Landmark Supreme Court Cases – So What?
The Supreme Court has significantly changed our society through decisions on various court cases.
Your assignment is review the information on each case that your peers have prepared and determine as
a group the significance of each one.
Marbury v. Madison
Plaintiff:
Defendant:
Case background and constitutional question being debated by the court:
Describe the decision of the Supreme Court:
# of justices for:
Describe the precedent set by the case:
# of justices against:
Significance of the case:
Plessy v. Ferguson
Plaintiff:
Defendant:
Case background and constitutional question being debated by the court:
Describe the decision of the Supreme Court:
# of justices for:
Describe the precedent set by the case:
Significance of the case:
# of justices against:
Brown v. Board of Education
Plaintiff:
Defendant:
Case background and constitutional question being debated by the court:
Describe the decision of the Supreme Court:
# of justices for:
Describe the precedent set by the case:
# of justices against:
Significance of the case:
Miranda v. Arizona
Plaintiff:
Defendant:
Case background and constitutional question being debated by the court:
Describe the decision of the Supreme Court:
# of justices for:
Describe the precedent set by the case:
Significance of the case:
# of justices against:
Gideon v. Wainwright
Plaintiff:
Defendant:
Case Background and constitutional question being debated by the court:
- Florida
- Gideon arrested for theft, breaks into bowling alley
o He says he cannot provide for his own defense
o That had only been a Supreme Ct. provision
o Florida says no
o Gideon appeals all the way to the Supreme Ct.
Describe the decision of the Supreme Court:
# of justices for:
Describe the precedent set by the case:
# of justices against:
Significance of the case:
Roe v. Wade
Plaintiff:
Defendant:
Case background and constitutional question being debated by the court:
Describe the decision of the Supreme Court:
# of justices for:
Describe the precedent set by the case:
Significance of the case:
# of justices against:
United States v. Nixon
Plaintiff:
Defendant:
Case background and constitutional question being debated by the court:
Describe the decision of the Supreme Court:
# of justices for:
Describe the precedent set by the case:
# of justices against:
Significance of the case:
Mapp v. Ohio
Plaintiff:
Defendant:
Case background and constitutional question being debated by the court:
- Police show up at her house with a warrant looking for a fugitive (a person)
o Poke around other stuff and find other stuff
o Find a bunch of child pornography
 Found guilty, sent to prison
- She appeals based on the 4th Amendment
o Supreme Ct. says the evidence was inadmissible because it was not designated in the
warrant
- Really protects rights of the accused and limits police power
Describe the decision of the Supreme Court:
# of justices for:
Describe the precedent set by the case:
# of justices against:
Significance of the case:
Tinker v. Des Moines
Plaintiff:
Defendant:
Case background and constitutional question being debated by the court:
Case background and constitutional question being debated by the court:
- Late 1960s
- Tinker vs. Des Moines ISD
o 3 children protest Vietnam war by wearing black arm bands
o School district tells them take them off or suspension
- Parents says this violates 1st amendment rights of the kids
- Supreme Ct. comes back and says that litmus test in a public school for 1st amendment is
whether or not it is disruptive to the school day
Describe the decision of the Supreme Court:
# of justices for:
Describe the precedent set by the case:
# of justices against:
Significance of the case:
Plaintiff:
Describe the decision of the Supreme Court:
Baker v. Carr
Defendant:
# of justices for:
Describe the precedent set by the case:
# of justices against:
Significance of the case:
Texas v. Johnson
Plaintiff:
Defendant:
Case background and constitutional question being debated by the court:
Describe the decision of the Supreme Court:
# of justices for:
Describe the precedent set by the case:
# of justices against:
Significance of the case:
Grutter v. Bollinger
Plaintiff:
Defendant:
Case background and constitutional question being debated by the court:
- Affirmative action in 2002
- Against the Michigan law school
o Girl applies and denies admission
o Michigan admits they use race and says they have a quota
- No, it does not violate her rights
o Supreme Ct. reasons that it can be a PART of the admissions process but NOT THE SOLE
REASON for denial
*There is one from a Texas (TU Law School) school of similar vein being argued now
Describe the decision of the Supreme Court:
# of justices for:
Describe the precedent set by the case:
Significance of the case:
# of justices against: