Chief Justice Earl Warren Flashcards, test questions and answers

Discover flashcards, test exam answers, and assignments to help you learn more about Chief Justice Earl Warren and other subjects. Don’t miss the chance to use them for more effective college education. Use our database of questions and answers on Chief Justice Earl Warren and get quick solutions for your test.

What is Chief Justice Earl Warren?

Chief Justice Earl Warren was a prominent figure in the United States Supreme Court from 1953 to 1969. He is widely remembered for his liberal rulings and his championing of civil rights during the 1950s and 1960s, including leading the court to make the landmark decision to desegregate public schools in Brown v. Board of Education. In addition to his famous decisions on civil rights, he also made significant contributions to criminal justice reform, free speech protection, and human rights.One of Chief Justice Warren’s most famous decisions was Brown v. Board of Education (1954), which declared that separate but equal school segregation was unconstitutional as it violated the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. His opinion held that segregation had a detrimental effect on minority children by denying them equal educational opportunities and thus relegating them to an inferior status based on their race alone. This ruling overturned Plessy v. Ferguson (1896), which had established separate but equal as constitutional law for nearly 60 years prior. In addition to his landmark rulings on civil rights, Chief Justice Warren also played an important role in criminal justice reform by strengthening due process protections for accused criminals in Malloy v. Hogan (1964). This ruling held that accused persons could no longer be forced into self-incrimination through physical or psychological coercion while in police custody and instead must be informed of their Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination before being interrogated by law enforcement officials. Earl Warren also championed free speech protection for all citizens through his opinion in New York Times Co v Sullivan (1964). This case involved a libel lawsuit brought against The New York Times by Montgomery public official L.B Sullivan who claimed he had been defamed when an advertisement appeared criticizing Alabama police using excessive force against African Americans who were peacefully marching for voting rights during the Civil Rights Movement era. The Supreme Court unanimously ruled in favor of The New York Times holding that even false statements about public officials can be published without fear of legal punishment unless they involve actual malice, meaning there was knowledge that it was false or reckless disregard for whether it was true or not prior to publishing it.