Supreme Court Cases

Marbury v. Madison (1803)

• Background: William Marbury sued for a judicial appointment that was not delivered by Jefferson's administration.
• Issue: Can the Supreme Court declare laws unconstitutional?
• Decision/Outcome: Established judicial review, giving the Court the power to declare laws unconstitutional. This is a foundational case that defines the role of the Supreme Court in the US government.

McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)

• Background: Maryland tried to tax the federal Bank of the U.S.
• Issue: Can states tax the federal government?
• Decision/Outcome: Federal law is supreme over state law; reinforced the Necessary and Proper Clause. This case affirms the supremacy of federal laws over state laws when there is a conflict. The Necessary and Proper Clause allows Congress to enact laws necessary and proper for carrying out its enumerated powers.

Gibbons v. Ogden (1824)

• Background: Steamboat operators with conflicting federal and state licenses competed on interstate waters.
• Issue: Who controls interstate commerce?
• Decision/Outcome: Strengthened federal power to regulate interstate commerce. This case defines the scope of Congress's power under the Commerce Clause and clarifies that it extends to regulating interstate navigation.

Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857)

• Background: Dred Scott, a slave, sued for freedom after living in free territories.
• Issue: Are enslaved people citizens with the right to sue?
• Decision/Outcome: African Americans are not citizens; ruled Missouri Compromise unconstitutional; intensified sectional tensions. This ruling denied citizenship to enslaved people and further inflamed tensions leading up to the Civil War. The Missouri Compromise, which had restricted the expansion of slavery, was declared unconstitutional, opening up more territories to slavery.

Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)

• Background: Homer Plessy, a man of mixed race, challenged segregation on train cars.
• Issue: Is racial segregation constitutional?
• Decision/Outcome: Upheld "separate but equal" doctrine; legalized segregation. This case provided legal justification for segregation laws across the country until it was overturned by Brown v. Board of Education. The "separate but equal" doctrine stated that segregation was permissible as long as facilities were equal in quality, which was rarely the case.

Schenck v. United States (1919)

• Background: Schenck distributed anti-draft leaflets during WWI.
• Issue: Does the First Amendment protect speech during wartime?
• Decision/Outcome: Speech can be limited if it presents a "clear and present danger" (e.g., wartime). This case established a standard for limiting free speech during wartime if it poses a threat to national security. The "clear and present danger" test allows the government to restrict speech that creates an immediate danger.

Korematsu v. United States (1944)

• Background: Fred Korematsu refused internment during WWII.
• Issue: Were Japanese internment camps constitutional?
• Decision/Outcome: Upheld internment, citing wartime necessity; later criticized but not formally overturned. This case remains controversial as it justified the internment of Japanese Americans based on national security concerns during World War II. The decision has been widely condemned for racial bias, and although it hasn't been formally overturned, its legal authority is questioned.

Brown v. Board of Education (1954)

• Background: Black families challenged school segregation in Topeka, Kansas.
• Issue: Is "separate but equal" in public schools constitutional?
• Decision/Outcome: Overturned Plessy v. Ferguson; ruled segregation in schools inherently unequal. This landmark case declared state-sponsored segregation in public schools unconstitutional, paving the way for the civil rights movement. It rejected the "separate but equal" doctrine and mandated the integration of schools.

Gideon v. Wainwright (1963)

• Background: Gideon was denied a lawyer because he couldn't afford one.
• Issue: Do defendants have a right to an attorney in state courts?
• Decision/Outcome: Guaranteed the right to legal counsel for all defendants in criminal cases, even if they cannot afford it. This case requires state courts to provide attorneys for defendants who cannot afford them, ensuring fair trials and equal protection under the law.

Miranda v. Arizona (1966)

• Background: Ernesto Miranda confessed without being informed of his rights.
• Issue: Are suspects required to be informed of their rights?
• Decision/Outcome: Created the "Miranda warnings"; protected the 5th Amendment right against self-incrimination. This case requires law enforcement to inform suspects of their rights, including the right to remain silent and the right to an attorney, before interrogation. The Miranda warnings are a standard part of police procedure to protect individuals from self-incrimination.

Tinker v. Des Moines (1969)

• Background: Students wore black armbands to protest the Vietnam War.
• Issue: Does student speech have First Amendment protection?
• Decision/Outcome: Yes - students do not shed their rights at the schoolhouse gate. This case affirmed that students have First Amendment rights in schools, as long as their speech does not disrupt the educational environment. It recognizes students' rights to express their views, even if those views are unpopular.

New Jersey v. T.L.O. (1985)

• Background: School officials searched a student's purse without a warrant.
• Issue: Are school searches constitutional under the 4th Amendment?
• Decision/Outcome: Schools need "reasonable suspicion", not a warrant - limited student rights in school settings. This case established that school officials do not need a warrant to search students, but they do need reasonable suspicion. This standard is lower than probable cause required for searches outside of school settings.

Roe v. Wade (1973)

• Background: A woman challenged a Texas law banning abortion.
• Issue: Do women have a constitutional right to abortion?
• Decision/Outcome: Legalized abortion nationwide based on the right to privacy. (Note: Overturned in Dobbs v. Jackson (2022) but still appears historically on Regents.). This case established a woman's right to an abortion, based on the right to privacy under the Fourteenth Amendment. Though it was overturned in 2022, it remains a historically significant case.

United States v. Nixon (1974)

• Background: Nixon refused to hand over tapes during the Watergate scandal.
• Issue: Is the president above the law?
• Decision/Outcome: Executive privilege is limited; Nixon had to hand over the tapes. This case clarified that executive privilege is not absolute and that the president is subject to the rule of law.

Bush v. Gore (2000)

• Background: Dispute over Florida vote count in the presidential election.
• Issue: Can the Supreme Court stop a recount?
• Decision/Outcome: Stopped the Florida recount, effectively deciding the 2000 election; controversial ruling. This case resulted in the Supreme Court halting the Florida recount, effectively awarding the presidency to George W. Bush. The decision was highly controversial and criticized for its perceived political motivations.