Supreme Court Case Studies – Flashcards
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What was Plessy v. Ferguson about?
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The legality of Segregation by Race
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What did Plessy v. Ferguson challenge?
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The constitutionality of "Jim Crow" practices and segregation
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What was the majority opinion in the Plessy v. Ferguson case?
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The Supreme Court upheld the practice of segregation in the form of "separate-but-equal"
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What was the argument supporting the Plessy v. Ferguson ruling?
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1. that the legal distinction between races does not destroy the equality of those races (13th Amendment) 2. The 14th Amendment was not intended to abolish racial distinctions, so segregation laws do not imply one race is inferior to another.
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What was the result of the Plessy v. Ferguson ruling?
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States were given confidence that it was okay to segregate society, and they did. Segregation became a "social slavery"
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What was Marbury v. Madison about?
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The Supreme Court's power of Judicial Review
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What did Marbury v. Madison challenge?
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Whether the Supreme Court had the right to decide if a law was unconstitutional or not
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What was the majority opinion in the Marbury v. Madison case?
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That the Supreme court was tasked with the job of deciding what the law is, so it therefore must be able to decide if a law goes against the constitution
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What was the argument supporting the Marbury v. Madison ruling?
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If two laws conflict with each other, the Supreme Court must decide the operation of each, and strike down one or both if they conflict with each other or the constitution
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What was the result of the Marbury v. Madison ruling?
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The Supreme Court gained the power of Judicial Review and the ability to declare a law unconstitutional and have it removed
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What was Gideon v. Wainwright about?
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Whether a petty theft defendant in a criminal case that cannot afford a lawyer is deprived of their 6th Amendment right if not supplied with one
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What did Gideon v. Wainwright challenge?
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The decision from a previous ruling that said one can only be supplied in capital offense cases
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What was the majority opinion in the Gideon v. Wainwright case?
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The Supreme Court ruled that any person brought before the court that is too poor to hire a lawyer cannot be assured a fair trial unless counsel is provided for them
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What was the argument supporting the Gideon v. Wainwright ruling?
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1. That governments and rich defendants hire lawyers to represent them indicates it's a necessity, not a luxery 2. That the idea that everyone is equal before the law cannot be realized if poor defendants have to face their accusers without the help of a lawyer
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What was the result of the Gideon v. Wainwright ruling?
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Now, any individual that cannot afford a lawyer to represent them in court will have one assigned to help them by the State or local court.
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What was Brown v. Board of Education about?
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The Separate-but-Equal Principle - specifically that African American children were denied admission to segregated, all white schools
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What did Brown v. Board of Education challenge?
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The validity of the principle of separate-but-equal services for blacks and whites (previous ruling in Plessy v. Ferguson)
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What was the majority opinion in the Brown v. Board of Education case?
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The Supreme Court ruled unanimously to overrule the separate-but-equal principle (Plessy v. Ferguson)
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What was the argument supporting the Brown v. Board of Education ruling?
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Because relating the 14th Amendment to public schools was difficult, they instead concentrated on the effect of segregation itself on public education. They determined that segregation fostered a feeling of inferiority that affected them negatively psychologically.
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What was the result of the Brown v. Board of Education ruling?
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That separate-but-equal has no place in the field of public education and ordered schools integrated with "all deliberate speed"
