AP Gov Supreme Court Cases

Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment

Led to the "one person, one vote" doctrine which gave federal courts jurisdiction on redistricting cases

- Baker used Carr due to the failure of the Tennessee to redistrict its borders since 1901

- The borders did not align with the urbanization and population shifts that had occurred

- Baker won

- Set the precedent that federal courts could intervene in state redistricting cases as well as other state issues

-Strengthened the principle of "one person, one vote"

- Fourteenth Amendment Equal Protection Clause

- "Equal protection of the laws"

- Brown family sued for their daughter to be enrolled in a white-only public school, even though they were live close

- Other families joined in the lawsuit

- Unanimous vote for Brown's side

- Struck down Plessy v. Ferguson's "separate, but equal" principle

- Monumental for the Civil Rights movement

- First Amendment violation by the Federal Election Campaign Act

- Restriction of free speech through the act

- Citizen's United made the film "Hillary: The Movie" which defamed her in order for her to lose the Democratic primaries

- Citizens lost their first case due to violating the 2002 Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act with "electioneering communication" right before an election

- Appealed to the Supreme Court

- Ruled with Citizens United

- First Amendment protects political spending

- BCRA disclosure requirements (i.e. I am __ and I approve this message) as well as prohibition of corporations and unions directly contributing to candidates were still upheld

- More spending on political parties and campaigns

- Vitale and school board violated Establishment Clause of the First Amendment

- Prohibits gov. from establishing a religion

- NYS passed legislation that allowed a prayer, but Engel and others sued due to it promoting Christianity

- Case was appealed by Engel due to NYS winning

- Engel won the case and public schools could not promote prayer due to a violation of the Establishment Clause - Set precedent that limits gov-directed prayer in public schools

- Sixth Amendment right to an attorney was not provided to Gideon who couldn't afford an attorney

- Gideon was arrested, but couldn't afford an attorney and Florida wouldn't provide one

- He was convicted but petitioned for a writ certiorari (basically asking Supreme to hear his case)

- Unanimous decision to incorporate the Sixth Amendment right to an attorney

- Expanded the rights of the accused through selective incorporation

- Example of the Warren Court's trend of expanding civil rights

- The Supremacy Clause, Article 3 in regards to judicial power

- John Adams appointed last-minute government/judicial positions (midnight judges), but weren't fully processed before he left office

- The next Secretary of State, Hames Madison, refused to deliver the paperwork that confirmed the midnight judges, one was Marbury

- Marbury sued saying it was unconstitutional and wanted a writ of mandamus (judicial command) to get his commission through the Judiciary Act of 1789

- Unanimous vote that a judicial command and the act itself was unconstitutional and exceeded authority

- Began the process of judicial review

- Article 1, Necessary and Proper Clause (Congress' power to make laws or act when needed, even if it isn't directly said in the constitution)

- Supremacy Clause

- Arguments of the legitimacy of a national bank was roaring

- Maryland imposed taxes on the national bank within its borders, but an employee McCulloch refused to pay

- Unanimous vote that the bank was legitimate, but the tax was illegitimate

- The bank was an implied power to Congress

- The tax violated federal supremacy and states could not interfere with federal power

- Cemented federal supremacy over state law

- Second Amendment right to bear arms

- Fourteenth Amendment in regards to depriving citizens of rights and privileges

- McDonald lived in Chicago and wanted to own a handgun for personal home defense after many break-ins

- Chicago had a handgun ban, so he and others sued saying that the ban infringed on their Second Amendment rights

- Case progressed to the Supreme Court

- Ruled in favor of McDonald through the 14th Amendment and 2nd Amendment in regards to "lawful purposes" of guns and equal rights between borders

- Chicago could not deny the right to purchase a handgun

- Selective incorporation of the ruling

- First Amendment freedom of the press

- NY Times and The Washington Post wanted to publish information from years prior about U.S. actions of the Vietnam War (Pentagon Papers)

- Nixon administration issued a cease and desist for the papers and articles as it would cause immediate danger

- Favor of NY Times under the first amendment

- Failed the "clear and present danger" test

- First Amendment freedom of speech

- Schenck in WWI gave pamphlets telling the public to avoid the draft b/c it violated the 13th Amendment of prohibiting against involuntary servitude

- He was convicted of violating the Espionage Act of 1917 b/c it interfered with the military, but he appealed

- Convictions of Schenck and his partner, Baer, were constitutional b/c it was during a war which allowed the country to have more restrictions on free speech

- Established "clear and present danger test" which curtails free speech if it brings "evils that Congress has a right to prevent"

- 14th Amendment Equal Protection Clause in regards to equal voting between demographics like race

- North Carolina gerrymandered to which there was one majority-minority black district in order to lessen black voting power

- Ruth Shaw argued that it violated the 14th Amendment due to the district being made with racial lines

- Reno, attorney general, argued it allowed minority groups to have a voice in elections

- Favor of Shaw saying that redistricting based on race was unconstitutional

- Set precedent for gerrymandering to not be race based

-First Amendment rights to free speech

- Students wore black armbands in protest/mourning of the Vietnam War (like John Tinker)

- They were suspended but they used and appealed to the Supreme Court

- Armband did not cause a disruption to the school environment and was protected as symbolic speech

- Expanded First Amendment rights of students, but placed limits to not cause chaos and disruption

- Used "Clear and present danger" test

- Commerce Clause for interstate commerce being under Congress' jurisdiction

- Congress passed Gun-Free School Zones Act under the Commerce Clause

- Lopez had a gun in a public school, but appealed with the claim that the act overstepped Congressional boundaries

- Ruled with Lopez saying that Congress overstepped its boundaries

- Commerce Clause did not extend power of Congress to issue firearm regulation

- Imposed a check on Congress and gave the legal principle that states should control local issues such as firearm possession in school zones

- First Amendment's "free exercise" clause in regards to no interference of the government in regards to religious practices

- Amish families wanted to take out their children from public school after 8th grade

- Wisconsin had a law saying that you can only leave when you're 16

- The families believed that more schooling would interfere with their salvation as well as the integration into Amish society in an effective way to maintain their society

- Unanimous decision that the law was conflicting with the Amish religion and that it was a violation of the free exercise clause to force Amish children to continue education past the eighth grade

- Set a precedent that parents were allowed to educate their children outside of the typical school systems (homeschooling)

- Prioritized free exercise of religion over state interests