Landmark Supreme court Cases

A Pennsylvania law requiring that each public school day open with Bible reading was struck down as violating the Establishment Clause.

• Abington School District v. Schempp

• Schenck v. United States

Students wearing black armbands to protest the Vietnam War was symbolic speech protected by the First Amendment.

• Engel v. Vitale

• Tinker v. Des Moines

The First Amendment protected all statements about public officials unless there is "actual malice" (the speaker lied with the intent to defame.)

• Miller v. California

• New York Times v. Sullivan

The Supreme Court overturned required that any indigent person accused of a felony must be given an attorney at the public's expense

• Mapp v. Ohio

• Gideon v. Wainwright

Flag burning as political protest is a form of symbolic speech protected by the First Amendment.

• Texas v. Johnson

• Furman v. Georgia

Overturned Furman v. Georgia. Georgia's law imposing the death penalty under very specific circumstances and guidelines is ruled constitutional. The death penalty "does not invariably violate the Constitution." The judicious and careful use of the penalty was justified in that it met contemporary standards of society, served a deterrent or retributive purpose, and was not arbitrarily applied.

• Gregg v. Georgia

• Gideon v. Wainwright

The 4th Amendment ban on unreasonable searches applies to those conducted by public school officials as well as by law enforcement personnel; however, the Court used a less strict standard of "reasonable suspicion" to conclude that the search of a student's purse by public school officials did not violate the 4th and 14th Amendments.

• New Jersey v. T.L.O.

• Griswold v. Connecticut

The Court ruled that Dred Scot was a slave, and thus, not a citizen of any state. As a result, he had no standing to sue in federal court for his freedom. (Before the 13th Amendment)

• Gibbons v. Ogden

• Dred Scott v. Sanford

The US government did not exceed its wartime powers when it moved Japanese people to internment camps. The need to protect against espionage outweighed the individual rights of the people.

• Korematsu v. US

• Dred Scott v. Sanford

Judicial review - the Courts have the power to determine the constitutionality of acts of other branches of government.

• McCulloch v. Maryland

• Marbury v. Madison