supreme court cases

Marbury v. Madison (1803) established the principle of judicial review, This case is based on Article III of the Constitution, which outlines judicial powers.

McCulloch v. Maryland (1819) involved the state of Maryland trying to tax the national bank. The Court ruled that Congress had the power to create a bank under the Necessary and Proper Clause and that states could not tax federal institutions due to the Supremacy Clause.

United States v. Lopez (1995) was about a student bringing a gun to school. The Court ruled that Congress exceeded its authority under the Commerce Clause, marking a limit on federal power.

Engel v. Vitale (1962) involved a public school leading students in a prayer. The Supreme Court ruled this violated the 

Establishment Clause of the First Amendment, which prohibits government-sponsored religion.

Wisconsin v. Yoder (1972) concerned Amish families who didn’t want to send their children to high school. The Court sided with the Amish, stating that forcing them to attend school violated their rights under the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment.

Tinker v. Des Moines (1969) dealt with students wearing black armbands to protest the Vietnam War. The Court ruled this was protected by the Freedom of Speech Clause in the First Amendment, as it didn’t disrupt school.

New York Times v. United States (1971), also known as the Pentagon Papers case, ruled that the government could not stop newspapers from publishing classified materials unless it posed a real threat to national security. This decision protected freedom of the press under the First Amendment.

Schenck v. United States (1919) was about a man distributing leaflets urging people to resist the draft in World War I. The Court ruled that his speech was not protected because it created a clear and present danger, placing limits on freedom of speech in wartime.

Gideon v. Wainwright (1963) ruled that states must provide lawyers to defendants who cannot afford them. This case applied the Sixth Amendment’s right to counsel to the states through the 14th Amendment’s Due Process Clause, an example of selective incorporation.

Roe v. Wade (1973) involved a woman seeking an abortion. The Court ruled that the right to privacy, though not explicitly stated in the Constitution, is implied through the 14th Amendment’s Due Process Clause, and that it protects a woman’s right to choose.

McDonald v. Chicago (2010) ruled that the Second Amendment right to bear arms applies to the states, again using selective incorporation through the 14th Amendment’s Due Process Clause.

Brown v. Board of Education (1954) struck down school segregation, ruling that “separate but equal” was inherently unequal. This case relied on the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment and overturned the precedent set by Plessy v. Ferguson.