SCOTUS Cases Review

Baker v. Carr

A case on gerrymandering was brought to the supreme court because they were claiming under the 14th amendment that the district lines weren't showing equal representation. The courts ruled 6-2 in the favor of Baker because it was their job to enforce equal protection, while the dissenting opinions stated that this was a political question, and they had no authority to be deciding this case.

U.S. v. Lopez comparison case: Wickard v. Filburn (1942)

A farmer (Filburn) went over his allotted wheat production under the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1938 but was only using the wheat for his own consumption and it did not go on the market. The Court 9-0 in Wickards favor and ruled that personal wheat production is allowed to be regulated because the intrastate activity may affect interstate commerce.

U.S. v. Lopez

Alfonso Lopez carried a concealed weapon to his school and was convicted under the Gun Free School Zones Act that was passed by congress under the commerce clause. Decision: This law exceeded Congress' power to regulate commerce.

Citizens United v. F.E.C.

Citizens United produced a movie that persuades viewers to vote against hillary Clinton as the Democratic nominee. The FEC said that because this film was intended to influence voters they could not advertise within 30 days of a primary election. Decision: The court ruled 5-4 in favor of Citizens United saying that the 1st amendment prohibits limits on corporate funding of independent broadcasts in candidate elections.

Schenck v. U.S.

During WW1 Schenck violated the espionage act and was arrested; he claimed that it was an infringement on 1st and 13th amendment. The court ruled 9-0 in favor of U.S. because his free speech presented a "clear and present danger."

Tinker v. Des Moines

During the Vietnam War, students wore black armbands in public schools to promote peace because they were being exposed to a lot of the violence going on. This was an infringement on their 1st and 14th amendment of free speech, and right to assemble. The courts ruled 7-2 in favor of Tinker because it was a violation of their rights as well as it doesn't show any evidence that it would result in disruption. The dissenting opinions said that the 1st amendment right wasn't available everywhere, and that an emotional war shouldn't be protested in school.

Gideon v. Wainwright comparison case: Betts v. Brady

Established that in any criminal case a defendant is entitled to counsel if he can claim special circumstances. This decision was overturned in Gideon V. Wainwright and they said that any criminal case calls for counsel.

Wisconsin V. Yoder comparison case: Pierce V. Society of Sisters

Oregon banned kids from attending private schools in order to eliminate religious schools. The supreme court ruled against Oregon and demonstrated how religion has power over state law much like it did later on in Wisconsin V. Yoder.

Gideon v. Wainwright

Gideon was accused of theft and was unable to pay for a lawyer at his trial so he did not get one. He was sentenced to 5 years in prison. He read the constitution while in jail in which the 6th and 14th amendments state the right to counsel and due process in trial. The Supreme Court ruled 9-0 in favor of Gideon and determined that everybody in every criminal case has a right to a lawyer whether they can afford one or not.

Marbury v. Madison comparison case: U.S. v. Nixon (1974)

Grand jury returned indictments against seven of President Nixon's closest aides in the Watergate affair. The special prosecutor and defendants sought audio tapes of conversations recorded by Nixon in the Oval Office. Nixon asserted that he was immune from the subpoena claiming "executive privilege", which is the right to withhold information from other government branches to preserve confidential communications within the executive branch or to secure the national interest. The Court held that neither the doctrine of separation of powers without more can sustain an absolute, unqualified presidential privilege. Therefore, the president must obey the subpoena and produce the tapes and documents.

McCullough v. Maryland

In 1816, Congress chartered The Second Bank of the United States. In 1818, the state of Maryland passed legislation to impose taxes on the bank. James W. McCulloch, the cashier of the Baltimore branch of the bank, refused to pay the tax. The state appeals court held that the Second Bank was unconstitutional because the Constitution did not provide a textual commitment for the federal government to charter a bank. Decision: In a unanimous decision, the Court held that Congress had the power to incorporate the bank and that Maryland could not tax instruments of the national government employed in the execution of constitutional powers.

McDonald v. Chicago

In 1982 Chicago adopted a handgun ban with a registration that made it nearly impossible for citizens to own a handgun which caused several citizens to sue Chicago for violating the 2nd amendment. Decision: The court ruled 5-4 in favor of McDonald arguing that citizens must be permitted to own a handgun for self defense.

Shaw v. Reno comparison case: Gomillion v Lightfoot (1960)

In Alabama, they decided to redraw their district creating an irregular, 28-sided shape that resulted in removing 400 of the black voters from that city, and no white people. As it was argued, it was evident that the only reason to this redraw was to segregate black voters. The courts ruled that the district was invalidated under the 15th amendment.

Engel v. Vitale

In a New York school students were led in prayer and the 2 jewish families as well as Stephen Engel, a member of the American Ethical Union sued the school for violating the 1st Amendment establishment clause. Decision: The court ruled 6-1 that the school sponsored prayer was unconstitutional because it did violate the establishment clause.

New York Times v. United States comparison case: Near v. Minnesota (1931)

J.M. Near published in a paper widely viewed as anti-Semitic, anti-labor, and anti-Catholic. Minnesota's "public nuisance" law prohibited the publication of scandalous, defamatory, or malicious newspapers. The Court rule 5-4 in Near's favor that the state's statute was an infringement of the First Amendment as censorship is generally unconstitutional.

Roe v. Wade

Jane Roe, a pregnant resident of Texas wanted to terminate her pregnancy but abortion was a felony in Texas so she sued the District attorney of Dallas, Henry Wade. Decision: The court ruled 7-2 in favor of Roe saying that women have the right to abortion due to the 14th amendment's due process clause and their right to privacy.

Schenck v. U.S. comparison case: Brandenburg v. Ohio (1969)

Ku Klux Klan member made a speech at a Klan rally and was convicted under an Ohio criminal syndicalism law. Court ruled in Brandenburg's favor as his speech did not incite imminent lawless action.

Brown v. Board of Education

Linda Brown was forced to take a bus to an all black school that was miles away rather than go to the all white school close to her home. Decision: Separate educational facilities are unequal and unconstitutional.

Roe v. Wade comparison case: Griswold v. Connecticut (1965)

Married couple sought advice about contraception from a Planned Parenthood employee named Griswold. Connecticut law criminalized providing counseling to married people for the purpose of preventing conception. The Court ruled the Connecticut law violated the Constitution because it invade the privacy of married couples to make decisions about their families.

Shaw v. Reno

North Carolina created a very bizarrely shaped majority-minority district to increase black representation in Congress. The case was ruled 5-4 that districts drawn as an effort to segregate based on race for voting was unconstitutional and prevented under the Equal Protection Clause which states people are subjected to the equal protection of the laws.

Marbury v. Madison

President Thomas Jefferson was sworn in and in order to keep the opposing political party from taking office, he told Madison to not deliver the documents needed to Marbury. Madison asked the supreme court to issue a writ requiring him to deliver the documents to make Marbury the Justice of Peace. Congress was delaying the appointment of judges indefinitely and essentially preventing them from taking their determined position. This was the first time that the U.S. Supreme Court declared the act of Congress to be unconstitutional and that the Constitution is the 'paramount law of the land'. The role of the Courts to being to interpret law in light of the Constitution is known as judicial review. The courts ruled 9-0 that Madison did not have to deliver the commission to Marbury, however, Marbury was entitled to his commission.

New York Times v. United States

The Nixon administration attempted to stop the publication of the Pentagon Papers, a classified study of what happened in the Vietnam War. The court ruled 6-3 in favor of the New York Times because it was stated that "The press must be left free to publish news... without censorship, injunctions, or prior restraint."

Wisconsin v. Yoder

The amish don't go to school past 8th grade because they are sent home to learn from their parents, however there was a law saying that kids had to go to school until they were at least 16 years old. This was an infringement on their 1st amendment right to exercise religious freedom. The court ruled 7-0 in favor of Yoder saying they didn't have to go to school with a dissenting opinion saying it should be the kids choice if they wanted to continue or not.

Tinker v. Des Moines comparison case: West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette (1943)

The board of education required that all public schools include a salute of the American flag as a part of their activities. They could be charged with "insubordination" and punished if they refused. Jehovah's Witnesses had a religious objection to saluting the flag and sued the board of education. The court rule the mandatory salute was unconstitutional and a form of speech because it was used to communicate ideas.

Baker v. Carr comparison case: Colegrove v. Green

The supreme court dismissed this case on the basis of a Gerrymandering issue that they perceived was an issue that must be discussed in congress. Baker V. Carr was the first time the courts decided this was a judicial issue.

Citizens United v. F.E.C. comparison case: McConnell v. F.E.C.

This case decided that the portion of the McCain-Feingold Act about electioneering communications that prevented corporations from paying for aired ads within 30 days of primary elections as constitutional. The decision of this case was combatted in Citizens United v. F.E.C.

McDonald v. Chicago comparison case: D.C. v. Heller

This case identified the 2nd amendment right to bear arms as a sort of self defense which lead to the ruling that Chicago's handgun ban is unconstitutional.

Brown v. Board comparison case: Plessy v. Ferguson

This case set up the issue that was being faced in Brown V. Board as it allowed for separate but equal school systems, when in fact separate did not mean equal.

McCullough v. Maryland comparison case: Gibbons v. Ogden (1824)

a NY state law gave Livingston and Fulton a 20 year monopoly over navigation on waters within state jurisdiction. Gibbons, a steamboat owner, formed a partnership with Ogden, which fell apart after Gibbons operated another steamboat belonging to Ogden. The Court ruled that regulation of navigation of conducting interstate commerce was a power reserved to Congress under the Commerce clause and therefore the state law was invalid.

Engel v. Vitale comparison case: McCollum v. Board of Education (1948)

the Court said a public school violated the establishment clause when it allowed the school to teach religious instruction during school hours on school property. The Court ruled in a 8-1 decision this violated the establishment clause by establishing a government preference for certain religions.