Landmark Supreme Court Cases Learning Target: JB 5.1 I can demonstrate or explain how Landmark Supreme Court Cases have been defined and interpreted rights over time.
Tinker v. Des Moines (1969) Right Involved: 1 st amendment (freedom of speech) Vietnam War Era Board policy forbid anti-war protest to avoid conflicts between students/staff/community A few students wore black armbands to school to silently protest US involvement in Vietnam School district suspended the students (could return at any time, just without armbands) Supreme Court ruled the armbands should be allowed Lasting Effect: Expanded the 1st Amendment right to freedom of expression for students
United States v. Nixon (1974) Right Involved: Executive Privilege Centered around the Watergate Scandal President seeking reelection Subordinates caught in DNC headquarters Taped all conversations What did the President know, and when did he know it? Ordered to release unedited tapes resigned Lasting Effect: Established the limits of executive privilege (President cannot withhold evidence during a criminal trial) Magna Carta idea leader is not above the law
Citizens United v. FEC (2010) Right Involved: 1 st amendment (freedom of speech) Citizens United is a Political Action Committee (PAC) Collects contributions to campaign/advocate for or against certain political candidates (limited) Lasting Effect: Corporations can invest unlimited sums of money into supporting candidates Creation of SuperPACs Must disclose individual donations Cannot officially coordinate with candidate money = speech and corporations are people
Hazelwood Schools v. Kuhlmeier (1988) Right Involved: 1 st amendment (freedom of press) School newspaper included two controversial articles Teen pregnancy (no names) Impact of divorce (with name) Principal removed the articles before publication Lasting Effect: Reduced freedom of press in schools School newspapers can be edited and do not have same rights as public newspapers Difference in purpose: learning focus for students versus communication of information to general public
South Dakota v. Dole (1984) Right Involved: Federalism Congress passed National Minimum Drinking Age Act to try to reduce fatalities in car accidents due to drinking and driving Dept of Transportation had to enforce withhold federal funding for roads if a state did not raise its minimum drinking age to 21 Can keep age lower and not get money Lasting Effect: Weakened federalism in the US (government can "blackmail" states into compliance in an area where they have power to make own decisions)
Lemon v. Kurtzman (1971) Right Involved: 1 st Amendment (Separation of Church and State) PA state was reimbursing private (mostly Catholic) schools for salaries, non-religious texts, etc. Some felt it favored one religion over others Lasting Effect: Instituted the Lemon test purpose = determine when law has effect of establishing religion A law has to pass all three parts of the test: secular legislative purpose must neither advances nor inhibit religion must not cause "excessive gov t entanglement with religion
Reynolds v. United States (1879) Right Involved: 1 st Amendment (freedom of religion) Reynolds was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Later-Day Saints (Mormon) Religious belief polygamy (more than one wife) Violates laws against bigamy (marrying a second time, while already married) Lasting Effect makes distinction between beliefs and practices while there can be no legal restrictions on a person s beliefs, society has the right to regulate religious practices
Marbury v. Madison (1803) Right Involved: Judicial Review John Adams, outgoing Federalist President, appointed the Midnight Judges at the end of his term Marbury didn t receive his commission in time Sued Madison, Democratic-Republican Secretary of State Chief Justice Marshall feared the Court would seem weak Jefferson might ignore his decision to grant the job On the flip side, he d appear to give into the executive branch Declared Judiciary Act of 1789 was unconstitutional - jurisdiction Lasting Effect: Supreme Court can interpret laws and declare them unconstitutional if they violate the Constitution (power of judicial review)
Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) Right Involved: 14 th amendment (rights of citizenship and equal protection under the law) Homer Plessy, 1/8 black, boarded whites only train car Deliberate test of a Louisiana Law Arrested and fined Lasting Effect: Legalized Segregation (separate but equal) Gave states the power to enforce social customs and traditions that restricted the mixing of races
Brown v. Board of Education (1954) Right Involved: 14 th amendment (rights of citizenship and equal protection under the law) Linda Brown, 8 year old girl, couldn t attend nearby school ( whites only ) in Kansas, due to segregation separate but equal doctrine tested Supposedly equal in buildings, books, teachers, etc But is the doctrine inherently unequal? Lasting Effect: Overturned Plessy v. Ferguson, segregation became illegal to separate them from others of similar age and qualifications solely because of their race generates a feeling of inferiority as to their status in the community that may affect their hearts and minds in a way unlikely ever to be undone
Lau v. Nichols (1974) Right Involved: 14 th amendment (rights of citizenship and equal protection under the law) 1971 San Francisco United Schools desegregated Non-English speaking children of Chinese ancestry integrated into classrooms 1,000 students given English classes, 1,800 not Violated Civil Rights Act of 1964 which prohibits denial of equal educational opportunities on basis of race, color, or national origin Lasting Effect: Bilingual Education
Wisconsin v. Mitchell (1993) Right Involved: 1 st Amendment (freedom of speech) Todd Mitchell, a young black man, instigated an attack against a young white boy (coma for four days) convicted of aggravated battery sentence was increased from 2 years to 7 years court found that he had selected his victim based on race Lasting Effect: Hate Crime Statutes are Legal When the victim is chosen on account of race, the consequences for the victim and the community tended to be more severe Thus, increasing the sentence for such crimes, is not punishing the defendant for bigoted beliefs or statements, but rather the predicted ramifications of the crime
Mapp v. Ohio (1961) Right Involved: 4 th amendment (right to privacy, protection from illegal search and seizure) Police searching for bombing suspect Requested entry to home of Dollree Mapp Denied, waited, forced entry, fake warrant Searched home (suitcases, closets, drawers, photo albums, personal papers, trunk in basement) Lasting Effect: Exclusionary Rule Applied exclusionary rule to the states (evidence found in an illegal search is inadmissible in court) Goal is to prevent law enforcement officials from violating citizens constitutional rights ( police lawlessness )
New Jersey v. TLO (1985) Right Involved: 4 th amendment (right to privacy/protection from illegal search and seizure) Summary of Court Case: TLO caught smoking in bathroom Denied allegations, brought to principal Searched her purse, found items indicating she was selling marijuana in the school Sued on account of her 4 th Amendment rights Lasting Effect: Court supported the school made it legal for administrators to search personal belongings of students
Gideon v. Wainwright (1963) Right Involved: 6 th amendment (right to attorney) Clarence Earl Gideon, poor 52-year-old drifter Charged with breaking and entering a pool hall, intent to burglarize requested an attorney Previously only attorneys for capital crimes and special circumstances (mental handicaps or illiteracy) Lasting Effect: Public Defender Laws Lawyers, paid by gov t, to defend indigent people Thousands of cases throughout country reviewed, many people serving prison sentences released Guaranteed counsel unless specially refused