A Landmark Supreme Court Case - 856 Words

A landmark Supreme Court case is one in which a precedence is set and there is an impact on society. There are many reasons for the importance of landmark cases and the studying of such cases. Some of these reasons are to study how the judicial branch works, try to understand how decisions made in the judicial branch affects laws and everyday life, and predict how current issues and cases will be affected by past decisions (The Judicial Learning Center, 2012). There are many examples of Supreme Court cases that are considered to be a landmark, but one example is Texas vs. Johnson. Outside of the 1984 Republican National Convention in Dallas, Texas, many people protested President Ronald Reagan’s policies. Among the protestors was one man named Gregory Lee Johnson. This man was so upset by the policies of the President that he burned an American flag in protest. By doing this, a statute in Texas was violated. This statute prevented the desecration of an American flag if it could possibly anger other people amongst the protest. Johnson was arrested and charged with this violation. He was later tried in court and convicted, but he made an appeal stating that by burning the flag he was expressing his rights of â€Å"symbolic speech† which are protected by the first amendment (uscourts.gov). The definition of symbolic speech is the same as a term called â€Å"speech plus†. This is a form of expression in which behavior is used by itself or in coordination with written or spokenShow MoreRelatedLandmark Supreme Court Cases Project Essay1293 Words   |  6 PagesLandmark Supreme Court Cases Project Part I Judicial Activism- When judges deny legislators or the executive the power to do something unconstitutional. Judicial Restraint- A legal term that describes a type of judicial interpretation that emphasizes the limited nature of the courts power. Judicial restraint asks judges to base their judicial decisions solely on the concept of stare decisis. Precedent- A legal decision or form of proceeding serving as an authoritative rule or pattern in futureRead MoreCase Study : Gideon V. Wainwright1359 Words   |  6 PagesLandmark U.S. Supreme Court Case Study Name of Case: ____Gideon v. Wainwright_________ Year: ___1963____ 1. What is the essential question of this case? Did the state courts failure to appoint a lawyer for Gideon violate his right to a fair trial and due process of law as protected by the Sixth and Fourteenth Amendments? 2. Using the evidence you found during your reading, summarize the background of this case in three complete sentences. A witness saw Clarence Earl Gideon break into Bay HarborRead MoreV. Ohio : Illegal Search And Seizure1144 Words   |  5 PagesSearch and Seizure Sara Webster Liberty High Liberty High School 4A Mapp v. Ohio was a historical case in which the United States Supreme Court declared that all evidence obtained in violation of the Fourth Amendment, could not be held against you in court (Landmark Cases of the U.S. Supreme Court, 2015). The exclusionary rule and selective incorporation were applied to this case. The ?exclusionary rule? which prevents the government from using most evidence gathered in violation of theRead MoreCase Study: Tinker vs. Des Moines795 Words   |  3 PagesCase Study: Tinker v. Des Moines The Vietnam War was, and still is, a highly controversial subject within American history and politics. Thousands of Americans took to the streets to show their discontent for the nations actions abroad. It was during this time that Tinker v. Des Moines took place, forever changing the way the nation viewed free speech. The case of Tinker v. Des Moines revolved around Americans discontent for the actions the country was taking overseas in Vietnam. In 1965Read MoreLoving vs. The Commonwealth of Virginia: Significance in Marriage Law1174 Words   |  5 PagesLoving v. Virginia Significance in Marriage Law A case is said to be landmark when it produces a precedent that is regarded as law by jurists during other cases. These cases are seen as such, generally, because they change the direction of the people making the laws and sitting on the courts, and forge a new path for justice which is more often than not seen as a perfection of the law. One such case occurred in Loving v. The Commonwealth of Virginia in 1967. The original complaint was made inRead MoreBrown V Board Of Education1386 Words   |  6 PagesLandmark Supreme Court Cases ï  ¬ Brown v Board of Education (1954) ïÆ'Ëœ The Background: In the 1950’s, schools were separated by race. Linda Brown and her sister had to walk down a dangerous railroad switchyard to get to the bus stop to their all-black elementary school. There was an all-white school closer to the Brown’s house, and the Brown family believed that segregated schools violated the Constitution. ïÆ'Ëœ The Constitutional Issue: This issue violated the Equal Protection Clause of the FourteenthRead MoreMapp Vs. Ohio State1291 Words   |  6 PagesMapp vs. Ohio State(1961) Background: In the Mapp vs Ohio state court case, the issue disputed was when the appellant Dollree Mapp was convicted of possessing â€Å"obscene† materials after an illegal police search of her home for a fugitive. During the year of 1961, Ohio police were looking for a criminal accused of a bombing and had been told that he was hiding in Dollree Mapp s house. Police acted quickly and came to her house but when she didn t answer the door, police officers forced themselvesRead MoreEssay on Judicial Review980 Words   |  4 PagesConstitution. Judicial review gives the court the power to review and change laws and government acts that violate the Constitution (Huq, n.d.). Allowing the court system this power helps prevent government officials from using the Constitution to illegally use their position in making laws and regulations in the United States. The judicial review was first used in an unusual way and under unusual circumstances. The most important case in Supreme Court History was in 1803 with Marbury v. Madison;Read MoreHazelwood vs. Kuhlmeier, An essay.1047 Words   |  4 Pages Should a school be able to censor their students? This question has reached the supreme court multiple times, such as in this case, or in Tinker vs. Des Moines. While restricting a freedom may be annoying, it can be necessary, but when is it dictatorship, and when is it necessary? That is what is questioned in this court case. The U.S. Supreme Court had a difficult decision in the court case of Hazelwood vs. Kuhlmeier, and they were right in their ruling, because even though censorship is oftenRead MoreThe Landmark Case Of Griswold V. Connecticut Served As A Precedent For Following Landmark Cases Regarding Privacy893 Words   |  4 PagesThe landmark case of Griswold v. Connecticut served as a precedent for following landmark cases regarding privacy. First I will like to discuss the effect this decision made on an organization. It is important, because this organization is a large vehicle to the effort of birth control. Planned Parenthood, is an organization which offer its services to help family control pregnancies, counsels young woman on abortion, and it s a lead voice in protection of the body of the female over the offspring