Famous American Legal Cases

Topic: Do racially segregated public schools violate the equality clause? Result: Yes. A unanimous court struck down Plessy v. Ferguson, arguing that state laws requiring or permitting racially segregated schools violated the equality clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. The court stated that “separate educational institutions are inherently unequal.” Significance: Brown is considered a landmark decision in the history of the Supreme Court, Plessy v. Ferguson (1896), who created the doctrine “separate, but equal.” In Plessy, the court ruled that while a Louisiana law required rail passengers to be separated on the basis of race, there was no violation of the Fourteenth Amendment`s equality clause as long as the dwellings in question were “separate but equal.” By repealing this doctrine, Brown Court helped lay the groundwork for the civil rights and integration movement across the country. The case: This case occurred in 1999 when Massachusetts, 11 other states, and several environmental organizations asked the EPA to regulate carbon dioxide in new motor vehicles because it was a pollutant. The EPA rejected the petition, saying it did not have the legal authority to regulate it. Subject: Are the police constitutionally obliged to inform persons in police custody of their right to remain silent and to be lawyers? Result: Yes, the court found that the Fifth and Sixth Amendments require police to inform people in custody that they have the right to remain silent and to be counseled. According to the court, if the police do not do so, a criminal judge may decide that statements made by the accused during the trial cannot be admitted as evidence. Meaning: The now famous “Miranda warnings” are required before a police interrogation can begin if any of the evidence obtained during the interrogation is to be used in a trial. the Court has limited and qualified these warnings over the years.

The Supreme Court`s decision on same-sex marriage will immediately enter the pantheon of landmark Supreme Court cases, and for good reason. It regulates the great issue of civil rights at the beginning of the 21st century. This is another famous case of the Supreme Court, which created a code of conduct for law enforcement. It was one of the first of many verdicts aimed at regulating the police and how the rights of criminals are protected during investigations and trials. There are several famous Supreme Court cases that have single-handedly changed the legal industry and the lives of Americans since their founding in 1789. Numerous Supreme Court decisions have changed women`s rights, race relations, freedom of expression, etc. The verdicts were not always for the best – the court faced controversies over judgments that ultimately led to greater division within social classes and had a negative impact on disadvantaged or minority groups. This decision changed the legal system forever and led to the lifting of other cases as law enforcement did not read their Miranda rights to a person. The court showed that even criminal proceedings based on unconstitutional interrogation methods can easily be overturned or constitute grounds for misconduct. This case repealed all laws that made abortion illegal before a fetus was viable and gave women more power over their bodies and children.

He made access to abortion a constitutional right. Gideon was eventually sentenced to 5 years in prison. He then filed a petition known as habeas corpus writ with the Florida Supreme Court, in which he said the lawyer`s refusal violated his constitutional rights. After the petition was rejected, he wrote another petition to the U.S. Supreme Court, which led to a unanimous decision in his favor. The Supreme Court has concluded that people charged with a crime and unable to pay for a lawyer are within their rights under the Sixth Amendment and must be appointed as free legal counsel. The Decision: The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that any violation of Fourth Amendment law against unlawful searches and seizures renders evidence inadmissible in court. Justice Clark wrote in his majority opinion that the “exclusion rule” that prohibits the use of illegally obtained evidence in criminal proceedings is essential. Honor important personalities in related brown v. Board of Education and Mendez v.

Westminster with a theatrical presentation for readers. In Time Magazine`s list of the worst Supreme Court cases since 1960, editors concluded that this case permeates the idea that discrimination against the poor does not violate the Constitution and that education is not a fundamental right. Jeffrey Dahmer became famous for his sadistic crimes such as the murder, mutilation and cannibalization of male victims in his apartment. Dahmer`s case was popularized by the Milwaukee Sentinel and the Milwaukee Journal. The defence invoked insanity; However, the jury found him guilty. He was sentenced to 15 life sentences. He was beaten to death in a prison bath. Not all serial killers add a scary atmosphere to the community. In fact, some had an honest reputation in the community, which led to a delay in the investigation. For example, John Wayne Gacy worked as “Pogo”, the clown, which seemed very innocent and welcoming to the families in the neighborhood. Sadly, John Wayne Gacy raped and murdered at least 33 teenagers and young men.

Gacy buried the remains of his victims in a crawl space in his own home. In addition, he threw some of his victims on a nearby river. The media claimed that Gacy was a mass murderer, which brought him national attention. He was finally executed by lethal injection in 1994. According to James Salzman, a professor of environmental law and policy at Duke University, the recognition of climate change science has put this case on the legal map by the majority.