Chapter 14 Turbulent Times
(The 1960s and 1970s
■ #6 Civil Liberties & Major Supreme Court Cases
■Essential Question:
–How did the decisions of the
Supreme Court impact civil
liberties in the 1960s & 1970s?
■Warm-Up Question:
–?
Supreme Court Activity: You Decide
■Working with a partner, examine the
background information for each of the
four landmark Supreme Court cases
–Answer the questions provided
–Give question #3 serious attention
because you are asked to predict how
the Supreme Court decided each case
–Take notes on how the Supreme Court
actually ruled when these decisions
are revealed by the teacher
Gideon v Wainwright (1963)
Question:
Did the state court's failure to appoint
counsel for Gideon violate his right to a
fair trial as protected by the
Sixth and Fourteenth Amendments?
Gideon v Wainwright (1963)
Conclusion:
In a 9-0 decision, the Supreme Court
ruled that a fair trial for a poor defendant
could not be guaranteed without an
attorney. The Court stated that the
6th Amendment's guarantee of counsel
was a fundamental right, essential to a
fair trial, which should be made
applicable to the states through the
14th Amendment’s due process clause.
Miranda v Arizona (1966)
Question:
Does the police practice of
interrogating individuals without
notifying them of their right to counsel
and their protection against
self-incrimination violate the
Fifth Amendment?
Miranda v Arizona (1966)
Conclusion:
In a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court
ruled that prosecutors could not use
statements gained from interrogated
defendants unless they demonstrated
“procedural safeguards” to protect the
accused against self-incrimination. The
Court outlined the necessary aspects of
police warnings to suspects, including
their rights to remain silent and to have
an attorney during interrogations.
Roe v Wade (1973)
Question:
Should a woman’s decision to have
an abortion be protected under
the Constitution as a matter of privacy?
Roe v Wade (1973)
Conclusion:
In a 7-2 decision, the Supreme Court held
that a woman's right to an abortion was
a matter of privacy that was protected by
the 14th Amendment. The decision gave
women total control over the pregnancy
during the 1st trimester and defined
different levels of state interest for later
trimesters. As a result, the laws of 46
states were affected by the Court's ruling.
Regent of UC Davis v Bakke (1978)
Question:
Did the University of California violate the
Fourteenth Amendment's equal
protection clause, and the Civil Rights Act
of 1964, by practicing an affirmative
action policy that resulted in the
repeated rejection of Bakke's application
for admission to its medical school?
Regent of UC Davis v Bakke (1978)
Supreme Court Ruling:
No and yes. In a 5-4 decision, the Court
forced the university to accept Bakke.
But, the majority opinion argued that
the use of race as one of many sets of
criterion in admissions decisions was
constitutional. So, the Court managed to
minimize white opposition to the goal of
equality (by finding for Bakke) while
extending gains for racial minorities
through affirmative action.
■?
Closure Activity