Civil Liberties Court Cases
Engle v. Vitale
the Court ruled that the recitation in public classrooms of a nondenominational
(1962)
prayer was unconstitutional and a violation of the establishment clause.
Lemon v.
the Court determined that direct government assistance to religious schools is
Kurtzman (1971)
unconstitutional. In the majority opinion, the Court created what has become
known as the "Lemon Test" for deciding if a law is in violation of the
establishment clause.
Lee v. Weisman
the Court ruled that having a clergy-led prayer within the events of a public
(1992)
high school graduation violates the Establishment Clause of the First
Amendment.
Schenck v. United
case in which the Supreme Court interpreted the First Amendment to allow
States (1919)
Congress to restrict speech that is "of such a nature as to create a clear and
present danger that will bring about the substantive evils that Congress has a
right to prevent."
Chaplinsky v. New
established the Supreme Court's rationale for distinguishing between protected
Hampshire (1942)
and unprotected speech.
New York Times v.
Supreme Court ruling that simply publishing a defamatory falsehood is not
Sullivan (1964)
strong enough to justify a libel judgment. "Actual malice" must be proved to
support a finding of libel against a public figure.
Tinker v. Des
upheld student's rights to express themselves by wearing black armbands
Moines (1969)
symbolizing protest of the Vietnam War.
New York Times v.
also called the Pentagon Papers case; the Supreme Court ruled that any
United States
attempt by the government to prevent expression carried a "heavy
(1971)
presumption" against its constitutionality.
Texas v. Johnson
the Court overturned the conviction of a Texas man found guilty of setting fire
(1988)
to an American flag.
McConnell v.
generally speaking, the Bipartisan Campaign Finance Reform Act of 2002 does
Federal Election
not violate the First Amendment.
Commission
(2003)
DeJonge v. Oregon
incorporated the First Amendment's right to freedom of assembly.
(1937)
United States v.
the last time the Supreme Court addressed the constitutionality of the Second
Miller (1939)
Amendment; ruled that the amendment was only intended to protect a citizen's
right to own ordinary militia weapons.
District of
The Second Amendment guarantees an individual's right to possess a firearm
Columbia v. Heller
unconnected with service in a militia, and to use that arm for traditionally
(2008 undecided)
lawful purposes, such as self-defense within the home. United States Court of
Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit affirmed.
Mapp v. Ohio
incorporated a portion of the Fourth Amendment by establishing that illegally
(1961)
obtained evidence cannot be used at trial.
Griswold v.
Supreme Court case that established the Constitution's implied right to privacy.
Connecticut (1965)
Roe v. Wade
the Supreme Court found that a woman's right to an abortion was protected by
(1972)
the right to privacy that could be implied from specific guarantees found into
the Bill of Rights and the Fourteenth Amendment.
United States v.
Established that evidence obtained in good faith by police relying upon a
Leon (1984)
search warrant that subsequently is found to be deficient may be used in a
criminal trial.
Planned
this case was an unsuccessful attempt to challenge Pennsylvania's restrictive
Parenthood v.
abortion regulations.
Casey (1992)
Escobedo v. Illinois
Where a police investigation begins to focus on a particular suspect who has
(1964)
been refused counsel, his statements to police are excluded.
Gideon v.
granted indigents the right to counsel.
Wainright (1964)
Miranda v. Arizona
the Fifth Amendment requires that individuals arrested for a crime must be
(1966)
advised of their right to remain silent and to have counsel present.
New York v.
The Court held that there is a "public safety" exception to the requirement that
Quarles (1984)
officers issue Miranda warnings to suspects, such as when the police think that
an individual may pose a threat to the safety or well-being of others.
Hamdi v. Rumsfeld
the Court ruled that detainees in the war on terrorism were entitled to the
(2004)
protections of the Geneva Convention and the procedural rights of the Uniform
Code of Military Justice, since Congress had not approved of President George
W Bush's system of military tribunals. Congress passed the Military
Commissions Act in 2006 to address the Court's ruling in Hamdan.
Gregg v. Georgia
Overturning Furman v. Georgia, the case ruled that Georgia's rewritten death
(1976)
penalty statute is constitutional.
United States v.
the Court invalidated a section of the Gun Free School Zones Act, ruling that
Lopez (1995)
regulating guns did not fall within the scope of the commerce clause, and
therefore was not within the powers of the federal government. Only states
have the authority to ban guns in school zones.
Printz v. United
the Court found that Congress lacks the authority to compel state officers to
States (1997)
execute federal laws, specifically relating to background checks on handgun
purchasers.
Gonzales v.
held that the Justice Department does not have the authority to block
Oregon (2006)
physician-assisted suicides.
Civil Liberties Key Terms
ACLU
NAACP
Sedition Acts
McCarthyism
Palmer Raids
Symbolic Speech