Landmark Supreme Court Cases and Fair Trial Rights

Engel v. Vitale (1962)

Protecting Individual Freedoms

Separation of church and state; prayers must not be mandatory in schools.

Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)

End of Gilded Age

"Separate but Equal" is the law of the land.

Tinker v. Des Moines Public Schools (1969)

Vietnam War Era

Freedom of speech doesn't stop at the schoolhouse gates. Students can wear what they want as long as it doesn't prevent learning.

Roe v. Wade (1973)

Women's Rights Movement

Women have the right to an abortion within the first trimester of a pregnancy.

Gideon v. Wainwright (1963)

Liberal Courts Protect Rights of Everyone

Accused must have competent legal counsel even in non-capital cases.

Marbury v. Madison (1803)

Jefferson is President

Midnight judges; the Supreme Court gets the power of judicial review.

Powell v. Alabama (1932)

Great Depression

"Scottsboro Boys" case; the accused get the right to a competent lawyer in a capital case.

Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857)

Pre-Civil War Drama

Slaves can't sue for their freedom, even if living in a free state.

Regents of the UC v. Bakke (1978)

Courts Start to Turn More Conservative

Reverse discrimination is still discrimination; schools can't accept graduate students based solely on race.

Citizens United v. Federal Elections (2010)

Money equals free speech; corporations and unions can spend as much money as they want on elections.

Morse v. Frederick (2002)

"Bong Hits 4 Jesus" is not protected speech on a school-sponsored field trip.

Bush v. Gore (2000)

Most Important Court Case

A presidential election is decided by the Supreme Court.

Miranda v. Arizona (1966)

More Liberal Court Rulings

Accused have to be read their rights and must understand them for a legal arrest.

Korematsu v. United States (1944)

World War II

Japanese Americans can be relocated during wartime, but survivors were given $20,000 later.

Texas v. Johnson (1989)

Republican National Convention

Freedom of expression includes the burning of the American flag (but it's still a bad idea to do).

Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas (1954)

Overturns a previous court decision; schools must be integrated with all due haste.

Fair Trial Requirements

1. Unbiased jury.
2. Unbiased, knowledgeable judge.
3. Evidence seen by both sides.
4. Competent lawyers.
5. Reasonable time period.
6. Public trial.
7. Right to appeal.