The 1900's have seen a number of landmark supreme court cases that considered the constitutionality of certain affairs, and the rulings in these cases have helped to shape America. Following is a list of some of the most famous and important Supreme Court case rulings in the past century.
Weeks v. United States, 1914
In this landmark Supreme Court case, a man was subjected to an unwarranted search and seizure. Evidence (lottery tickets) of gambling artifacts were found and seized, and also used as evidence against him in trial, but on an appeal, Weeks contested that this went against his constitutional right to be secure from illegal searches and seizures. The court sided with Weeks, stating that no one's right to be protected from such searches should ever be compromised.
Powell v. Alabama, 1932
Several young black men were accused of raping a white woman, and they could not find counsel, and were sentenced without having adequately represented themselves. One of the men, Powell contested that he had been given an unfair trial, and the Supreme Court saw his case, and decided that counsel must be available for anyone. The Supreme Court ruling established that everyone should have the right to an attorney. The right to counsel was upheld again in the 1942 case Betts v. Brady, and in Gideon v. Wainwright in 1963.
Brown v. Board of Education, 1954
Brown v. Board of Education was a landmark Supreme Court case that overturned the Plessy v. Ferguson ruling of 1896, and in this instance, the court ruled in favor of the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment of the Constitution. The court decided that segregation in public schools was unconstitutional, because schools for whites and blacks were not separate but equal, but rather separate and unequal.
Miranda v. Arizona, 1966
A man named Miranda was arrested and questioned for two hours, after which he signed a confession. He had, however, not been informed of his right to counsel, or that his words could be used against him in court. The Supreme Court ruling on what had happened determined that Miranda's confession could not be used at trial, because he had not been informed of his rights. This important Supreme /court case determined that everyone should be informed of their rights upon arrest (these rights are known as the Miranda Warning).
Wisconsin v. Yoder, 1972
This Supreme Court case was about the sovereignty of the Free Exercise of Religion Clause in the First Amendment. When three Amish students under the age of 16 were pulled from school for religious purposes by their parents, and Wisconsin had a law that required mandatory schooling until age 16, the Supreme Court ruling in the landmark case Wisconsin v. Yoder determined that federal and state mandates could not interfere with the free practice of religion of citizens.
Texas v. Johnson, 1989
A man named Johnson was arrested for burning an American flag, which, in Texas, was illegal. In this important case, however, the Supreme Court established that his demonstration conveyed a particular message, and it was supported by his right to free speech, under the First Amendment.
These are just a few of some of the most important Supreme Court case rulings in the last century. There are many others that have also helped to shape the nation.
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