Supreme Court Case Review
Case Bank
1. Bethel v. Fraser, 1986
2. Brandenburg v. Ohio, 1969
3. Church of Lukumi Babalu Aye v. City of Hialeah, 1993
4. County of Allegheny v. ACLU, 1989
5. DC v. Heller, 2008
6. Engle v. Vitale, 1962
7. Epperson v. Arkansas, 1968
8. Escobedo v. Illinois, 1964
9. Gideon v. Wainwright, 1963
10. Gregg v. GA
11. Griswold v. Connecticut, 1965
12. Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier, 1988
13. Katz v. US, 1967
14. Lee v. Weisman, 1992
15. Lemon v. Kurtzman, 1971
16. Mapp v. Ohio, 1961
17. McCreary County v. ACLU of Kentucky, 2005
18. Miller v. CA, 1973
19. Miranda v. Arizona, 1966
20. Morse v. Frederick, 2007
21. New Jersey v. T.L.O., 1985
22. New York Times v. US, 1971
23. Newdow v. Carey, pending
24. Roe v. Wade, 1973
25. Santa Fe Independent School District v. Doe, 2000
26. Scheck v. US, 1919
27. Texas v. Johnson, 1989
28. Tinker v. Des Moines, 1969
29. University of California Regents v. Bakke, 1978
30. US v. O’Brien, 1968
1. Can the government limit speech if that speech advocates violence? No, says the Court, unless that speech is meant to promote the carrying out of violence.
2. Is “obscene” materials (pornographic or otherwise) protected by the 1st Amendment’s free speech clause? No, says the Court.
3. Can a state ban the sacrifice of animals if ban infringes upon a religious group’s beliefs and practices? No, says the Court.
4. Does a new, publically financed, large display of the Ten Commandments violate the Establishment Clause of the 1st Amendment? Yes, says the Court.
5. Can a state ban the teaching of evolution in public schools? No, says the Court.
6. Can a school suppress student speech, even if the speech is off campus but at a school sponsored event? Yes, says the Court.
7. Can public school officials impose some limits on what appears in school-sponsored student publications? Yes, says the court.
8. Can states reimburse nonpublic (mostly Catholic) schools for teachers' salaries without violating the 1st Amendment’s Establishment Clause? No, says the Court
9. Can the public schools have prayers led by religious authority figures at public school graduation ceremonies? No, says the court.
10. Can the US Government stop the press from publishing materials harmful to national security? In this case, the government had not proven those materials to be sensitive enough, so “no” says the Court.
11. Can war protestors who burn draft cards as an act of resistance have that speech protected by the 1st Amendment? No, says the Court.
12. Did a nativity (manger) scene placed on the staircase of a county’s Courthouse violate the 1st Amendment’s establishment clause? Yes, said the court.
13. Does a law prohibiting the burning of the American flag in protest violate the Free Speech Clause of the First Amendment? Yes, says the court.
14. Does a public school policy permitting student-led, student-initiated prayer at football games violate the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment? Yes, says the court.
15. Does a school restriction on students wearing black arms bans in order to show their opposition to the Vietnam War violate the Free Speech Clause of the First Amendment? Yes, says the court.
16. Does opening the public school day with a prayer (even if students are not required to recite it) violate the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment? Yes, said the court.
17. Does the free speech clause of the First Amendment protect those who urge Americans to resist the draft in time of war? No, says the court—such speech would create a “clear and present danger”.
18. Were a student’s free speech rights violated when he was suspended after making a sexually inappropriate student council campaign speech? No, says the Court.
19. Can a city prevent citizens from accessing handguns and still be consistent with the 2nd Amendment’s “right to bear arms”? No, says the court, striking down the ban.
20. Can law enforcement agents delay your access to a lawyer, get a confession out of you, convict you based on that confession, and still be consistent with the 6th Amendment? No, says the court—you’ve been denied your right to see a lawyer.
21. Must the state provide you with a lawyer when you can’t afford one? Yes, says the court.
22. If the state uses the death penalty and makes efforts to make sure the process is fair like have a “2 phase trial”, is the death penalty constitutional? Yes, says the court.
23. Did a state violate the “right to privacy” when it banned adults from purchasing birth control? Yes, says the court
24. Did the state violate the 4th Amendment when they wiretapped a phone booth in their attempt to gather evidence? Yes, says the Court.
25. Did police violate the 4th Amendment when they entered a home with a fake warrant and found illegal material? Yes, says the Court.
26. Were a suspects 5th Amendment rights violated when he was not informed of his right to remain silent? Yes, says the Court
27. Were a student’s 4th Amendment rights violated when the school searched her purse without a warrant (but based on probably cause)? No, says the Court.
28. Were an atheist child’s 1st Amendment rights violated when the school performed the Pledge of Allegiance? We’ll see!
29. Did the state violate a woman’s right to privacy when it banned abortions across the board? Yes, says the Court,
30. Can universities set aside a number of spaces for less-qualified minority groups in order to make up for historic discrimination/ No, says the Court, but colleges can take race and gender into account when admitting students.