Landmark court cases

• Landmark court cases established groundwork for future legal interpretations and applications.

Engel v. Vitale (1962)

• New York's practice of having a nondenominational prayer recited by students at school was challenged.
• Students had the option to opt out of the prayer.
• The Supreme Court ruled in favor of individual liberties.
• The ruling cited the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.
• This case established a basis for future cases involving religion in schools.

Wisconsin v. Yoder (1972)

• Amish parents sought to discontinue sending their children to school after the 8th grade due to religious beliefs.
• The Supreme Court ruled in favor of Yoder, citing the Free Exercise Clause.
• The Court argued that the state's interest in education did not outweigh the right to religious practice.
• The ruling contributed to the growth of the homeschool movement.

Tinker v. Des Moines (1969)

• Students were suspended for wearing black armbands to school in protest of the Vietnam War.
• The Supreme Court ruled that the suspension violated the students' First Amendment rights.
• This case led to the creation of the Substantial Disruption Test, requiring schools to demonstrate potential disruptions to justify speech restrictions.
• It established a precedent for balancing free speech rights with maintaining a conflict-free school environment.

New York Times v. United States (1971)

• The Nixon administration attempted to halt the New York Times from publishing the Pentagon Papers, citing national security concerns.
• The Supreme Court ruled in favor of the New York Times, upholding freedom of the press.
• The Court established a high standard for prior restraint, allowing it only in cases of genuine national security threats.
• This ruling made it more challenging to censor the press.

Schenck v. United States (1919)

• Schenck, a socialist, was arrested under the Espionage Act for distributing pamphlets urging resistance to the WWI draft.
• The Supreme Court ruled that Schenck's First Amendment rights were not violated.
• The ruling was based on the "Clear and Present Danger" test.

Gideon v. Wainwright (1963)

• Gideon was arrested in Florida and, lacking a lawyer, had to represent himself and lost the case.
• The Supreme Court ruled that this violated the Sixth Amendment right to counsel.
• States are now required to provide legal representation to defendants who cannot afford it.

McDonald v. Chicago (2010)

• Following Heller v. D.C., which deemed restrictive gun laws unconstitutional in federal territories, McDonald challenged handgun laws in Chicago.
• The Supreme Court ruled in favor of McDonald, citing the Second Amendment.
• The Court emphasized personal liberty over public safety, leading states to revise their gun laws.

Marbury v. Madison

• Marbury's appointment as a justice was not completed before Adams left office, leading Marbury to sue Madison (Secretary of State).
• The Supreme Court established the principle of judicial review.
• The Court declared the law Marbury sought to challenge as unconstitutional.
• The impact of the ruling was the establishment of judicial review.

McCulloch v. Maryland

• Congress established the Second Bank of the United States, a national bank, leading Maryland to enact taxes on the bank.
• Bank officials resisted paying the tax, leading to a Supreme Court case.
• The Supreme Court determined that creating a national bank was an implied power under the Necessary and Proper Clause, which allowed the establishment of the bank as within its expressed powers.
• The Court also ruled that states cannot tax the federal bank.

US v. Lopez

• Lopez carried an unloaded gun and ammunition to school, intending to sell them.
• Initially charged under Texas law, he was then charged with violating the federal Gun-Free School Zones Act of 1990.
• Lopez argued that the act was unconstitutional, exceeding Congress's enumerated powers.
• Congress argued that the Commerce Clause allowed the regulation of firearms.
• The Supreme Court ruled that guns in schools did not relate to interstate commerce.
• The ruling was significant as defining all activities as commerce would undermine the power of state governments and increase the power of the national government.

Citizens United v. FEC

• The Supreme Court ruled that laws restricting the political spending of corporations and unions violated the First Amendment's right to free speech.
• This ruling significantly altered campaign finance laws.

Landmark Supreme Court cases, including Engel v. Vitale and Wisconsin v. Yoder, shaped legal interpretations. These rulings, based on First Amendment rights, continue to influence education and religious freedom. Students' rights were defined in Tinker v. Des Moines.