Supreme Court Cases to know for the U.S. Regents Exam

Supreme Court Landmark Case / Decision / Precedent
*Marbury v. Madison, 1803
/ Chief Justice John Marshall
Stated that William Marbury should get his job but declared
the law that created his position unconstitutional / Established judicial review
(The right to review a lower court case decision - to declare a law (Congress) or action (President) unconstitutional
McCulloch v. Maryland, 1819 / Marshall Court
Supported the use of the Necessary and proper clause (elastic clause) / States cannot tax federal property
"The power to tax is the power to destroy
Gibbons v. Ogden, 1824 / Marshall Court
Ruled in favor of federal contract to transport goods on the Hudson over a NY contract / Reinforced that federal law is supreme over state law
Congress could rule on interstate commerce
Dred Scott v. Sanford, 1857 / Chief Justice Roger Taney
Scott lost his bid to be free, based on traveling to a free state / Reinforced Fugitive Slave Laws
Slaves were property, not citizens and could not sue
Precedent limited because of Civil war and 13th amendment
Wabash, St. Louis and Pacific Railroad v. Illinois, 1886 / The Court forbade all states from setting its own rates that regulated railroad fees charged for a train that crossed state lines. / This case helped to create the Interstate Commerce Commission
US v. E.C. Knight Co., 1
895 / Ruled that Congress had the right to protect smaller businesses from large monopolies / Upheld Congress' right to create the Anti-Trust Laws
*Plessy v. Ferguson, 1896 / Ruled that segregated facilities based on race were legal if they were equal / Upheld the Jim Crow laws until the Brown v. Bd. Ed decision
Schenck v. US, 1919 / First Amendment
Ruled that Schenck did not have the first amendment right to discourage draftees from reporting for duty / Limited free speech if there is a "clear and present danger"
Free speech is not absolute
Korematsu v. US, 1944 / Court ruled that US could legally send Japanese Americans to relocation centers during WWII / Civil Rights are not absolute
*Brown v. Bd. of Education of Topeka, Kansas, 1954 / Overturned the Plessy decision
Separate but equal, in the field of education, can never be constitutional
14th Amendment equal protection clause / Public schools had to formulate a plan to end segregation based on race
Mapp v. Ohio, 1961 / 4th amendment issue
Ruled against the police who did not follow procedure / Citizens are protected against unlawful searches and seizures
Police must have a search warrant or probable cause
Engel v. Vitale, 1962 / First Amendment issue
Ruled that the NY State Bd. Of Regents violated the "separation of church and state" doctrine of the freedom of religion clause of the first amendment / No state can force students to recite a prayer
Gideon v. Wainwright 1963 / Sixth amendment issue
Ruled that Gideon should have been granted a lawyer (pro bono) since he could not afford one / States must now appoint (and pay for) a lawyer for those accused persons who cannot afford one
Miranda v. AZ, 1966
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Tinker v. Des Moines, 1968 / Fifth amendment issue
Ruled that all suspects have the right to due process (protection against self-incrimination and the right to a lawyer)
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First Amendment issue
Ruled that the students' right to symbolic speech was upheld and the lower court's decision was overturned. / Suspects, if arrested, must be read their rights.
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Students do not give up all of their First Amendment rights when they enter the "schoolhouse gates", unless their speech created a dangerous situation or risks the safety of others.
New York Times v. US, 1971 / First Amendment issue
Ruled that a newspaper can print previously secret information about the government if the facts legally should have been presented to the American public. / Newspapers continue to be a watchdog over government corruption and communicate this to the American public
Roe v. Wade, 1973 / Unwanted pregnancy/Abortion issue
Ruled that the government cannot deprive a woman the right to decide what happens to her body (to a certain extent) / No state can ban a woman's right to an abortion except in the third trimester
US v. Nixon, 1974 / Issue of executive privilege
Ruled that even the president must follow the law if told by a court to hand over tapes or documents / Executive privilege is not absolute
NJ v. TLO, 1985 / Fourth amendment issue
Court ruled that school officials have certain law enforcement responsibilities / Schools must respect the civil rights of students but they can search a student if there is probable cause or a threat to public safety
Bush v. Gore, 2000 / Election law. Federal -State issue
Ruled that Florida has the right to certify the electoral vote. / Supreme Court ruled on a state issue that it had refused to intervene on in the past.