Landmark Case General Sites

Ten Things to Think About: The Bill of Rights - a simple version of the Bill of Rights in common language

Historic Supreme Court Decisions - by Topic

Landmark Supreme Court Cases

Civil Rights: U.S. Supreme Court Decisions - FindLaw

Key Supreme Court of the United States decisions

Supreme Court Cases by Amendment - a spotty list

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First Amendment Cases:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Religion Cases:

Reynolds v. United States, 98 U.S. 145 (1878) - Mormons and polygamy

Cantwell v. Connecticut, 310 U.S. 296 (1940) - Right to prosthelytize (spread religion)

LOVELL v. CITY OF GRIFFIN, GA., 303 U.S. 444 (1938)

WEST VIRGINIA STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION v. BARNETTE, 319 U.S. 624 - pledge of allegiance

Everson v. Board of Education, 330 U.S. 1 (1947) - separation of church and state

McCollum v. Board of Education, 333 U.S. 203 (1948) - separation of church and state

Epperson v. Arkansas, 393 U.S. 97 (1968) - states may not ban teaching of evolution

Lemon v. Kurtzman, 403 U.S. 602 (1971) - test for establishment questions

Santa Fe Independent School District v. Doe, 530 U.S. 290 (2000) - prayer at school football games

Free Speech Cases:

Schenck v. United States, 249 U.S. 47 (1919) - clear and present danger test of restricting speech

Roth v. United States, 354 U.S. 476 (1957) - anything is speech unless it is "utterly without redeeming social importance"

Tinker v. Des Moines Sch. Dist., 393 U.S. 503 (1969) - students have the right to symbolic speech

Miller v. California, 413 U.S. 15 (1973) - community standards and obscene speech

Texas v. Johnson, 491 U.S. 397 (1989) - flag burning is protected speech

Free Press Cases:
NEW YORK TIMES CO. v. SULLIVAN, 376 U.S. 254 (1964) - restrictions on libel suits

Hazelwood Sch. Dist. v. Kuhlmeier, 484 U.S. 260 (1988) - censorship of student newspapers

Assembly Cases:

none yet

Petition Cases:

none yet

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Second Amendment Cases:

U.S. Constitution: Second Amendment

United States v. Cruikshank, 92 U.S. 542 (1875) - limits of infringement

Presser v. Illinois, 116 U.S. 252 (1886) - militia rights

United States v. Miller, 307 U.S. 174 (1939) - firearms regulation

Lewis v. U.S. (1980) - right of felons to bear arms

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Third Amendment Cases:

none at present

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Fourth Amendment Cases:

U.S. Constitution: Fourth Amendment

Mapp v. Ohio, 367 U.S. 643 (1961) - exclusionary rule for evidence

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Fifth Amendment Cases:

U.S. Constitution: Fifth Amendment

Evidence and Witnesses

Miranda v. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436 (1966) - suspects must be advised of rights

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Sixth Amendment Cases:

U.S. Constitution: Sixth Amendment

Gideon v. Wainwright (1963) - right to counsel

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Seventh Amendment Cases:

none yet

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Eighth Amendment Cases:

U.S. Constitution: Eighth Amendment

Capital Punishment and the Death Penalty

Bail: Getting Out of Jail After an Arrest

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Very Mixed Amendment Cases:

Griswold v. Connecticut, 381 U.S. 479 (1965) - Reproductive rights (1st, 4th, 5th, 9th, and 14th amendments)

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14th Amendment Cases:

Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) - seperate but equal

Shelley v. Kraemer (1948) - racial discrimination in housing not allowed

Bailey v. Patterson (1962) - segregation

Loving v. Virginia (1967) Interracial marriage

Lau v. Nichols (1973) - English as a second language education

University of California Regents v. Bakke (1978) - race and college admissions

Batson v. Kentucky (1986) - race and juries

Bowers v. Hardwick (1986) - upholding anti-sodomy (homosexual sex) laws

Meritor Savings Bank v. Vinson (1986) - sexual harrassment and sexual discrimination

Lawrence v. Texas (2003) - criminalization of homosexual sex is unconstitutional

Santa Clara County v. Southern Pacific R. Co., 118 U.S. 394 (1886) - Corportations are people

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Main body of the Constitutional Cases:

Korematsu v. United States (1946) - War powers, executive powers, and civil rights

Ex parte Milligan, 71 U.S. 4 Wall. 2 2 (1866) - Habeas Corpus

Marbury v. Madison, 5 U.S. 1 Cranch 137 137 (1803) - Judicial review

McCulloch v. Maryland, 17 U.S. 4 Wheat. 316 316 (1819) - Necessary and proper

Gibbons v. Ogden, 22 U.S. 9 Wheat. 1 1 (1824) - Commerce clause