Civics-Supreme Court Cases

Brown v. Board of Education

The Court ruled that racial segregation in public schools violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Constitution because it is inherently unequal.

Engel v. Vitale

Ruled that a public school starting the day with prayer was unconstitutional.

Klopfer v. North Carolina

Ruled that speedy and fair trials are required in state and federal courts, case was based on the story of a professor who had participated in a sit-in during the civil rights movement.

Mapp v. Ohio

Supreme Court determined that evidence obtained through a search that violates the Fourth Amendment is inadmissible.

Plessy v. Ferguson

The decision upheld the separate-but-equal doctrine used by Southern states to perpetuate segregation following the Civil War.

Regents of the University of CA v. Bakke

Supreme Court decided against the rigid use of racial quotas, but also established that race was permissible criteria among several others.

Swann v. CMS School Board

This case ruled in favor of new busing regulations to achieve integration due to freedom of choice for schools.

Brandenburg v. Ohio

This case expanded the scope of political speech unless it is linked to immediate lawless behavior.

Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier

The principal removed articles about pregnancy and divorce from a school newspaper. A state court upheld claim from teacher who claimed first amendment rights, Supreme Court overturned decision in favor of the principal.

Korematsu v. United States

Supreme Court ruled that the federal government had the authority to relocate Japanese Americans to designated areas as a necessary response to the attack on Pearl Harbor.

NY Times v. United States

Supreme Court upheld earlier decisions establishing the doctrine of prior restraint. The doctrine protects the press from government attempts to block publication.

United States v. Nixon

Supreme Court held that only those presidential conversations and communications that relate to performing the duties of the office of president are confidential.

New Jersey v. TLO

The Supreme Court established more lenient standards for reasonableness in school searches.

Marbury v. Madison

The supreme court upheld that it is the Court itself that has the final say on what the Constitution means, which is known as Judicial Review.

De Jonge v. Oregon

Reinforced peaceable assembly and association protected by the first amendment.

Texas v. Johnson/ US v. Eichman

Name the TWO Supreme Court Cases that held flag burning was expressive speech protected by the first amendment.

Gideon v. Wainwright

Court rules that for the first time that poor defendants in criminal cases have the right to a state paid attorney under the 6th amendment.

Dred Scott v. Stanford

Court held that enslaved African Americans were property, not citizens and thus had no rights under the constitution, This decision also overturned the Missouri Compromise.

Tinker v. Des Moines School District

Supreme Court ruled that a public school could not suspend students who wore black armbands to symbolize their opposition to the Vietnam War due to the students' first amendment rights.

Gibbons v. Ogden

Court ruled that Congress has the right to regulate interstate commerce (within a single state) that relates to trade among states.

Reed v. Reed

Held that a state law that discriminated against women was unconstitutional.

Miranda v. Arizona

The Supreme Court held that a person cannot be held in police custody unless told their specific rights.

Roe v. Wade

The Supreme Court ruled that females have a constitutional right under various provisions of the Constitution- like the due process clause- to decide whether or not to terminate pregnancy.

Near v. Minnesota

This court case ruled against censorship of information.

McCulloch v. Maryland

Court held that Necessary and Proper Clause of the Constitution allows Congress to do more than the Constitution expressly authorizes it to do.

Furman v. Georgia

This Court decision halted the death penalty in the 39 states that had death penalty laws at that time. The Court explained that existing death penalty laws did not give juries enough guidance on death penalty cases.

Bush v. Gore

The court ruled that since the manual recount had no uniform way to judge each disputed vote equally, it did violate the Constitution and had to be stopped.