Ok sonny let me teach you something important so you are a smart, successful, intelligent, political-genius, and bright young man.

McCulloch v Maryland...1819

FACTS: Congress chartered the 2nd bank of the U.S. in 1816. Maryland passed legislation to tax the banks. James W. McCulloch refused to pay, the state appeals courts said the second bank was unconstitutional because the constitution did not explicitly commit for the Fed. G to charter a bank

Constitutional Principle: The Necessary and Proper clause (Art. 8, Section 1) - Fed gov't has the right to carry out whatever they need within appropriate/legit outlines. The bank is under this outline.

remember this son! It changed everything about the states and federal government!

Majority Opinion: Unanimous decision for McCulloch and Maryland may NOT impose tax on the banks

Legacy: Decided the Federal gov't has power to step up and has power over the states.

United States v Lopez...1995

FACTS: Alfonzo Lopez brought a concealed gun to school and under state law was found guilty and charged. The Federal government then charged him so the state charges were dropped and federal charges were placed. Lopez was found guilty under the commerce clause.

Constitutional Principle: The power of congress under the commerce clause

Majority Opinion: 5-4 decision that gun possession is not an economic activity that will have an effect on interstate commerce 

Legacy: Affirmed congress' power (or lack thereof) to legislate under the commerce clause

so don't bring no guns to school son.

Engel v Vitale...1962

Facts: New York State Board of Regents authorized a daily school prayer and a group of organizations challenged this prayer claiming it was opposing the Establishment Clause of the 1st amendment

Constitutional Principle: The Establishment Clause, which is defined as not allowing religion to be respected by government, is violated on the basis of daily prayer being done in schools.

schools stay secular my boy.

Majority Opinion: 6-1 decision for Engel that daily prayer cannot be held even if not tied to a specific religion.

Legacy: It is unconstitutional for public schools to lead students in any kind of prayer

Wisconsin v Yoder...1972

Facts: Jonah Yoder (Amish) was prosecuted under a Wisconsin law requiring kids to go to school until age 16. They refused to send their kids to schools after 8th grade, saying that high school was contrary to their religious beliefs. 

Constitutional Principle: Individuals’ interests in the free exercise of religion under the First Amendment outweighed the State’s interests in compelling school attendance beyond the eighth grade. 

Majority Opinion: Unanimous decision (7/9) for Yoder. Protecting Amish beliefs of not attending school past 8th grade.

Legacy: People of the Amish community were able to exclude their children from the education system after the completion of 8th grade due to their religious beliefs.

I like this case its my favorite, wouldn't you agree son?

Tinker v Des Moines Independent School District...1969

Facts: Students in Des Moines planned to wear black armbands to show support in a truce for the Vietnam War. The principals learned about this and made policy against it, causing students suspension. The parents sued the school saying it violated the right of expression for the students. The district court dismissed the case and held that the school's actions were reasonable. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit affirmed the decision without opinion

Constitutional Principle: Everyone is entitled to the first amendment rules, even students, as long as it does not interfere with operation of the school

Majority Opinion: 7-2 decision for Tinker by Abe Fortas, students can wear wat they want as long as it does not interrupt school operations.

Enduring Legacy: Cemented students' right to free speech in school

stand up for what you believe in!

New York Times Co. v United States...1971

FACTS: The Nixon administration attempted to prevent the NYT and Wash Post from publishing materials that belonged to a secret Defense Department study about the history of U.S. activities in Vietnam. Nixon argued that prior restraint was necessary to protect national security. 

Constitutional Principle: The first amendment (free speech) was questioned when it came to publicized media.

Majority Opinion: 6/9 for NYT Company 

Legacy: The government affirmed that the vague word “security” should not be used “to abrogate the fundamental law embodied in the first amendment.” Prior restraint is unjustified if nothing causes an inevitable, direct, and immediate event imperiling the safety of American forces. 

Nixon always getting into trouble :(

Schenck v United States...1919

Facts: During WWI, 2 socialists published leaflets against the draft, saying that it violated the 13th amendment prohibition against involuntary servitude. They were charged with violating the Espionage Act of 1917 (insubordination to the military and obstructing recruitment) and appealed the statute violated the first amendment.

Constitutional Principle: The use of the first amendment to appeal the statute was violating the first amendment

Majority Opinion: Unanimous decision that the Espionage Act did not violate the First Amendment and was an appropriate exercise of Congress’ wartime authority. 

Legacy: Created the “clear and present danger” test to determine the appropriate times when a state could limit an individual's freedom of speech.

It is crazy what some people do!

Gideon v Wainwright...1963

Facts: Gideon was charged in Florida state court with felony breaking and entering. He appeared in court without a lawyer, Gideon requested that the court appoint one for him. However, Florida state law says an attorney may only be appointed to an indigent defendant in capital cases, so they didn't appoint one. Gideon represented himself and was found guilty. Gideon filed a habeas corpus petition in the Florida Supreme Court, arguing that the trial court's decision violated his right to a counsel. Florida still denied him of a habeas corpus.

Majority Opinion: Unanimous support for Gideon

Constitutional Principle: 6th amendment was must be applied to all states through the 14th amendment, stating that every person has the right to assistance of counsel even if they cannot afford one

Enduring Legacy: Defendants facing serious criminal charges have a right to counsel at state expense if they cannot afford one

It's always in Florida...

Roe v Wade...1973

Facts: Jane Roe filed a lawsuit against Henry Wade (district attorney of Dallas Country, TX), ad challenged A Texas law making abortion illegal except by a doctor’s orders to save a woman’s life. In her lawsuit, she alleged that the state laws abridged her 1st, 4th, 5th, 9th, and 14th amendment rights. 

Constitutional Principle: Due Process Clause of the 14th Amendment protects against state action the right to privacy— women’s right to choose to have an abortion falls within that right. A state law that broadly prohibits abortion w/o respect to that stage of pregnancy or other interests violates that right.

Majority Opinion: 7-2 decision defending Jane Roe

Legacy: The state may not regulate the abortion decision in the first trimester of pregnancy. In the second trimester, the state may impose regulations on abortion that are reasonably related to maternal health. In the 3rd trimester, the state may regulate abortions or prohibit them entirely, as long as the laws contain exceptions for cases when abortion is necessary to save the health of the mom

This one getting overturned, but was fun while it lasted.

Mcdonald v Chicago...2010

Facts:  Lawsuits were filed against Chicago and Oak Park (IL) challenging their gun bans after the S.C. issued its opinion in District of Columbia v. Heller (S.C. held that D.C. handgun ban violated 2nd Amendment). Here, plaintiffs argued that 2nd Amendment should apply to states.

Constitutional Principle: The 14th amendment makes the 2nd amendment right to keep and bear arms for the purpose of self-defense applicable to the states.