Landmark
United States Supreme Court Cases
U.S. History & the Constitution CP
End-of-Course Review
• The U.S. Supreme Court is the highest court in the country.
• Court receives approximately 10,000 petitions each year, but
only grants & hears oral argument in about 75-80 cases.
• Over the years, many cases to date have established a new legal
principle, changing the interpretation of an existing law.
- Here are 12 EOC specific landmark cases in Supreme Court history.
Marbury v. Madison (1803)
- Case was the result of a petition by William Marbury who was
appointed Justice of Peace, but he didn't receive commission.
- He petitioned that James Madison should deliver the documents, but
the petition was denied.
- Court ruling: formed the basis for the exercise of judicial review in
the U.S. & was the first time in history a court invalidated a law by
declaring it unconstitutional.
- The decision helped define the boundary between the constitutionally
separate executive & judicial branches.
McCullough v. Maryland (1819)
- In 1818, the state of Maryland passed legislation to impose taxes on
the Second Bank of the United States.
- James W. McCulloch, the cashier of the Baltimore branch of the bank,
refused to pay the tax.
- Court ruling: Congress had the power to incorporate the bank &
Maryland could not tax instruments of the national government
employed in the execution of constitutional powers.
- Chief Justice Marshall said Congress possessed legal
powers not explicitly outlined in the Constitution &
noted that while the states retained the power of
taxation, the constitution & the laws are supreme.
Gibbons v. Ogden (1824)
- New York state law gave two individuals the right to operate
steamboats within state jurisdiction, but required out-of-state boats
to pay a fee of navigation rights.
- A steamboat owner challenged the monopoly, forcing him to get a
special operating permit to navigate on state waters.
- Court ruling: New York's licensing requirement was found to be
inconsistent with a congressional act, & was invalid by virtue of the
Supremacy Clause.
- Chief Justice Marshall developed a
definition of the word commerce,
& gave meaning to the phrase
"among the several states" in the
Commerce Clause.
Worcester v. Georgia (1832)
- Georgia law required whites living on Cherokee Indian territory to
obtain a state permit.
- Seven missionaries were arrested & sentenced to four years hard
labor, followed by exile from Georgia for failing to comply.
- The missionaries stated they didn't seek a state license because they
believed their petition would be refused.
- Court ruling: Georgia was not entitled to regulate the Cherokee nor
invade their lands = Cherokee won recognition as a distinct political
community.
- President Andrew Jackson refused to abide by the
Supreme Court decision.
- 1838 = Cherokee “Trail of Tears” (Van Buren
administration).
Dred Scott v. Sanford (1857)
- Dred was a slave from Missouri that lived in Illinois, an area of the
Louisiana Territory where slavery was forbidden.
- When he returned to Missouri, he sued unsuccessfully for his freedom
& claimed his residence in a free territory made him a free man.
- Scott's master argued that no one but a citizen of the U.S. could be a
citizen of a state & only Congress could discuss national citizenship.
- Court ruling: no person who was an American slave was ever a citizen
& could not sue in federal court.
- The court also noted that Congress had no right
to ban slavery from U.S. territories.
Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)
- Louisiana law required a separate railway car for blacks & whites.
- Homer A. Plessy (7/8 Caucasian) was arrested for refusing to move
from the "whites only" car to the car reserved for blacks.
- Court ruling: it upheld state-imposed racial segregation, basing their
decision on the separate-but-equal doctrine.
- Separate facilities satisfied the 14th Amendment as long as they were
equal.
- Court conceded the 14th Amendment was intended to establish
absolute equality for the races before the law, but segregation itself
doesn't constitute unlawful discrimination.
- By defending the constitutionality of racial
segregation, the case paved the way for the
Jim Crow laws of the South.
Schneck v. United States (1919)
- During WWI, Schneck circulated pamphlets telling men to avoid the
draft.
- The pamphlets were seen as being harmful to the gov’t.
- Schneck said he was able to distribute pamphlets thanks to the
1st amendment.
- Court ruling: Schneck’s freedom of speech was not protected
during time of war b/c it could have been harmful to the US.
Korematsu v. United States (1944)
- World War II: Japanese Americans were compelled to move into
relocation camps.
- Fred Korematsu, a Japanese-American man, decided to stay in San
Leandro, California & knowingly violated U.S. Army exclusion orders.
- He argued that the executive exclusion order was unconstitutional &
it violated the Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
- He was arrested & convicted.
- No question was raised as to Korematsu's loyalty to the U.S.
- Court Ruling: Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the conviction, & the
Supreme Court Court sided with the government, ruling that the
exclusion order was constitutional.
Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas (1954)
- Public schools attended by white children denied admission of black
children, citing laws permitting segregation according to race.
- Schools approached equality through buildings, curricula,
qualifications, & teacher salaries.
- Court ruling: invalidated racial segregation in schools, & ultimately
led to the unraveling of de jure segregation in all areas of public life.
- Court declared separate but equal had no place in public education,
citing there were signs of inferiority.
Gideon v. Wainwright (1963)
- Gideon was charged in a Florida state court for breaking & entering,
but couldn't afford a lawyer.
- The court refused to appoint an attorney, citing they were only
obligated to do so in capital cases.
- Court Ruling: court overturned Gideon's conviction, noting the state's
denial to appoint an attorney violated the 14th Amendment's due
process clause.
Miranda v. Arizona (1966)
- Ernesto Miranda was arrested in connection to the kidnapping & rape
of an 18-year-old woman.
- After 2 hours of interrogation, Miranda signed a confession, but
was never told of his right to counsel, nor of his right to remain silent
or his statements could be used against him.
- At trial, Miranda's attorney noted the confession wasn't voluntary &
should be excluded.
- An appeal was filed; the AZ Supreme Court that that Miranda didn't
request an attorney.
- Court ruling: prosecutors couldn't use statements stemming from
interrogation of defendants unless they secure the privilege against
self-incrimination.
- The court outlined the necessary actions of
police warnings to suspects, which are known
today as the Miranda Rights.
Roe v. Wade (1973)
- Texas resident Norma McCorvey discovered she was pregnant with
her third child & was advised to claim she was raped.
- The plan failed; she attempted to obtain an illegal abortion, but
found the unauthorized site was closed down by police.
- McCorvey's attorneys filed suit on her behalf & Attorney Henry Wade
represented the State of Texas.
- The district ruled in favor of McCorvey, & the case ultimately
legalized abortion.
- Court Ruling: a woman has the right to an abortion
without government interference during the first
trimester, but states can intervene in the second
& third trimesters of pregnancy.