Major Supreme Court Cases

Major Supreme Court CasesOr, who do these judges think they are interpreting the constitution?

SHS Social Studies

Marbury vs. Madison

Judicial Review is established.

SHS Social Studies

After the 1800 election, Adams appoints new judges… John Adams (Federalist) signs

appointments on his last night in office.

Thomas Jefferson (Democratic Republican) is to take over as President.

What political party do you think the judges Adams appointed belonged to? Why did he did this?

“midnight judges”- what these new judges were referred to.

William Marbury was one of these “midnight judges.”

Why is Madison involved? James Madison, TJs new Secretary of

State, was supposed to officially present Marbury with his new position…But he didn’t!

So… Marbury sued and appealed to the Supreme Court to get Madison to award him the position…

The Verdict.Supreme Court refuses to grant Marbury

his position!!Why?A section of the Judiciary Act of 1789

(which set up the federal court system in the first place) was unconstitutional and void.

Lasting ImpactThis is the first time the Supreme

Court overturns an act of Congress. Checks & balances in action!Judicial Review- Supreme Court’s

ability to declare a law or act unconstitutional

McCulloch v. Maryland

More major cases…

A Federalism case.

Federalism and the Issue Federalism: Coexistence of Federal, state, and

local POWERS Second Bank of the United States created Maryland tried to impede operation of the BUS imposed a tax on all notes of banks not

chartered in Maryland BUS was the only out-of-state bank in Maryland

Fundamental Issues Does the Constitution grants Congress implied

powers for implementing the Constitution's express powers?

Can a state’s action impede valid constitutional exercises of power by the Federal government?

The Verdict On the first question, Marshall argued that the

necessary and proper clause of the Constitution implied that Congress could charter a national bank

Congress was exercising of its explicit power to regulate interstate commerce and coin and regulate money.

On the second question, Marshall wrote that "the power to tax is the power to destroy”

Allowing the state to tax the national bank violated the supremacy clause (Article VI) of the Constitution.

The Bank therefore is legal

U. S. Constitution Article I: “The Congress shall have

power . . . to regulate commerce with foreign nations, and among the several states, and with the Indian tribes.”

Article VI: “This Constitution, and the laws of the United States which shall be made in pursuance thereof . . . shall be the supreme law of the land.”

Gibbons v. OgdenSteamboat ferries impacted the constitution? Really?

The commerce clause…

Ogden’s Steamboat MonopolyUnder a New York law adopted in 1798,

Robert Livingston obtained a monopoly, or exclusive right, for steamboat navigation within the state of New York.

Any boats that competed with this monopoly would be forfeited by the owner.

More facts… In 1815, after the deaths of Livingston and

Fulton, Aaron Ogden obtained a right under the monopoly and began to run a steamboat between New Jersey and New York City.

In 1818 Thomas Gibbons, one of Ogden’s former partners, began a competing operation between Elizabethtown, New Jersey, and New York City.

Ogden sued Gibbons for violation of his monopoly and in 1820 New York's highest court found in Ogden’s favor.

In the US Supreme Court The Supreme Court unanimously concluded

that the New York law granting the monopoly was invalid. Chief Justice John Marshall wrote the Court’s opinion.

Marshall: “Commerce, undoubtedly, is traffic, but it is something more…” Marshall concluded that commerce included all navigation that is “in any manner connected with commerce.”

Intra- versus Inter-State Commerce Marshall stated that the power of

Congress to regulate commerce did not include commerce that was “completely internal” and that did not “extend to or affect other States.” The states had the power to regulate such completely internal commerce. However, the issue before the Court concerned commerce between two states and therefore involved federal authority over commerce.

Plessy v. Ferguson & Brown v. Board of EducationQuick review—I know that you know these cases

14th Amendment Landmark Cases

Miranda v. ArizonaHow much power can the police exercise on a suspect?

Warren Court decision

Background Ernesto Miranda Arrested for

kidnapping and rape

Poor, uneducated, English may not have been his native language

Intensively questioned for 2 to 3 hours

The Interrogation Miranda was not told

that he had a right to remain silent.

He was not told that he had a right to an attorney.

After about 3 hours, police obtained a signed, written confession.

What Amendments Apply?5th: Self-

Incrimination6th: Right to an

attorney14th: Equal

protection of the laws

Ruling Miranda should have been told of these

rights Therefore, police must explain these to

anyone who is a suspect or arrested (once a suspect is in custody)

Police must ask “Do you understand these rights?”

A suspect can decide at any time to exercise these rights

Or, they can voluntarily waive them

Exclusionary Rule Illegally obtained evidence cannot be

used to convict a person of a crime. Statements made by any suspects was

not informed of his/her Miranda rights may be excluded from trial.

Statements made by any suspects who did not understand his/her Miranda Warning may be excluded from trial.

US v. Nixon

Executive privilege

First…Nixon and WatergateHe was a bad, bad boy.

Origins: Pentagon Papers Daniel Ellsberg, an employee

of the Defense Department , leaked a classified assessment (negative) of the Vietnam War in 1971 (Pentagon Papers)

Senior government officials had serious misgivings about the war.

New York Times and Washington Post began to publish the Pentagon Papers, the Nixon Administration sued (prior restraint)

Supreme Court ruled the papers could continue to publish the documents

White House Plumbers After the release of the

Pentagon Papers, the White House created a unit to ensure internal security (stop leaks)

1971: burglarized the office of Daniel Ellsberg’s psychiatrist, seeking material to discredit him.

Nixon’s domestic advisor John Ehrlichman knew of and approved the plan

Howard Hunt G. Gordon Liddy

James McCord Chuck Colson

The Watergate Break-in 1972: Plumbers turned

their activities to political espionage (re-elect Nixon)

June 17, 1972, 5 men were arrested while attempting to bug the headquarters of the Democratic Party inside the Watergate building in Washington D.C.

One of the men arrested, James McCord, was the head of security for the Republican Party.

The Election of 1972

Investigations Original investigation:

White House. Guess what they concluded?

Watergate came to be investigated by a Special Prosecutor, a Senate committee, and by the judge in the original break-in case

John Dean: testified about a cover-up

Alexander Butterfield: taping system in the Oval Office

Saturday Night Massacre

The TapesSirica: tapes are

evidence; Nixon: Executive Privilege

US v. Nixon: Supreme Court ruled tapes must ne turned over

Reasoning: the separation of powers, nor the generalized need for confidentiality of high-level communications, can sustain an absolute, unqualified, presidential privilege

The Tapes Tapes showed the cover-up:

authorizing the payment of hush money

attempting to use the CIA to interfere with the FBI investigation.

18 ½ minute gap Nixon’s secretary Rosemary

Woods “accidently” stepped on the mute button

Audio experts: it was erased at least 5 times

After “The smoking gun tapes,” were released in August 1974, the House Judiciary Committee approved Articles of Impeachment against Nixon

Nixon resigns later that month