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Sypnosis of Important SUpreme Court Cases
Marbury Vs. Madison
Marbury Vs. Madicon case the Supreme Court reaffirmed that the Constitution gave the Court the authority of Judicial Review. The Judicial Review gave the court the power to review acts of the Legislative and the court could overrule the law.
McCulloch vs Maryland
In the McCulloch vs Maryland, Maryland attempted to impede operation of a branch of the Second Bank of the US by imposing a tax on all notes of banks not charted in Maryland. This fundamental case established the following two principles: 1. The Article I, Section 8, Necessary and Proper Clause of the US Constitution grants Congress implied powers inherent as a blueprint for a practically functional government.
2. Is that state action may not impede valid constitutional exercises of power by the Federal government.
Miranda vs Arizona
Miranda v. Arizona dealt with the need for individuals in police custody to understand their constitutional rights before being questioned by police. The specific protections addressed are the Fifth Amendment right not to incriminate oneself, and the Sixth Amendment right to legal counsel. The "fundamentals of fairness" standard, derived from the Fourteenth Amendment Equal Protection Clause, demands that the accused be aware of his (or her) options in dealing with police so he can make informed decisions and not unwittingly act against his best interest.
Plessy vs Ferguson
Plessy v. Ferguson was the landmark US Supreme Court case that legalized discrimination against African-Americans and gave credence to the "separate but equal" doctrine. Plessy, and the Jim Crow laws that flourished in the South due to the Supreme Court legitimizing segregation, were not formally discredited until 1954, in Brown v. Board of Education, (1954). Even then, the federal government did little to dismantle segregation and other discriminatory laws until Congress passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The battle for equal treatment under the law has been long, and is still ongoing.
In order to understand the case better, it is helpful to consider it in terms of the historical and social context of the times.
In order to understand the case better, it is helpful to consider it in terms of the historical and social context of the times.
Brown vs Topeka Board of Education
This case was a landmark United States Supreme Court case that the court declared state laws establishing separate public schools for black and white students unconstitutional.