home > Politics & History > Events
Tags: politics & history, events, videos, history, legal, supreme court
The Most Important Supreme Court Cases
Michael Gibson Quick: Can you name the most important Supreme Court cases in U.S. history? Yes? Well, can you explain them, in a nutshell, to anyone who asks? Impress your friends with your legal history knowledge by perusing this list of some of the biggest, most influential, far-reaching cases ever decided by the Supreme Court of the United States. Didn't see what you think is the most important case? Let us know in the comments!
- 1Up 17Down 4
We all know that criminal defendants have the right to a defense attorney - but that wasn't always the case. In 1963, the Supreme Court addressed the case of convicted Florida felon Clarence Earl Gideon. After being denied free legal counsel, Gideon defended himself at his trial - and was eventually convicted. The high Court ruled that the conviction should be overturned, determining that all defendants have a right to counsel in order to get a fair trial. - 2Up 12Down 1
This landmark case in 1803 established the United States' system of judicial review and directly contributed to the government's system of checks and balances of power. The Supreme Court addressed a legal fight involving William Marbury, who was picked (last minute) by outgoing President John Adams to become a District of Columbia justice of the peace. When Thomas Jefferson became the next president, he ordered his Secretary of State, James Madison, not to commission him. The high Court ruled that they really didn't have a say in this matter - but the case pointed out some very, very big loopholes in the system. As a result, the Supreme Court established so-called "judicial review" - offering the opportunity to revisit existing laws to see if they needed to be reworked. - 3Up 13Down 21954's Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka case saw the Supreme Court ruling that state laws establishing separate public schools for black and white students was wholly unconstitutional. The decision was instrumental - and, in part, gave birth to the Civil Rights Movement.
- 4Up 8Down 0In 1857, the Supreme Court ruled that slave Dred Scott was not a United States citizen and thus, he couldn't sue for his freedom in federal court. Scott claimed that because the family he was with took him to a free state (Illinois, one that did not recognize slavery), he should be freed. The high Court said it didn't have jurisdiction over the case, which brought the issue of slavery even more to the forefront than it already was at the time. This decision was much larger than just one person - this ruling excluded all African-Americans, free or slaves, from having any Constitutional rights (including the right to sue).
- 5Up 10Down 2The Supreme Court's 1973 ruling in the Roe v. Wade case remains one of the most controversial in U.S. history. Jane Roe (Norma McCorvey) was a pregnant Texas woman who sued the Dallas County D.A., saying the state law that made abortion a felony violated her rights to privacy. The Supreme Court ultimately decided that a woman's decision to have a first trimester abortion is within her constitutional right to privacy. State laws prohibiting first trimester abortions were abolished.
items 1 - 5 of 13
today on Ranker
start a list with results
close sorting window
Rank Name
use the search box to filter your list
leave a comment
The Most Important Supreme Court Cases at 9/15/2012 10:30 AM
The Most Important Supreme Court Cases at 8/31/2011 7:48 AM
certiorari to the supreme court of michigan
No. 09-150. Argued October 5, 2010--Decided February 28, 2011
Michigan police dispatched to a gas station parking lot found Anthony Covington mortally wounded. Covington told them that he had been shot by respondent Bryant outside Bryant's house and had then driven himself to the lot. At trial, which occurred before Crawford v. Washington, 541 U. S. 36, and Davis v. Washington, 547 U. S. 813, were decided, the officers testified about what Covington said. Bryant was found guilty of, inter alia, second-degree murder. Ultimately, the Michigan Supreme Court reversed his conviction, holding that the Sixth Amendment's Confrontation Clause, as explained in Crawford and Davis, rendered Covington's statements inadmissible testimonial hearsay.
Held: Covington's identification and description of the shooter and the location of the shooting were not testimonial statements because they had a "primary purpose . . . to enable police assistance to meet an ongoing emergency." Davis, 547 U. S., at 822. Therefore, their admission at Bryant's trial did not violate the Confrontation Clause. Pp. 5-32.
Simply put, this judgement makes no sense. When it comes to the Confrontation Clause, other than a dying declaration, intent should not be an issue. The opinion contradicts itself. To say that a statement was "not testimonial statements because they had a "primary purpose . . . to enable police assistance to meet an ongoing emergency."" is to say that they are not testimony and therefore should not be admissible as such! Secondly, as the statement was not admitted as a 'dying declaration' which was the exception in which a defendant could be denied the right to face their accusers, it's admission should not have been allowed. To allow such testimony is to allow unsubstantiated hearsay as evidence in a trail.
The Most Important Supreme Court Cases at 6/16/2011 6:21 PM