Important Civil Right Cases

Introduction to the Assignment Today, we will be looking at six major civil rights cases that were decided upon by the Supreme Court. We are looking to understand what was the problem of the case, what was the verdict, and how the decision impacted our country. Plessy v. Ferguson Plessy v. Ferguson was an important U.S. Supreme Court case concerning whether racial segregation laws were constitutional. These laws required African Americans and whites to use different public facilities (see Jim Crow law). For example, there were separate schools, parks, water fountains, and bathrooms for African Americans and for whites, as well as separate sections of buses and theaters. Plessy v. Ferguson was decided on May 18, 1896.The court’s decision in the case established the controversial doctrine of “separate but equal.” According to this doctrine, laws that required African Americans and whites to use separate public facilities were constitutional as long as the facilities were reasonably equal. (In fact, public facilities for African Americans were inferior to those intended for whites.)The Plessy v. Ferguson decision served as a controlling judicial precedent for more than 50 years. The Supreme Court overturned the decision in 1954 in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka. What was the problem the court decision was trying to solve? Whether or not segregation was constitutional Whether or not failing to provide education and government documents in just English was constitutional Whether or not providing a lawyer to a defendant was a constitutional right Whether or not states can restrict a woman's right to abortion What was the decision? Women had a right to have an abortion Segregation was legal as long as it "equal" The government could torture individuals if it was a matter of national security Having a lawyer was a constitutional right What was the impact of the verdict? Denied women the right to an abortion Made it easier for poor citizens to defend themselves in court Made segregation legal Provided the foundation of our educational system Brown v. Board of Education What was the problem the court was trying to decide? Whether or not racially segregated public schools violate the Equal Protection Clause Whether or not burning an American flag was constitutional Whether or not drinking alcohol was constitutional Whether or not citizens had the right for militias What was the decision? Burning an American flag was protected by the 1st amendment Segregation was legal under the constitution "Separate schools are inherently unequal." Women had the right to have an abortion What was the impact of the decision? Paved the way for the Civil Rights movement's efforts against public segregation Entrenched segregation in the country's laws for decades Made it illegal to own property if you were Native American Made it legal to trade and buy marijuana Hernandez v. Texas BackgroundPete Hernandez, a Mexican-American agricultural worker, was convicted for the 1950 murder of Joe Espinosa. Hernandez's legal team, including Gustavo C. García, wanted to challenge what they knew was "the systematic exclusion of persons of Mexican origin" from all types of jury duty in at least seventy counties in Texas. His defense lawyers argued that persons of Mexican descent had not been allowed to serve on juries even though numerous Mexican Americans were citizens and had qualified for jury duty in Jackson County. Even though 14 percent of the county was Hispanic, none had served on juries for at least the last 25 years. This meant Hernandez had been deprived of his Fourteenth Amendment rights. Hernandez and his lawyers appealed to the Supreme Court of Texas, then to the United States Supreme Court.RulingThe unanimous majority opinion was delivered by Chief Justice Earl Warren. The Court ruled the Fourteenth Amendment protects persons beyond the racial classes of White or Black and extends protection to other racial or national groups, as well as legal classes. Mexican Americans were such a "special class" and were entitled to equal protection under the Fourteenth Amendment.VerdictPete Hernandez was granted a new trial with a jury that included Mexican Americans. Hernandez was found to be guilty of murder. The ultimate effect of this ruling was that the protection of the 14th Amendment was ruled to cover any racial, national, and ethnic groups of the United States for which discrimination could be proved. The Court's ruling served as a legal precedent used in legal challenges against unfair housing laws, school segregation, and voting rights of Mexican Americans nationwide. What was the problem the case was trying to solve? Whether or segregation was constitutional Whether or not other racial groups other than White or Black were protected by the constitution Whether or not segregating Mexican children was constitutional Whether or not burning an American flag in protest was constitutional What was the decision? Separate but equal was unconstitutional Slavery was allowed to be practiced again Mexicans were not protected by the constitution The constitution protects any racial, ethnic, or national group What was the impact of the decision? Prevented non-whites from voting for another 40 years Allowed Mexican immigration to resume Allowed Mexican and Hispanic Americans to fight back against discriminatory practices Abolished segregation in America Tinker v. De Moines What was the problem the case was trying to solve? Whether or not students and teachers losing their 1st amendment privileges when they step on school grounds constitutional Whether or not separate but equal was constitutional Whether or not Hispanics were protected by the constitution Whether or not burning an American flag in protest was constitutional What was the decision? d Separate but Equal is protected is by the constitution Burning an American flag is protected by the constitution Student's freedom of speech can only be prohibited if it disrupts Hispanics are not protected by the constitution What was the impact of the decision? The decision has continued protection of students' rights The decision entrenched segregation for decades Prevented Hispanics from gaining their rights for another 20 years Stopped citizens from protesting the Vietnam War Wisconsin v. Yoder Background:In 1971, the state of Wisconsin fined three Amish families for refusing to send their children to school beyond the eighth grade. Wisconsin law stipulated that all children had to attend school until age 16, but the Yoder, Miller, and Yutzy families believed that further education for their children would damage their religious beliefs. The Amish believe in simplicity, and the families considered worldly education harmful to maintaining their way of life.Although the Amish do not believe in undertaking legal action, a foundation set up on their behalf brought suit. They argued that the Wisconsin law violated the free exercise clause of the First Amendment, which states that “Congress shall make no law . . . prohibiting the free exercise [of religion]."VerdictYes, the Wisconsin law violated the Amish families’ right to free exercise of religion. The Court agreed that mandatory high school education was likely to damage the religious upbringing of the Amish students. Since the Amish community is well-established, the Court believed its children were unlikely to become a burden on society. In Wisconsin v. Yoder, the Court prioritized free exercise of religion over the state interest in an educated populace. The Court ruled that the individual liberty to worship freely outweighed the state’s interest in forcing students to attend school. What was the problem the case was trying to solve? Whether or not Hispanics protected by the constitution? Whether or not students and teachers have constitutional rights in school Whether or not requiring all students to attend school despite their religious beliefs is constitutional Whether or not schools being forced to give instruction only in English was constitutional What was the decision? Requiring the Amish to go to school did violate the First Amendment Freedom of speech in schools was protected by the constitution Schools did have to provide education in languages other than English Hispanics were protected by the constitution