SUPREME C

OURT

CASES

CASES EVERY

POLIT

ICAL S

CIENCE S

TUDENT

NEEDS TO K

NOW

MARBURY V. MADISON

1803

DECISIONEstablished the concept of Judicial Review: the Supreme court has the final authority to find acts of government unconstitutional

MCCULLOCH V. MARYLAND

What happened Maryland tried to put a tax on a branch of the Bank of the US

DECISIONA state cannot tax a federal institution

Supremacy Clause (1819)

GIBBONS V. OGDEN

What happened Ogden had NY state license to ferry people from NYC to New Jersey, Gibbons also ferried people but had no state license but did have a federal coasting license

DECISIONThe Federal government has the power over the state to regulate interstate commerce. Federal ferry license prevails over a State Ferry License (no NY monopoly)

DRED SCOTT V. SANDFORD

What happened Sandford lived in Missouri (a slave state) took Dred Scott (a salve) to Illinois (a free state). Dred Scott said he was now free!

DECISIONStates cannot deprive a person of his right to property

5th Amendment (1857) = Dred Scot was not free and was owned by Sanford.

PLESSY V. FERGUSON

What happened Plessy (1/8 of African decent) sat in white only train car, and he would not move when asked.

DECISIONEstablished the concept of “separate but equal” in public facilities:

BROWN V. BOARD OF EDUCATION

What happenedMr. Brown wanted his daughter to attend the neighborhood school, BUT she was black and the school was for white students only.

DECISIONSchools were desegregated. Separate is unequal. Separate but equal has no place.

Integrated schoolsOverturned Plessy v. Ferguson

GIDEON V. WAINWRIGHT

What happened Mr. Gideon charged with crime. He had no

money to pay a lawyer and was found guilty. DECISION

All accused persons are entitled to a lawyer, even if they cannot afford one.

Right to Counsel Person must have counsel provided,

regardless of the charges filed against them Gideon Rule

MIRANDA V. ARIZONA

What happened Mr. Miranda was arrested but not told his right

to not confess (remain silent), he signed a confession and was convicted

DECISION A person must be read his or her rights before

being arrested. When Ernesto Miranda was arrested and

questioned and signed a confession that listed that he had “full knowledge of his legal rights”, he was not made aware of his rights to counsel and the confession was illegally gained.

MAPP V. OHIO

What happened Police searched Mrs. Mapp’s house with a fake

warrant and found illegal material DECISION

Illegally obtained evidence cannot be used in court.

Illegal Evidence and Due Process Clause No illegal search and seizures applied to all states

Before this rule not every state incorporated excluding evidence gained through an illegal search

Exclusionary Rule

ENGEL V. VITALE

What happened School board required students to say a

prayer at beginning of each day DECISION

A school cannot require students to pray. This court case upheld separation of church and state.

Establishment Clause Eliminated prayers in school Students cannot be forced to recite a prayer

because it violates their 1st Amendment right to freedom of religion

ROE V. WADE

What happened/DecisionA state cannot take away a woman’s right to an abortion

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