US Supreme Court Cases

US Supreme Court Cases

1. The 14th Amendment addresses many aspects of citizenship and the rights of citizens. The 14th Amendment is equal protection of laws.

   • The 4th Amendment protects people from unreasonable searches and seizures by the government.
   • The 5th Amendment protects people from being compelled by the government to provide incriminating information about themself.
     • The 1st Amendment: Schenck v. United States
       • During World War I, socialists Charles Schenck and Elizabeth Baer distributed leaflets. Schenck was charged with conspiracy to violate the Espionage Act of 1917 by attempting to cause insubordination in the military and to obstruct recruitment. Schenck and Baer were convicted of violating this law and appealed on the grounds that the statute violated the First Amendment.
         • The Court held that the Espionage Act did not violate the First Amendment and was an appropriate exercise of Congress’ wartime authority.
           • This case was important because it concluded that a defendant couldn’t have the first amendment right to express freedom of speech against the draft.
     • The 2nd Amendment: District of Columbia v. Heller,
       • Dick Anthony Heller was a D.C. special police officer who was authorized to carry a handgun while on duty. He applied for a one-year license for a handgun he wished to keep at home, but his application was denied. Heller sued the District of Columbia. He sought an injunction against the enforcement of the relevant parts of the Code and argued that they violated his Second Amendment right to keep a functional firearm in his home without a license.
         • The ban on registering handguns and the requirement to keep guns in the home disassembled or nonfunctional with a trigger lock mechanism violate the Second Amendment.
           • This case was important because it protected the rights of the 2nd Amendment for an individual to carry a firearm as self defense in their home
     • The 4th Amendment: Mapp v. Ohio
       • Dollree Mapp was convicted of possessing obscene materials after an admittedly illegal police search of her home for a fugitive. She appealed her conviction on the basis of freedom of expression.
         • In an opinion authored by Justice Tom C. Clark, the majority brushed aside First Amendment issues and declared that all evidence obtained by searches and seizures in violation of the Fourth Amendment is inadmissible in a state court.
           • This case redefined the rights of being accused.
     • The 5th Amendment: Miranda vs. Arizona
       • This case represents the consolidation of four cases, in each of which the defendant confessed guilt after being subjected to a variety of interrogation techniques without being informed of his Fifth Amendment rights during an interrogation.
         • Chief Justice Earl Warren delivered the opinion of the 5-4 majority, concluding that defendant’s interrogation violated the Fifth Amendment
           • This case was important because it created the Miranda rights warning.
     • The 6th Amendment: Batson v. Kentucky
       • Batson, a black man, was on trial charged with second-degree burglary and receipt of stolen goods. During the jury selection, the prosecutor used his peremptory challenges to strike the four black persons on the venire, resulting in a jury composed of all whites. Batson was convicted on both of the charges against him.
         • The Court found that the prosecutor's actions violated the Sixth and Fourteenth Amendments of the Constitution
           • This case was important because it stopped jurors from being excluded solely on their race
     • The 8th Amendment: Robinson v. California
       • A jury found defendant guilty under a California statute that criminalized being addicted to narcotics. His conviction was affirmed on appeal. Defendant sought further review from the United States Supreme Court.
         • In a 6-2 decision authored by Justice Potter Stewart, the Court held that laws imprisoning persons afflicted with the "illness" of narcotic addiction inflicted cruel and unusual punishment in violation of the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments.
           • This case was important because it put laws against imprisoning people afflicted with illnesses.
   • The 6th Amendment gives us the right to a fair and public trail and the right to a lawyer