US Supreme Court: Key Cases, Principles, and Judicial Philosophy

Foundational Concepts in US Constitutional Law

Judicial Philosophies

Judicial Restraint

Follows a strict interpretation of the Constitution and emphasizes adherence to established precedent (Stare Decisis). Judges should limit the exercise of their own power.

Judicial Activism

Involves loosely interpreting and applying the Constitution based on ongoing societal changes and values. Activist judges may sometimes go against established precedent to achieve desired social outcomes.

Philosophy in Supreme Court Cases

• Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) is often cited as an example of Judicial Restraint.
• Brown v. Board of Education (1954) is often cited as an example of Judicial Activism.

Key Legal Principles and Procedures

Judicial Review

The power of the Supreme Court to decide the constitutionality of state and federal legislation, actions of the Chief Executive, and decisions of lower courts.

Stare Decisis

The legal principle requiring courts to determine points in litigation according to precedent ("to stand by things decided").

Precedent

A legal decision or form of proceeding serving as an authoritative rule or pattern in future similar or analogous cases.

Writ of Certiorari

A decision by the Supreme Court to hear an appeal from a lower court. This is the primary way cases reach the Supreme Court.

Amicus Curiae (Friend of the Court)

A written brief submitted by an individual or group claiming to have information useful to a court's consideration of a case, even though they are not a direct party to the litigation.

The Exclusionary Rule

The Exclusionary Rule is a legal principle in the United States, under constitutional law, which holds that evidence collected or analyzed in violation of the defendant's constitutional rights is sometimes inadmissible for a criminal prosecution in a court of law.

Landmark Supreme Court Decisions

Brown v. Board of Education (1954)

The Court found that segregated schools, even those with identical facilities, were inherently unequal. The Court reasoned that inferiority affects the motivation for children to learn. Segregation was ruled a violation of the 14th Amendment's Equal Protection Clause. The Court reached a unanimous decision declaring the "separate but equal" doctrine unconstitutional.

Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)

Homer Plessy, an African American man, refused to ride in a separate railroad car, challenging segregation laws. The question before the court was whether segregation violated the principle of equal protection. The Supreme Court ultimately ruled that segregation laws did not violate the 14th Amendment, establishing the "separate but equal" doctrine that stood for decades.

McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)

Maryland enacted a statute imposing a tax on all banks not chartered by the state. A cashier, McCulloch, refused to pay the tax. Maryland sued McCulloch for failing to pay the tax due. This case addressed the issues of implied powers and the supremacy of federal law.

Gibbons v. Ogden (1824)

The Supreme Court of the U.S. held that the power to regulate interstate commerce, granted to Congress by the Commerce Clause of the United States Constitution, encompassed the power to regulate navigation. The case was argued by some of America's most admired and capable attorneys at the time: exiled Irish patriot Thomas Addis Emmet and Thomas J. Oakley argued for Ogden, while U.S. Attorney General William Wirt and Daniel Webster argued for Gibbons.

Judicial Appointments

Nomination and Confirmation of Judges

This process involves the President nominating federal judges, including Supreme Court Justices, who must then be confirmed by the Senate.