The document outlines significant Supreme Court cases that shaped U.S. legal principles, including Dred Scott v. Sanford (1857), which ruled that slaves were property without legal rights, and Brown v. Board of Education (1954), which overturned the 'separate but equal' doctrine in public schools. Other cases discussed include Gideon v. Wainwright (1963), affirming the right to counsel, and Roe v. Wade (1973), establishing a woman's right to abortion under the right to privacy. The summaries highlight the constitutional implications and societal impacts of these landmark decisions.

1. SUPREME COURT CASES

2. DRED SCOTT V. SANFORD (1857)
What happened?
• Scott was a slave taken to
live in a free state. He sued
in court for his freedom.
SCOTUS decision
• Slaves were property, not
people, meaning that their
master could take them
wherever they wanted
Importance
• Slaves are considered
property and do not have
the right to sue in court
• Missouri Compromise is
now unconstitutional, the
federal government cannot
deny a person the right to
own slaves anywhere in the
country
• It hastens the coming of
the Civil War

3. PLESSY V. FERGUSON (1896)
What happened?
• Plessy refused to sit
in the train car
designated for
“blacks”
• He said that
separate train cars
are not equal train
cars
SCOTUS decision
• As long as both
groups had access
to the train it did
not violate the 14th
Amendment
Importance
• “Separate but
Equal” is
constitutional

4. SCHENCK V. US (1919)
What happened?
• Schenck protested the
draft for WW1 claiming it
was the same as slavery
and violates the 13th
Amendment
• he was arrested and
argued that his 1st
Amendment right to free
speech was violated
SCOTUS decision
• Yes, citizens have free
speech but NOT if the use
of free speech creates a
“clear and present danger”
• It is the same as shouting
“FIRE!” in a crowded movie
theater when there is no
fire
Importance
• Free speech is protected as
long as it does no endanger
others
• The use of free speech to
violate the draft would put
the nation and others in
danger
• The draft is constitutional,
it gives Congress the ability
to protect the nation

5. KOREMATSU V. US (1944)
What happened?
• WW2, US government
gave military order to
confine Japanese-
Americans into
Internment Camps to
protect against
potential Japanese
espionage and
domestic attacks
SCOTUS decision
• The need to protect
the United States
from espionage and
domestic attacks was
greater than the rights
of people from
Japanese descent.
Importance
• It is constitutional to
take away rights in
cases of national
defense to protect
from espionage and
attacks

6. BROWN V. BOARD OF EDUCATION OF TOPEKA, KS
(1954)
What happened?
• Public schools in 1954 were
segregated according to
race.
• On behalf of black families
(including the Browns) the
NAACP challenged the
ruling in Plessy v. Ferguson
that separate schools are
not equal schools.
SCOTUS decision
• The Court decided
unanimously as long as
people are separated it
implies an inferiority of one
group from the other, thus
separate can never be
equal.
Importance
• The Plessy rule of “separate
but equal” was overturned
for public school because it
violates the fourteenth
amendment.
• This rule will begin to be
applied to other public
spaces and facilities
eventually bringing an end
to legal segregation

7. GIDEON V. WAINWRIGHT (1963)
What happened?
• Charged with
misdemeanor breaking
and entering, Gideon
was denied a lawyer at
trial in Florida.
• After his conviction he
sued Florida claiming
that his 6th Amendment
right to a lawyer was
violated.
SCOTUS decision
• The Court unanimously
ruled to overturn the
earlier case of Betts v.
Brady (1942).
• Gideon was allowed a
new trial with a lawyer
appointed to him by the
US Supreme Court
Importance
• All defendants have a
right to an attorney. If a
defendant cannot afford
one it is the
responsibility of the
court to provide
counsel.

8. MIRANDA V. ARIZONA (1966)
What happened?
• Ernesto Miranda was
arrested and charged
with rape and murder
• He was convicted using
a confession he was told
he had to give
SCOTUS decision
• In violation of the 5th
Amendment, the police
forced Miranda to give
evidence against
himself.
• Miranda did not know of
his legal protection from
self-incrimination and
was granted a re-trial
Importance
• To ensure that the
accused understands
their rights, arresting
officers are required to
read them their rights
upon arrest

9. ROE V. WADE (1973)
What happened?
• Norma McCorvey (known
as Jane Roe) argued that
the Texas law prohibiting
abortions robbed her of
her right to privacy
protected by Bill of Rights
(4th Amendment), and of
her liberty, as protected
by the Due Process Clause
of the 14th Amendment.
SCOTUS decision
• The Court agreed with
Roe’s argument that her
right to privacy and due
process had been violated
by the Texas law banning
abortions.
Importance
• woman's right to an
abortion fell within the
right to privacy protected
by the 14th Amendment.
• It gave a women total
authority over pregnancy
during the first trimester.

10. BOARD OF REGENTS OF CALIFORNIA V. BAKKE (1978)
What happened?
• Allan Bakke, applied to the
University of California
Medical School twice and
was rejected both times.
Bakke argued that his GPA
and test scores were higher
than several students who
gained admission because
the school reserved 16 places
in each entering class for
“qualified minorities.”
SCOTUS decision
• In part the Court agreed with
Bakke, he had been unjustly
denied admission to the
Medical School, but
affirmative action was upheld
as long as race is not the only
factor used for granting
admission to the university.
Importance
• The decision upheld
affirmative action allowing
race to be one of several
factors in college admission
policy, but not the only factor.

11. BUSH V. GORE (2000)
What happened?
• Faulty ballots and voting
machines in Miami-Dade
county result in ballots
that were confusing and
unable to be read by the
voting machines
• A hand recount was
ordered but George W.
Bush sued the state of
Florida to have them end
the recount
SCOTUS decision
• The Court ordered the
recount to be stopped
resulting in a win for Bush
in Florida by 537 votes.
Winning Florida gave
Bush the victory in the
2000 election over Al
Gore
Importance
• No precedent was set as
the Court specifically said
that this decision would
be a narrow decision
applied only to this one
case
• It has confused the rule of
law that is based on
precedent by not allowing
the case to be used as
precedent