Court Case Bonanza!

For the AP Exam you’ll need to know the following court cases related to civil liberties. These cases are known to show up in both the multiple choice and free response sections. This activity is designed to support your learning as far as you want to take it. Should you decide to simply memorize these rulings in flash-card fashion for short term test regurgitation, you’ll find this tool helpful. On the other hand, there are some features here that will support those nerds who choose to go the extra mile and actually (…pause for effect) “learn” these cases.

Instructions:

Read, and commit to memory, the ruling on each case. You may find it helpful to follow the hyperlinks in the left-hand column which take you to a fabulous resource on the United States Supreme Court. Here you’ll have the opportunity to read more about the background of the case, and the rationale behind the Court’s opinion. The true nerds may even click around a bit and listen to audio files of the oral arguments of the actual case! Generally, the more you can see each case as a “story,” the better the learning will stick.

After you’ve explored a bit on the case itself, you’ll head over to the web to conduct an image search. Look for any image/icon, or even a collection of images, that would help trigger the memory of this case. Sounds a bit like a visual flashcard, right?

Example:

Court Case / Ruling / Image
U.S. v. Doolittle, et. al, 2007
/ U.S. Supreme Court upholds state law requiring public school teachers to have a valid college degree, instead of one purchased online. /

Court Case / Ruling / Image
Question of Incorporation
Barron v. Baltimore, 1833 / Claims that the Bill of Rights protections DO NOT apply to intrusions by state governments.
Gitlow v. New York, 1925 / By incorporating the Bill of Rights into the 14th Amendment, it overturns precedent in claiming the Bill of Rights DOES apply to state governments.
Freedom of Religion (Establishment Clause)
Reynolds v. U.S., 1878 / Rules that religious duty is not sufficient defense against criminal charges of polygamy (First Amendment does not protect polygamy as a religious practice).
School Dist. Of Abington v. Schempp, 1963 / Strikes down practice of school-sponsored Bible reading as a violation of the establishment clause.
Engle v. Vitale, 1962 / Strikes down an involuntary, non-denominational prayer at the beginning of the school day as a violation of the establishment clause.
Lemon v. Kurtzman, 1971 / Establishes a test to determine whether federal funding to parochial schools violates the establishment clause.
Wallace v. Jaffree, 1985 / Strikes down an Alabama law that allowed teachers to conduct religious prayer services and activities during the school day.
Elk Grove School Dist v. Newdow, 2003 / Dismisses a case challenging the constitutionality of the phrase “One Nation Under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance.
Freedom of Speech
(and Expression)
Miller v. California, 1973 / Establishes a test for local authorities to define the nature of “obscenity.”
Virginia v. Black, 2003 / Declares cross burning is protected by the First Amendment as long as the act does not have the intent to intimidate.
Schenkv. US, 1919 / Declares speech will NOT be protected if it creates a “clear and present danger.”
Bethel v. Fraser, 1988 / Declares student speech is NOT protected by the First Amendment if it lacks value and is “disruptive of learning.”
Tinker v.Des Moines, 1968 / Protects “symbolic speech” of students protesting with armbands.
Texas v. Johnson, 1989 / Protects flag burning as “symbolic speech”
Near v. Minnesota, 1931 / Declares “prior restraint” unconstitutional; that is, governments cannot suppress or regulate speech before it is given.
Morse v. Frederick, 2007 / Upholds the authority of public school administrators to suspend students for promoting illegal drugs at a school event (“Bong Hits for Jesus”).
Freedom of Press
NY Times v. Sullivan, 1964 / Requires proof of “malicious intent to harm” in order to prove libel against news organizations.
Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier, 1987 / Upholds the authority of public school administrators to censor student newspapers since they are tools for learning – not forums of free expression.
Search & Seizure/Privacy
New Jersey v. TLO, 1984 / Permits school officials to search student property with standard of “reasonable suspicion.”
Planned Parenthood v. Casey, 1992 / Upholds mandatory waiting period and parental consent for abortion, but strikes down spousal notification.
Roe v. Wade, 1973 / Establishes a woman’s right to choose an abortion and creates guidelines for the states according to trimesters.
Mapp v. Ohio, 1961 / Establishes the “exclusionary rule,” stating that illegally obtained evidence is inadmissible in court.
Veronia School Dist. V. Acton, 1995 / Upholds right of public school administrators to conduct random drug tests (urinalysis) to student athletes.
Death Penalty
Gregg v. Georgia, 1976 / Upholds the constitutionality of capital punishment.
Stanford v. Kentucky, 1989 / Upholds the constitutionality of capital punishment for minors.
Due Process
Gideon v. Wainwright, 1963 / Protects the right of the accused person to have an attorney provided free of charge.
Miranda v. Arizona, 1966 / Requires authorities to notify people of their rights to silence and counsel upon arrest.
Rasul v. Bush, 2002 / Declares U.S. court system has jurisdiction to consider legal appeals by foreign nationals (non-citizens) imprisoned at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base.
Hamdan v. Rumsfeld, 2006
Discrimination
Plessy v. Ferguson, 1896 / Upholds the doctrine of “separate but equal” in public facilities.
Brown v. Board of Education, 1954 / Strikes down the doctrine of “separate but equal” in public schools, claiming that separate is inherently unequal.
University of Cal. Regents v. Bakke, 1978
/ Upholds the use of race as a determining factor in graduate school admissions, but strikes down the notion of minimum racial “quotas.”
Gratz v. Bollinger, 2003 / Struck down the University of Michigan’s heavy use of racial preferences in undergraduate admissions.
Boy Scouts of America, et al. v. Dale, 2000 / Upholds the Boy Scouts authority as a private institution to exclude Dale on the basis of his homosexuality (ignoring New Jersey public accommodation law).

AP Government

Unit 6: Civil Rights and Civil Liberties

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