Landmark Supreme Court Cases

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Landmark Supreme Court Cases
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The Supreme Court Expands its Power
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Marbury v. Madison, 1803

• Facts of the Case
• John Adams tried to appoint Marbury and several
  other guys to positions before he left office.
• The last minute attempts were never finalized
• The angry appointees sued for their jobs in the
  Supreme Court
• Question Presented
• Is Marbury entitled to his appointment?
• Conclusion
• -Yes
• - Established Judicial Review the ability for
  courts to interpret the Constitution

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Supreme Court and Individual rights
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• Facts of the Case
• Louisiana passed a law that required separate
  railway cars for blacks and whites
• Homer Plessy took a seat in the a white only
  car of a train. He refused to move to the car for
  blacks and was arrested
• Question Presented
• Did this arrest violate his 14th amendment
  (equal protection)
• Conclusion
• Conclusion You can keep things separated as long
  as they are equal. Separate but equal

Plessy v. Ferguson, 1896
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Brown v. Board of Education,1954

• Facts of the Case
• Black children were denied admission to public
  schools
• Things were equal in terms of building,
  curricula, and qualifications of teachers
  salaries
• Question
• -Is segregation correct and in violation of the
  14th equal protection amendment?
• Conclusion
• - YES you cannot possibly by separated and
  equal because you are separating things on the
  bases that they are not the same. Separate is
  NOT equal

Swann v. Charlotte-Mecklenburg B.O.E
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Supreme Court and the Power of Speech
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Tinker V. Des Moines, 1969

• Facts of the Case
• John Tinker (15), Mary Beth Tinker (13), and
  Christopher Echardt (16) decided to protest the
  vietnam war by wearing black arm bands to their
  school during the Christmas holiday seasion
• The principals of the school districts said that
  all student wearing these arm bands were to take
  them off or face suspensions. They feared it
  would provoke disturbances
• The students wore their armbands anyway and when
  they did not take them off they were suspended
  until after New Years Day
• Questions
• -Did this violate the students First amendment
  right?
• Conclusion
• - The wearing of the armbands was part of freedom
  of speech. Although school officials have the
  right to prohibit certain actions, they fail to
  show how the protest would cause trouble and
  disturbance in the school setting

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Supreme Court and the Rights of the Accused
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Miranda V. Arizona, 1966

• Facts of the case
• -Ernesto Miranda had been arrested at his home in
  Phoenix, Arizona and accused of kidnapping and
  rape.
• -He was questioned at the police station by 2
  police officers has was not advised of his right
  to an attorney nor his right to remain silent.
• -After two hours of interrogation, he signed a
  written confession to the crime.
• He was found guilty and sentenced to 20 to 30
  years in prison
• Question
• -Does the police practice of interrogating
  individuals without notifying them of their right
  to counsel and their protection against
  self-incrimination violate he 5th Amendment?
• Conclusion
• -A person in police custody or otherwise
  deprived of his freedommust be warned prior to
  any questioning that he has the right to remain
  silent, and that anything he says can be used
  against him in the court of law..

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Supreme Court and the Separation of Powers
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United States V. Nixon, 1974

• Facts of the case
• -5 men with bugging equipment and cameras were
  arrested inside the Democratic National
  Convention Committees offices at the Watergate
  Complex
• -Police discovered that these men worked for
  President Nixon.
• -Men convicted of burglary court subpoenaed
  recorded tapes held by Nixon .
• Nixon refused to release tapes under executive
  privilege
• Question
• -Does the separation of powers provide the
  President with an absolute power to withhold
  information from other government branches?
• Conclusion
• -Court ruled Nixon had to surrender tapes because
  he could not withhold evidence from an ongoing
  criminal investigation of another person
• -Nixon became first president to resign from
  office on August 9. 1974