Landmark Supreme Court Cases

1
Landmark Supreme Court Cases
2
For each case

• Which or elements of the Constitution or
  Amendment(s) are clarified by the decision?
• What future disputes or cases might use this case
  as precedent?
• Does the decision uphold states rights or
  undermine them?

3
Marbury v. Madison (1803)
Thomas Jefferson- New president told new
Secretary of State James Madison not to deliver
commission
John Adams Appointed Marbury to the bench just
before he left office
Chief Justice John Marshall Used this
opportunity to assert Supreme Courts authority
to declare laws unconstitutional (power of
judicial review)
William Marbury- Appointed to federal Judgeship
by Adams
James Madisondidnt Deliver commission
The Vote 5-0
4
McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)
Maryland placed a tax on transactions made by the
Bank of the U.S. John Marshalls court ruled
that a) Congress had the IMPLIED power to
set up a bank as part of its taxing power
(Necessary And Proper Clause) b) The National
Govt is Supreme over the States
Second Bank of the United States
The Vote 5-1
James McCulloch Cashier at Baltimore Branch of
2nd Bank of U.S.
5
Brown v. Board of Education Topeka (1954)
The Court dramatically overturned Plessy,
declaring that segregation is a violation of the
equal protection of the Laws. This was the
beginning of the end of legal segregation.
10-year old Linda Brown could not attend her
local public school based on her race. The
court revisited the Issue of whether
separate but equal was a violation of the Equal
Protection Clause.
The Vote 9-0
Thurgood Marshall, et al celebrate
Linda Brown on 1st day of school Fall 1954
6
Wisconsin v. Yoder (1971)

• Court ruled
• School beyond 8th grade
• Is not more valuable than
• Religious teachings
• Aspects of education do
• Contradict Amish teachings

Did Wisconsin's requirement that all parents send
their children to school at least until age 16
violate the First Amendment by criminalizing the
conduct of parents who refused to send their
children to school for religious reasons?
The Vote 7-0
Court questions compulsory Education and power of
states In this area.
7
Roe v. Wade (1973)
Norma McCorvey, known by the pseudonym Jane Roe,
challenged a Texas state Law forbidding abortion,
claiming she had a fundamental right to privacy
Norma McCorvey a.k.a. Jane Roe
The Vote 7-2
The Court affirmed that a woman has a
constitutional right to choose to have an
abortion during the first trimester based on
the 14th Amendments concept of personal
liberty and restrictions upon state action
8
United States v.Nixon (1974)

• During the Watergate scandal, Nixon refused to
  turn over tapes that he had
• made of conversations in the White House.
• He claimed executive privilege, that as
  president he had special rights to
• confidentiality

The Court overruled the president and ordered him
to surrender the tapes, thereby limiting the
scope of presidential powers.
The Vote 8-0
9
University of California Regents v. Bakke (1978)

• First challenge of Affirmative Action
• Allan Bakke not admitted to U.C.Davis Medical
  School
• his test scores/qualifications were higher than
  several
• students admitted through a special quota
  system
• Bakke argued the policy violated the equal
  protection
• policies of both the California and Federal
  constitutions

Allan Bakke

• Court ruled that Bakke must be given admission
• Court did NOT say affirmative action was
  unconstitutional
• Court said that quotas could not be used, but
  that race/
• gender could be used as ONE AMONG MANY FACTORS
• in admissions/hiring decisions

The Vote 5-4
U.C. Davis
10
Texas v. Johnson (1989)
Cartoon re Case

• Johnson participated in a demonstration at the
  1984 Dem Convention
• Johnson was charged with violating the Texas law
  that prohibits vandalizing
• respected objects.
• He was convicted, sentenced to one year in
  prison, and fined 2,000.
• Supreme Court ruled in favor of Johnson and said
  his burning of the flag was
• Protected by the First Amendment because it was
  expressive speech.

The Vote5-4