landmark cases

separation between Church and State in schools. S.C. prayer in public schools is unconstitutional, violates separation of church and state and freedom of religion (First Amendment)

This case proves that the 5th Amendment requires that individuals arrested for a crime must be advised of their right to remain silent and to have counsel present.

Evidence obtained in violation of the Fourth Amendment, which protects against "unreasonable searches and seizures," may not be used in criminal prosecutions in state courts, as well as federal courts.

14th amendment Due Process Clause allows requirements for state delinquency proceedings. established the principle that young persons have constitutional rights

Supreme Court case that ruled separate but equal public accommodations for the races was constitutional

state courts are required under the Sixth Amendment of the Constitution to provide counsel in criminal cases for defendants who are unable to afford their own attorneys.

the court decided that the First Amendment applied to public schools, and that administrators would have to demonstrate constitutionally valid reasons for any specific regulation of speech in the classroom.

supreme court decides if laws passed by Congress or President are constitutional

The Supreme Court overruled Plessy v. Ferguson, declared that racially segregated facilities are inherently unequal and ordered all public schools desegregated.

1857 Supreme Court decision that stated that slaves were not citizens; that living in a free state or territory, did not free slaves

The court ruled that manual recounts of presidential ballots in the Nov. 2000 election could not proceed because inconsistent evaluation

The U.S Supreme Court held for the first time that public schools can limit what appears in school-sponsored student publications.

the Supreme Court upheld the power of the national government and denied the right of a state to tax the federal bank using the Constitution's supremacy clause. The Court's broad interpretation of the necessary and proper clause paved the way for later rulings upholding expansive federal powers

The court ruled that states could not put limits on abortion access in the first trimester of pregnancy

The court ruled that established a right to privacy in the marital bedroom

The court ruled that centered on political speech paid for by unions and corporations

A federal judge dismissed a libel lawsuit by Sarah Palin because she could not prove actual malice on the part of the New York Times.

The power of government to take private property for public use

The court ruled that achieving “a diverse student body” was a “compelling public purpose,”, but the method of a rigid quota of admission slots assigned on the basis of race violated the Fourteenth Amendment’s equal protection clause