Supreme Court Cases (updated 12/11/12)

Marbury v. Madison (1803) Marbury one of the midnight appointee sued Madison for not giving his commission. Ruling- Marbury had the right to his commission, but the Judiciary Act was unconstitutional. Established principal of Judicial Review- Supreme Court has the last say whether or not a law is constitutional or not. Fletcher v. Peck (1810) - first case, in which the Supreme Court ruled a state law unconstitutional, the decision also helped create a growing precedent for the sanctity of legal contracts, and hinted that Native Americans did not hold title to their own lands. Dartmouth College v Woodward (1819) - President of the college tried to change Dartmouth into a public institution. Ruling- A contract cannot be changed without the consent of both parties. Also this case limited states ability to interfere with contracts McCulloch v. Maryland (1819) Maryland didnt like the Federal Bank so they decided to put a tax on it. Case Ruling- Congress had the power to create a bank if it wanted to, because it had the implied power to do so. Also it prohibited states from placing a tax or federally created bank. The power to tax is the power to destroy. Gibbons v. Ogden (1821) - Ruling stated that only Congress had the right to regulate commerce between states. Also this case emphasized that federal government had more power than state government. Cohens v. Virginia (1821) - The main issue in the case was the issue of whether the Supreme Court had jurisdiction to hear an appeal in a criminal case decided by the courts of the states. RulingSupreme court has the power to review all decisions of the state supreme courts in all questions involving powers of the federal government. Once again federal > state Cherokee Nation v. Georgia (1831) Ruling- The tribe was a separate nation and therefore did not have the right to sue Georgia. The case established the idea that Native Americans are a separate nation in United States. Worchester v. Georgia (1832) Ruling- Indian nations were "distinct, independent political communities retaining their original natural rights. The Cherokee Nation remained a separate, sovereign nation with a legitimate title to its national territory. Marshall harshly rebuked Georgia for its actions and declared that the Cherokees possessed the right to live free from the state's trespasses. Andrew Jackson opposed Marshall favoring the Cherokee Nation, and therefore continued with the removal of the Indians in Georgia. Dred Scott v. Sanford (1857) The court ruled that the 36 30 provision of the Missouri Compromise was unconstitutional and slavery could be allowed anywhere in the United States. Also stated slaves were not citizens and therefore had no right to sue. Also the court ruled slaves were property. Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) Ruling- Segregation is allowed however both facilities have to be equal. Separate but equal. In reality this was never the case. In re Debs (1895) - United States Supreme Court decision handed down concerning Eugene V. Debs and labor unions. Debs challenged the federal injunction ordering the strikers back to work the injunction had been issued because of the violent nature of the Pullman strike. However, Debs refused to end the strike and was subsequently cited for contempt of court. Court ruled that the government had a right to regulate interstate commerce and ensure the operations of the Postal Service, along with a responsibility to "ensure the general welfare of the public." Munn v. Illinois (1877) case dealing with corporate rates and agriculture. The Munn case allowed states to regulate certain businesses within their borders, including railroads, and is commonly regarded as a milestone in the growth of federal government regulation. Wabash v. Illinois (1886) - Supreme Court decision that severely limited the rights of states to control interstate commerce. It led to the creation of the Interstate Commerce Commission.