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Landmark Supreme Court Cases Notes

SS.7.C.3.12 Analyze the significance and outcomes of landmark Supreme Court cases .
Marbury v. Madison (1803)
Summary of Case Decision/Ruling of Case
In his last days in office, President John Adams The Supreme Court ruled in Marburys favor
appointed several federal judges and justices and also said it had the power of judicial
of the peace, including William Marbury as review (the power to decide whether certain
Justice of the Peace for Washington D.C. Some laws and government actions are
of these presidential appointments were not unconstitutional).
finished before the end of the Adams
presidency. President Thomas Jefferson told
his Secretary of State, James Madison, not to
deliver the unfinished letters of appointment
because Adams was no longer President.
William Marbury said that there was an act of
Congress that required Madison to make sure
that Marbury got his appointment as justice of
the peace.
Impact of Case on Society Constitutional Rights/Principles Addressed
The judicial opinion in this case strengthened This landmark case helped define the checks
the system of checks and balances. The case and balances system and established the U.S.
established the power of judicial review for Supreme Courts power of judicial review (the
the U.S. Supreme Court. Judicial review is the Supreme Court has the final say on what the
power of the Supreme Court to decide Constitution means).
whether a law or government action is
unconstitutional.

Plessy v Ferguson (1896)

Summary of Case Decision/Ruling of Case
Under Louisiana law, whites and blacks were
required to ride in separate railroad cars.
Although Homer Plessy was seven-eighths The Supreme Court ruled in Louisianas favor
(7/8) white and one-eighth (1/8) African- and said that segregated railroad cars were
American, he was required to ride in the legal as long as they were equal.
colored railroad car. Plessy was arrested for
refusing to leave the whites-only railroad
car. He took his case to state court because
he believed that this type of segregation
(separation of people based on race) violated
the 14th Amendments Equal Protection
Clause. This clause says that states must
apply the law equally and cannot discriminate
against citizens or groups of citizens. The
Louisiana judge, John Ferguson, ruled that
Louisiana had the right to make segregations
laws. Plessy appealed the case to the United
States Supreme Court.
Impact of Case on Society Constitutional Rights/Principles Addressed
The judicial opinion in this case said that the
idea of separate but equal did not violate
the 14th Amendment Equal Protection Clause,
as long as the separate African-American
facilities were equal in quality to those of
whites. SEPARATE BUT EQUAL IS
CONSTITUTIONAL.
Brown v. Board of Education (1954)
Summary of Case
African-American students were not allowed to
attend the same public schools as white
students because state laws allowed racial
segregation as long as the schools were
equal in quality. Several parents of African-
American children, including Oliver Brown,
sued the Topeka, Kansas School Board. The
parents said that racial segregation
(separation of people based on race) is
unequal and violates the equal protection
clause of the 14th Amendment.
Impact of Case on Society
The judicial opinion in this case strengthened
the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th
Amendment. It struck down the use of the
separate but equal idea established in
Plessy v. Ferguson. The U.S. Supreme Court
said that segregation (separation of people
based on race) in public schools is
unconstitutional. SEPARATE BUT EQUAL IS
UNCONSTITUTIONAL
Gideon v. Wainwright (1963)
Summary of Case
Clarence Gideon was arrested and charged in
a FL court for breaking and entering. He was
unable to afford a lawyer and the court
refused to appoint a lawyer for him. Gideon
had to defend himself. He was found guilty. He
appealed his case to the Supreme Courts.
Impact of Case on Society
This judicial opinion on this case strengthened
the rights of the accused protected in the 4th,
5th, and 6th Amendments. The Gideon case
focused on the 6th Amendment right to
This decision upheld the concept of separate
but equal, meaning that separate facilities for
blacks and whites were legal under the
Fourteenth (14th) Amendment as long as they
were equal. The 14th Amendments Equal
Protection Clause says that states must apply
the law equally and cannot discriminate
against citizens or groups of citizens.
Decision/Ruling of Case
The lower courts ruled in favor of the school
system. Brown and the other parents
appealed the case to the United States
Supreme Court, which ruled in their favor and
said that segregated schools were not equal.
Constitutional Rights/Principles Addressed
This U.S. Supreme Court reversed Plessy v.
Ferguson. The Court decided that racial
segregation (separation based on race) in
public education was unconstitutional,
according to the Equal Protection Clause of
the 14th Amendment.
Decision/Ruling of Case
14th amendment and 6th amendment was
violated. The 14th Amendment says that
states must apply the law equally and cannot
discriminate against citizens or groups of
citizens. The Supreme Court ruled in favor of
Gideon and said that states must provide a
lawyer for accused people who cant afford
one.
Constitutional Rights/Principles Addressed
4th Amendment no unreasonable searches
and seizures
5th Amendment protection from double
jeopardy, the right to due process,
counsel (a lawyer) in state criminal cases.
Miranda v. Arizona (1966)
Summary of Case
The state of Arizona tried Ernesto Miranda for
kidnapping and found him guilty. When he was
arrested, the police questioned him about the
charges without telling him he had the right to
remain silent or the right to speak with an
attorney. Miranda appealed his conviction to
the Supreme Court. He said the police violated
his rights under the section of the 5th
Amendment that protects the accused from
self-incrimination.
Impact of Case on Society
This judicial opinion on this case also
strengthened the rights of the accused. This
case focused on the 5th Amendment rights of
due process and protection from self-
incrimination. Because of this ruling, law
enforcement officers are now required to read
people their Miranda Rights when they are
arrested for a crime. The Miranda Rights let
suspects know that they have the right to
remain silent and have the right to an
attorney.
In re Gault (1966)
Summary of Case
At age 15, Gerald Gault was arrested for
making an indecent phone call. Gault was
denied the right of due process because he
was a juvenile (under the age of 18). Gault
was tried in juvenile court and sentenced to
six years in the State Industrial School. Gault
appealed this case to the United States
Supreme Court.
Impact of Case on Society
The judicial opinion in this case upheld the
idea of legal equality. Even though this case
involved a juvenile, the U.S. Supreme Court
said that minors have the same rights as
adults when accused of crimes, and that
Gaults due process rights had been violated.
protection from self-incrimination
6th Amendment the right to an attorney, the
right to a speedy and public trial, the
right to be informed of criminal charges, the
right to question witnesses of the crime in
court
Decision/Ruling of Case
The Supreme Court ruled in Mirandas favor
and said his rights had been violated. Police
must now use the Miranda warning when
they arrest people to tell them what their
rights are.
Miranda rights were developed.
Constitutional Rights/Principles Addressed
This case dealt with rights of the accused,
which are protected by the 4th, 5th and 6th
Amendments. 5th Amendment the right to
due process and protection from self-
incrimination.
Decision/Ruling of Case
The Supreme Court ruled in Gaults favor,
saying that juveniles had the same rights as
adults accused of crimes.
Constitutional Rights/Principles Addressed
This judicial opinion on this case said that the
decision in Mr. Gaults case in juvenile court
was unconstitutional. The U.S. Supreme Court
decided that criminal cases for juveniles must
follow the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th
Amendment. Juveniles have the same rights
 as adults accused of crimes.

Tinker v. Des Moines (1968)

Summary of Case Decision/Ruling of Case
John Tinker, his sister Mary Beth Tinker, and
other students decided to wear black The Supreme Court ruled in favor of the
armbands to school to protest the Vietnam Tinkers.
War. The school said students could not wear
armbands. The students refused to remove
their armbands and were suspended. The
Tinkers said that school officials violated their
1st Amendment right to freedom of speech.

Impact of Case on Society Constitutional Rights/Principles Addressed

This judicial opinion in this case focused on This case dealt with the 1st Amendment rights
the 1st Amendment rights of students. Before of students in school. 1st Amendment
this case, students were treated as if they lost freedom of speech, symbolic speech
all of their constitutional rights when they
entered the school house gate. This case
said that students do have some
constitutional rights to freedom of expression
in school, including symbolic speech, as long
as it does not cause problems in the school
learning environment.

Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier (1987)

Summary of Case Decision/Ruling of Case
Students of Hazelwood East High School wrote The Supreme Court ruled in favor of the
a school-sponsored newspaper. The school school district, saying the principal has the
principal removed two articles from one issue right to make decisions that keep the school
of the paper because he said they were safe and orderly.
inappropriate. Cathy Kuhlmeier and two other
students took the case to court because they
believed the principal violated their 1st
Amendment rights of freedom of the press.

Impact of Case on Society Constitutional Rights/Principles Addressed

The judicial opinion in this case focused on the 1st Amendment freedom of speech, freedom
1st Amendment rights of students, specifically of the press
freedom of the press. The Supreme Court
ruled that a school could prevent the
publication of articles in the school newspaper
or limit the speech of students if it disrupted
the learning environment of the school.

United States v. Nixon (1974)

Summary of Case Decision/Ruling of Case
In 1972, the offices of the Democratic National The United States government prosecuted
Committee in Washington D.C. were broken President Nixon and asked the Supreme Court
into. During the criminal investigation, a to order him to turn over the tapes. The
federal judge ordered President Nixon to turn Supreme Court ruled that Nixon had to turn
over audiotapes of conversations about the over the tapes. Rule of Law: Law applies to
break-in. Nixon refused, saying that executive everyone even presidents.
privilege (the belief that conversations
between the president and his aides should
remain private) allowed him to keep the
tapes.

Impact of Case on Society Constitutional Rights/Principles Addressed

The judicial opinion in this case discussed the Rule of Law: The judicial opinion in this case
idea of legal equality, which means that discussed the idea of legal equality, which
everyone is equal in the eyes of the law. Even means that everyone is equal in the eyes of
though this case involved a U.S. President, the the law
Supreme Court said he could be held
responsible for refusing to follow the law just
like any other citizen.

Bush v. Gore (2000)

Summary of Case Decision/Ruling of Case
During the 2000 presidential election, Al Gore
and George W. Bush were very close in the The Supreme Court ruled in Bushs favor, and
number of votes they received in Florida. The he became president.
winner of the Florida election would decide
who would become president. Because there
were some problems with the ballots in some
counties, the Florida Supreme Court required
that the votes in those counties should be
recounted by hand. Bush asked the U.S.
Supreme Court to stop the recount, He said
the recount violated the Equal Protection
Clause of the 14th Amendment, which says
that states must apply the law equally and
cannot discriminate against citizens or groups
of citizens. In this case, Bush argued that the
inequality was because only certain ballots
were to be recounted and not all ballots.
Impact of Case on Society Constitutional Rights/Principles Addressed
Election rules are made by each state, and The judicial opinion on this case set a
states have many different ways of counting precedent for U.S. Supreme Court and state
votes. In this case, the Supreme Court said (Florida) Supreme Court laws about state
that FL Supreme Court acted elections.
unconstitutionally when it decided that only
certain votes would be recounted.

District of Columbia (D.C.) v. Heller (2007)

Summary of Case Decision/Ruling of Case
The District of Columbia passed a law The federal court said the Second Amendment
requiring the registration of handguns, only protected ownership of guns for militias
requiring that people get licenses for all (groups of people who are not part of the
pistols, and requiring that all legal firearms be
kept unloaded or locked. A group of private
gun owners (including Mr. Heller) filed a suit in
federal court, claiming the laws violated their
Second Amendment right to bear arms.
military but are trained like soldiers for
emergencies, like the National Guard). Heller
appealed this decision to the Supreme Court,
which ruled in his favor.

Impact of Case on Society Constitutional Rights/Principles Addressed

The judicial opinion on this case focused on This case dealt with the right to bear arms,
the meaning of the 2nd amendment right to which is protected by the 2nd Amendment.
bear arms. The Supreme Courts
nd
interpretation of the 2 amendment is that
individuals, not just militias, have the right to
own or carry weapons.

Key Vocabulary

Landmark An important or unique decision, event, fact, or discovery

Discriminatio To treat a person or group unfairly based on their race, religion, gender,
n disability, or other reasons

Segregation The separation of people, such as segregation based on race

Executive The belief that the conversations between the president and his aides are
Privilege confidential

Legal A judicial decision that is used as an example in dealing with later, similar
Precedent cases

Prosecute To carry legal action against an accused person to prove his or her guilt

Judicial Judgment by a court

Opinion

The power of the judicial branch to review the actions of the executive and
Judicial legislative branches and determine whether or not they are unconstitutional
Review (this includes laws passed by Congress); the U.S. Supreme Court case
Marbury v. Madison established this power