Download Supreme Court Case Bonanza

Court Case Bonanza!
For the AP Exam you’ll need to know the following court cases related to civil liberties and civil rights.
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 www.oyez.org, 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. Put these images in the image column and then begin studying your cases. Some students
choose to use flash cards, but they are not required. This is due the day you choose to do the test.
Remember that this is an individual assignment. Those assignments that are strikingly similar will
receive zeros.
Example:
Court Case
U.S. v. Doolittle, et.
al, 2007
Ruling
Image
U.S. Supreme Court upholds state law requiring
public school teachers to have a valid college
degree, instead of one purchased online.
Follow the link in
this column to learn
more about the case!
Paste a related &
memorable image here
for later use in a “visual
flashcard!”
Court Case
Ruling
Question of Incorporation
Barron v. Baltimore, 1833
Gitlow v. New York, 1925
Freedom of Religion
(Establishment Clause)
School Dist. Of Abington v.
Schempp, 1963
Engle v. Vitale, 1962
Lemon v. Kurtzman, 1971
Wallace v. Jaffree, 1985
Elk Grove School Dist v.
Newdow, 2003
Freedom of Religion
(Exercise Clause)
Reynolds v. U.S., 1878
Wisconsin v. Yoder, 1972
Church of the Lukumi
Babalu v. Hialeah, 1993
Van Orden v. Perry, 2005
Freedom of Speech
(and Expression)
Miller v. California, 1973
Virginia v. Black, 2003
Schenk v. US, 1919
Bethel v. Fraser, 1988
Tinker v. Des Moines, 1968
Texas v. Johnson, 1989
Near v. Minnesota, 1931
Morse v. Frederick, 2007
Freedom of Press
Claims that the Bill of Rights protections DO NOT apply to
intrusions by state governments.
By incorporating the Bill of Rights into the 14th Amendment,
it overturns precedent in claiming the Bill of Rights DOES
apply to state governments.
Strikes down practice of school-sponsored Bible reading as a
violation of the establishment clause.
Strikes down an involuntary, non-denominational prayer at
the beginning of the school day as a violation of the
establishment clause.
Establishes a test to determine whether federal funding to
parochial schools violates the establishment clause.
Strikes down an Alabama law that allowed teachers to
conduct religious prayer services and activities during the
school day.
Dismisses a case challenging the constitutionality of the
phrase “One Nation Under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance.
Rules that religious duty is not sufficient defense against
criminal charges of polygamy (First Amendment does not
protect polygamy as a religious practice).
The Court ruled that Amish adolescents could be exempt
from a state law compelling school attendance
The Court found laws passed by four Florida cities banning
animal sacrifice were targeted at the Santeria religion, which
employs animal sacrifice in prayer, and as such the laws were
unconstitutional.
A Ten Commandments monument on the grounds of a state
capitol building does not violate the First Amendment's
establishment clause because "simply having religious
content or promoting a message consistent with a religious
doctrine does not run afoul of the establishment clause."
Establishes a test for local authorities to define the nature of
“obscenity.”
Declares cross burning is protected by the First Amendment
as long as the act does not have the intent to intimidate.
Declares speech will NOT be protected if it creates a “clear
and present danger.”
Declares student speech is NOT protected by the First
Amendment if it lacks value and is “disruptive of learning.”
Protects “symbolic speech” of students protesting with
armbands.
Protects flag burning as “symbolic speech”
Declares “prior restraint” unconstitutional; that is,
governments cannot suppress or regulate speech before it is
given.
Upholds the authority of public school administrators to
suspend students for promoting illegal drugs at a school event
(“Bong Hits for Jesus”).
Image
NY Times v. Sullivan, 1964
Hazelwood v. Kuhlmeier,
1987
Requires proof of “malicious intent to harm” in order to prove
libel against news organizations.
Upholds the authority of public school administrators to
censor student newspapers since they are tools for learning –
not forums of free expression.
Freedom of Assembly
Boy Scouts of America v.
Dale, 2000
Village of Skokie v.
National Socialist Party,
1978 or (Wikipedia)
Schenck v. Pro-Choice
Network of Western
New York, 1997
Search &
Seizure/Privacy
New Jersey v. TLO, 1984
Griswold v. Connecticut,
1965
Planned Parenthood v. Casey,
1992
Roe v. Wade, 1973
Mapp v. Ohio, 1961
Veronia School Dist. V.
Acton, 1995
Death Penalty
Gregg v. Georgia, 1976
Stanford v. Kentucky, 1989
Ropers v. Simmons, 2005
Upholds the Boy Scouts authority as a private institution to
exclude Dale on the basis of his homosexuality (ignoring New
Jersey public accommodation law).
The Supreme Court ruled that the National Socialist (Nazi)
Party could not be prohibited from marching peacefully,
simply because of the content of their message.
The Supreme Court overturned a fifteen-foot “floating buffer”
around patients leaving or entering an abortion clinic;
though, “fixed buffers” were permitted since they protected
the government’s interest in public safety.
Permits school officials to search student property with
standard of “reasonable suspicion.”
“Though the Constitution does not explicitly protect a
general right to privacy…together, the First, Third, Fourth,
and Ninth Amendments, create a new constitutional right,
the right to privacy in marital relations.”
Upholds mandatory waiting period and parental consent for
abortion, but strikes down spousal notification.
Establishes a woman’s right to choose an abortion and creates
guidelines for the states according to trimesters.
Establishes the “exclusionary rule,” stating that illegally
obtained evidence is inadmissible in court.
Upholds right of public school administrators to conduct
random drug tests (urinalysis) to student athletes.
Upholds the constitutionality of capital punishment.
Upholds the constitutionality of capital punishment for
minors.
The Courts determined the execution of a minor violates the
“cruel and unusual punishment” provision of the 8th
Amendment. Overturns Stanford v. Kentucky, 1989.
Due Process
Gideon v. Wainwright, 1963
Miranda v. Arizona, 1966
Rasul v. Bush, 2002
Hamdan v. Rumsfeld, 2006
Kelo v. City of New London,
2005
Protects the right of the accused person to have an attorney
provided free of charge.
Requires authorities to notify people of their rights to silence
and counsel upon arrest.
Declares U.S. court system has jurisdiction to consider legal
appeals by foreign nationals (non-citizens) imprisoned at
Guantanamo Bay Naval Base.
Declares that enemy combatants have habeas corpus rights,
and international rules of war (Geneva Convention) may be
enforced in U.S. federal court
“The Fifth Amendment did not require "literal" public use, the
majority said, but the "broader and more natural interpretation
of public use as 'public purpose.'" Therefore, the city's taking
of private property to sell for private development” is
constitutional.
Discrimination
Plessy v. Ferguson, 1896
Brown v. Board of Education,
Upholds the doctrine of “separate but equal” in public
facilities.
Strikes down the doctrine of “separate but equal” in public
1954
University of Cal. Regents v.
Bakke, 1978
schools, claiming that separate is inherently unequal.
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.
Under the 14th Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause the
Court held that Virginia Military Institute’s male-only
admissions policy was unconstitutional.
Establishes the principle of “one man, one vote,” by declaring
that legislative districts must be as near as possible in
population (protects against aggressive gerrymandering).
Strikes down state laws banning homosexual activity as
unconstitutional violations of the right to privacy. Overturns
Bowers v. Hardwick, 1986.
United States v. Virginia,
1996
Baker v. Carr, 1962
Lawrence v. Texas