Transcript File - US History and Government

Landmark Supreme Court Cases
(Pages 10-12)
Question: What is a “landmark” Supreme Court case?
A case that had a major impact on society because, like all Supreme Court cases, they
ultimately changed the way Americans understand/interpret the U.S. Constitution.
Question: Who makes up the Supreme Court?
Nine judges, called justices — make up the Supreme Court of the United States.
The Supreme Court is led by one justice, called the Chief Justice of the United States.
The other eight justices are known as Associate Justices. Justices are nominated by
the President and confirmed by the Senate. This nomination and confirmation
process is an example of the constitutional principle known as checks and balances.
Landmark Supreme Court Cases dealing with the First Amendment.
Court Case:
Facts of the Case
Summary of the Decision
Significance of
the Decision
(Impact)
Zenger was a German immigrant who
printed a publication called The NEW
YORK WEEKLY JOURNAL. This
publication harshly pointed out the
actions of the corrupt royal governor.
The court founded Zenger not
guilty
Although true freedom of the
press was not known until the
passage of the FIRST
AMENDMENT, newspaper
publishers felt freer to print
their honest views.
The case involved a prominent socialist,
Charles Schenck, who attempted to
distribute thousands of flyers to American
servicemen recently drafted to fight in
World War I. Schenck's flyers asserted
that the draft amounted to "involuntary
servitude” and urged draftees to petition
for repeal of the draft.
that Schenck’s protests against US
involvement in WWI were a “clear and
present danger” to the United States
Free speech is
not actually
unlimited.
Tinker vs.
Des Moines
(1969)
To protest the Vietnam War, Mary Beth
Tinker and her brother wore black
armbands to school. Fearing a disruption,
the administration prohibited wearing
such armbands. The Tinkers were
removed from school when they failed to
comply.
The wearing of black arm bands was
protected by the Constitution. Students
enjoy protection of the Bill of Rights
unless their actions materially disrupt the
educational environment.
Students do not leave
their rights at the
schoolhouse door.
New York Times
Co. v.
United States
(1971)
In what became known as the "Pentagon
Papers Case," the Nixon Administration
attempted to prevent the New York Times
and Washington Post from publishing
materials belonging to a classified
Defense Department study regarding the
history of United States activities in
Vietnam.
The Court ruled that the papers did not
violate national security and therefore
the newspapers had the right to publish
them.
See summary of
decision.
Crown v.
John Peter
Zenger (1735)
Schenck v.
United States
(1919)
Landmark Supreme Court Cases dealing with rights for African Americans
Court Case:
Facts of the
Case
Summary of the
Decision
Significance of the Decision
(Impact)
Dred Scott v.
Sanford
(1857)
Dred Scott, a slave, had
moved with his master to
Illinois, a free state. He
moved again to a slave
state, Missouri, and filed
suit to gain freedom,
under that state’s law of
“Once free, always free.”
at blacks were not citizens
and that slaves were
property and could be
taken anywhere, regardless
of a state’s status as free or
slave holding
Enraged many people to
join the abolitionist cause
and further divided the
country around the issue of
slavery – one step closer to
civil war.
Plessy v.
Ferguson
(1898)
Police arrested Homer
Plessy for refusing to
leave a railroad car that
prohibited “colored”
people. Under Louisiana
law, Plessy was “colored”
because he was oneeighth black.
established that “separate
but equal” facilities were
legal (thereby upholding
the Jim Crow laws of
Southern states)
Allowed states to continue
to have Jim Crow laws and
the black codes – gave
these laws a legal backing
Brown vs.
Board of
Education
Topeka (1954)
This case was the consolidation
of four cases arising in separate
states relating to the segregation
of public schools on the basis of
race. In each of the cases,
African American minors had
been denied admittance to
certain public schools based on
laws allowing public education
to be segregated by race. They
argued that such segregation
violates the Equal Protection
Clause of the Fourteenth
Amendment.
one of the most celebrated
cases, the court struck
down separate but equal
and ordered integration in
the nation's schools with
"all deliberate speed.
With Brown, desegregation of
public schools began—as did
resistance to it. Ten contentious
years later, the Civil Rights Act of
1964 made racial equality a matter
of federal law.
RIGHTS OF THE ACCUSED (a person ACCUSED of a crime)
Court Case:
Mapp v. Ohio
(1961)
Gideon v.
Wainwright
(1963)
Miranda v.
Arizona
(1966)
Facts of the Case
Summary of the
Decision
Significance of the
Decision (Impact)
While searching Dollree Mapp's house,
police officers discovered obscene
materials and arrested her. Because the
police officers never produced a search
warrant, she argued that the materials
should be suppressed as the fruits of an
illegal search and seizure.
The court agreed
with Dollree Mapp.
right against illegal
search and seizure
Gideon was accused of
committing a felony. Being
poor, he petitioned the judge
to provide him with an
attorney free of charge. The
judge denied his request.
The Supreme Court ruled for
Gideon, saying that the Sixth
Amendment requires
poor/needy criminal
defendants to be provided an
attorney free of charge.
right to counsel
After hours of police interrogations,
Ernesto Miranda confessed to rape
and kidnapping. At trial, he sought
to suppress his confession, stating
that he was not advised of his rights
to counsel and to remain silent.
The Supreme Court
agreed with Ernesto
Miranda, holding that
police must inform
suspects of their rights
before questioning.
established a
suspect’s right to
be informed of his
or her rights
* All of these cases were decided when Earl Warren was acting Chief Justice
(Warren Court) - expansion of individual rights in criminal cases
Supreme Court Decisions Under Chief Justice
JOHN MARSHALL (1801-1835)
Court Case:
Summary of the Decision
Significance/Importance
Marbury vs.
Madison
(1803)
JUDICIAL REVIEW!
JUDICIAL REVIEW!
JUDICIAL REVIEW!
Judicial Review/Separation of
powers
McCulloch v.
Maryland
(1819)
John Marshall declares "the power
Judicial Review; Federalism
to tax is the power to destroy." The
Supremacy Clause of the
Constitution prohibits state taxation
of a federal institution.
Gibbons vs. Ogden Congress has the authority to
(1824)
regulate Interstate Commerce
Judicial Review/Federalism
•If you see… John Marshall
Answer: Either he expanded the power of the federal government, or judicial review
Chief Justice John Marshall is a
MAD MAN
Marbury v. MADison
(1803 – same yr as Louisiana
Purchase)
Supreme Court power to decide
whether laws passed by Congress
were constitutional or unconstitutional
= JUDICIAL REVIEW
- Marshall was the MAN for
strengthening the power of the U.S.
Supreme Court
Supreme Court Decisions Under Chief Justice
EARL WARREN (1953-1969)
Key Influence: active in expanding the rights of the accused
Court Case:
Brown vs.
Board of Education
(1954)
Engle v.
Vitale
(1962)
Miranda vs.
Arizona (1966)
Summary of the Decision:
Significance/Importance
:
Segregation in public schools in
unconstitutional
With Brown, desegregation of
public schools began—as did
resistance to it. Ten contentious
years later, the Civil Rights Act of
1964 made racial equality a
matter of federal law.
the U.S. Supreme Court declared
school-sponsored prayers
unconstitutional
schools can not mandate
or sponsor prayer in
school
established a suspect’s right to be
informed of his or her rights
established a suspect’s
right to be informed of
his or her rights
TO STUDY FOR THE REGENTS