times Co. v. United States (1971): Allowed the publication of the Pentagon Papers, ruling that the government could not impose prior restraint on the press. The case addressed the Nixon administration's attempt to prevent the New York Times from publishing classified information.
Wisconsin v. Yoder (1972): Ruled that the state's interest in educating children must be balanced against the First Amendment rights of parents to direct the upbringing of their children. The case involved Amish parents refusing to send their children to public school after eighth grade.
Shaw v. Reno (1993): Addressed racial gerrymandering, ruling that redistricting plans must be scrutinized under the Equal Protection Clause. The case involved a North Carolina district that was drawn to create a majority-minority district, and the Court held that this was unconstitutional.
United States v. Lopez (1995): Limited the scope of the Commerce Clause and congressional power. The case involved a high school student charged with carrying a concealed weapon on school grounds; the Court ruled that Congress had exceeded its authority under the Commerce Clause.
McDonald v. Chicago (2010): Incorporated the Second Amendment right to bear arms to the states through the Fourteenth Amendment. The case challenged a Chicago handgun ban, and the Court ruled that individuals have the right to own firearms for self-defense.
Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010): Held that corporate funding of independent political broadcasts in candidate elections cannot be limited under the First Amendment. The case revolved around a film criticizing a presidential candidate and led to significant changes in campaign finance law.