Landmark Supreme Court Cases
by: James W. G.
Content Guide
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Cherokee Nation v. Georgia (1831) – slide 3
Talton v. Mayes (1896) – slide 5
Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) – slide 6
Mendez v. Westminster (1945) – slide 8
Delgado v. Bastrop I.S.D. (1948) – slide 9
Sweatt v. Painter (1950) – slide 10
Hernandez v. Texas (1951) – slide 11
Brown v. Board of Education (1954) – slide 12
Edgewood I.S.D. v. Kirby (1968) – slide 14
Tinker v. Des Moines (1969) – slide 15
Wisconsin v. Yoder (1972) – slide 17
White v. Regester (1973) – slide 18
Cherokee Nation v. Georgia (1831)
 Who/Where?
-members of the Cherokee Nation (tribe) living in Georgia
 What?
-Members of the Cherokee Nation, assuming they had the status of a foreign
nation, sued the Georgia State Government for making laws they claimed
were trying to destroy the Cherokee Nation and its way of life.
 Why?
-Does the Cherokee Nation have the rights of a foreign country according to
the U.S. Constitution?
 Impact:
-The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Native American tribes were “domestic
dependent nations”; and thus were subject to state and federal regulations.
The Cherokee were relocated – “Trail of Tears”. 4,000 died during travel.
(Cherokee Nation members forced to relocate by US Army during the “Trail of Tears”)
Talton v. Mayes (1896)
 Who/Where?
-Bob Talton was convicted by a Cherokee Nation court for murdering
a fellow Cherokee man and was sentenced to death in Georgia.
 What?
-Talton argued that his Cherokee Nation trial violated the 5th
Amendment because his jury only had 5 members.
 Why?
-Do Native American tribal courts have to abide by the regulations of
the US Constitution?
 Impact:
- The U.S. Supreme Court decided that the individual rights protections in
the US Constitution do not apply to Native American tribal government.
Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)
Who/Where?
-Homer Plessy, an “octoroon” (1/8th African-American) man in
New Orleans, Louisiana.
What?
-The Separate Car Act law in Louisiana segregated AfricanAmericans in passenger railroad cars. Plessy was arrested for trying
to ride in a whites-only passenger car.
Why?
-Does this law violate the 13th Amendment,
and/or the “equal protection clause” in 14th Amendment?
Impact:
-The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of Louisiana Law. This
ruling was used to defend segregation by some in future cases.
Mendez v. Westminster (1945)
Who/Where?
-Gonzalo Mendez was not allowed to register at Westminster
Main School, an all-white school in Orange County in California.
What?
-separate public schools for Mexican children and children of
Latin descent (segregation)
Why?
-Does segregation of Mexican-American children deny them
equal protection under the law?
Impact:
-The case never reached the Supreme Court; California did not
have a state law requiring segregation of Latino children.
Delgado v. Bastrop I.S.D. (1948)
Who/Where?
-Mexican-American children in various school districts. Del Rio, TX.
What?
-separate public schools for Latin descent children (segregation)
Why?
-If there is no state law requiring segregation of Mexican-American
children and Anglo children, does it violate the equal protection
clause?
Impact:
-This case had little impact because children were still segregated
based on language deficiency.
Sweatt v. Painter (1950)
Who/Where?
-Herman Sweatt an African-American man,
at the University of Texas, in Austin.
What?
-Sweatt wanted acceptance into the university’s law school.
Why?
-Does the “equal protection clause” (in 14th Amendment)
permit states to have separate law schools based on race?
Impact:
-Supreme Court ruled in favor of Herman Sweatt, and
consequently he was admitted into the UT law school.
Hernandez v. Texas (1951)
Who/Where?
-Pete Hernandez commits murder in Jackson County, Texas.
What?
-The jury that found Hernandez guilty, and sentenced him to life
in prison, was an all-Anglo (white) jury.
Why?
-Was Hernandez denied equal protection under the law because
it was an all-Anglo jury, even though 14% of the community was
of Mexican descent?
Impact:
-Justice Earl Warren overturned the conviction because the jury
was not representative and excluded Mexicans from serving.
Brown v. Board of Education (1954)
Who/Where?
-Linda Brown, a third grader, had to travel 21 blocks from her
home to a segregated African American school in Topeka, Kansas.
What?
-separate public schools for African Americans (segregation)
Why?
-Does segregation of public schools deny children equal
protection under the law?
Impact:
-Public schools were desegregated.
Edgewood I.S.D. v. Kirby (1968)
Who/Where?
-Demetrio Rodriguez and other parents with students in
Edgewood I.S.D; San Antonio, Texas.
What?
-Texas public school finance/disparities between school districts
(funding based on property taxes)
Why?
-Do the disparities between school districts violate the Texas
Constitution’s duty to provide an efficient public school system?
Impact:
-The Texas Supreme Court ruled in favor of Edgewood I.S.D.,
stating that children living in poor districts had less access to
equal education.
Tinker v. Des Moines (1969)
Who/Where?
-Mary Beth Tinker, her brother John, and other students in
Des Moines, Iowa
What?
-Students protested the Vietnam War by wearing black
armbands to school. The students were suspended for violating a
school dress code rule.
Why?
-Is wearing armbands to school as part of a protest considered a
freedom of speech protected under the 1st Amendment?
Impact:
-The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of the students and
their 1st Amendment rights.
(Mary Beth Tinker and John Tinker)
Wisconsin v. Yoder (1972)
Who/Where?
-Jonas Yoder, Wallace Miller and Adin Yutzy (Amish children) in
Green County, Wisconsin
What?
-Three Amish students were charged with violating Wisconsin state
law by not attending school.
(Their parents made them drop-out after 8th grade.)
Why?
-Can a state law require children to attend school, even if it goes
against their religious beliefs (1st Amendment)?
Impact:
-The US Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Amish children;
claiming the state law violated the Free Exercise (of religion)
Clause in the 1st Amendment.
White v. Regester (1973)
 Who/Where?
-Mark White, the Secretary of the State of Texas (and later Texas
Governor) dealt with multiple lawsuits filed against the Texas Legislature.
 What?
-Reapportionment of voting districts done by the state legislature every
ten years based on the US. Census were not equal in population.
 Why?
-Did the Texas Legislature violate the U.S. Constitution and the 4th
Amendment by having some districts with more people?
 Impact:
-The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of White by stating that district
reapportionment for the state (Texas) was not subject to the same
standards as federal districts.