Court Cases

• Planned Parenthood v Casey - 1992

  • the court upheld the State's 24 hour waiting period, informed consent, and parental notification requirements, holding that none constituted an undue burden
  • upheld Roe - abortion leagal legalbecause of due process
  • a lot of women disagreed; thought it should be because women are equal to men
• texas v Johnson - 1989

  • court ruled that flag burning was an expression covered under the first amendment
• Regents of the University of California v Bakke - 1978 (bakke case)

  • overturned racial quotas for some admissions programs; 'reverse discrimination' case
  • bakke wanted to go to UC davis medical school
  • said affirmative action violates equal protection (14th amendment)
  • supreme court upheld affirmative action, but they cannot use a quota system (ex: reserve 15% of seats for ppl of color)
  • 14th amendment case
• US v Richard Nixon (1974)

  • declared the right of the executive privlidge could not be invoked in cases involving criminal activity
  • height of watergate (scadal?)
  • says he has 'executive privledge'
  • right of executive privlidge can not be invoked if case involves criminal activityprivilegeprivilege
• Roe v Wade - 1973

  • legalized abortion through the second trimester of pregnancy
• Furman v georgia - 1972

  • nullified the death penalty in the US for being to capriciously applied based on race
• New York Times v US - 1971

  • dissolved an injuncion against the New york times that had restrained publication of the pentagon papers
• Miranda v arizona - 1966

  • expanded the above ruling by adding that a suspect must also be informed of his right to remain silent;
  • expands civil liberties
• Griswold v connecticut - 1965

  • struck down birth control regulation as an impermissible invasion of privacy
  • right to privacy based on due process clause of 14th amendment
  • comstock laws
  • penumbra (comines amendments which creates right to privacy; strict constructionists wouldn't like)
• Gideon v wainwright - 1963

  • guaranteed defendants a court-appointed attorney if they were unable to pay for their own
• Baker v Carr - 1962

  • allowed the question of reapportionment to be brought up in federal courts
• Engle v vitale - 1962


  ended required prayer in public schools
• mapp v ohio - 1961

  • illegally obtained evidence may not be used as evidence in state criminal proceedings
• brown v board of education of topeka, kansas (1954-1955)

  • overturned the 'separate but equal' ruling in plessy; mandated that segregated facilities be elimninated 'with all deliberate speed'
  • 14th amendment case
• Korematsu v US (1944)

  • upheld the 1942 removal of japanese-aericans to relocation centers in inland camps; declared within the combined war powers of congress
• schenck v us (1919)

  • freedom of speech may be curtailed if exercising that right posed a 'clear and present danger' to others or to the state