WGU C963 Court Cases Exam
\.Brandenburg v. Ohio - Answer- 1969--Determined that a law that proscribes advocacy of
violence for political reform is constitutional if applied to speech that is not directed toward
producing imminent lawlessness and is not likely to produce such action is not constitutional.
\.Brown v Board ofEducation of Topeka (1954) - Answer- Supreme Court ruling that
overturned the Plessy v. Ferguson Supreme Court Case of 1896. "Separate but equal" is
Unconstitutional in the field of public education
\.Burwell v. Hobby Lobby - Answer- (2014) Allowed closely-held, for-profit corporations to be
exempt from a law its owners religiously object to if there is a less restrictive means of
furthering the law's interest.
\.Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission - Answer- A 2010 landmark Supreme Court
case that ruled that individuals, corporations, and unions could donate unlimited amounts of
money to groups that make independent political expenditures.
\.Cohen v. California - Answer- This case involved an arrest and conviction for disturbing the
peace for wearing a jacket expressing opposition to the draft (and the Vietnam War). The
conviction was overturned by the Supreme Court since his actions were silent and he made no
attempt to otherwise disturb the peace.
\.Dred Scott v. Sanford - Answer- Supreme Court case that decided US Congress did not have
the power to prohibit slavery in federal territories and slaves, as private property, could not be
taken away without due process - basically slaves would remain slaves in non-slave states and
slaves could not sue because they were not citizens
, \.Furman v. Georgia - Answer- This 1972 Supreme Court case struck down all state laws
allowing the death penalty stating that they allowed for too much discretion on the part of the
judge and jury resulting in lack of consistent administration of the penalty.
\.Gibbons v. Ogden - Answer- Regulating interstate commerce is a power reserved to the
federal government
\.Gideon v. Wainwright - Answer- A person who cannot afford an attorney may have one
appointed by the government
\.Gillette v. United States - Answer- Individual cannot use religion to get out of particular war,
must be against all wars
\.Grsiwold v. Connecticut - Answer- Although several state constitutions do list the right to
privacy as a protected right, the explicit recognition by the Supreme Court of a right to privacy
in the U.S. Constitution emerged only in the middle of the twentieth century. In this 1965 case,
the court spelled out the right to privacy for the first time in a case that struck down a state law
forbidding even married individuals to use any form of contraception.
\.Harper v. Virginia State Board of Elections - Answer- Struck down poll taxes at the state level
\.Korematsu v. US - Answer- 1944 Supreme Court case where the Supreme Court upheld the
order providing for the relocation of Japanese Americans. It was not until 1988 that Congress
formally apologized and agreed to pay $20,000 2 each survivor
\.Lemon v. Kurtzman - Answer- The 1971 Supreme Court decision that established that aid to
church-related schools must (1) have a secular legislative purpose; (2) have a primary effect that
neither advances nor inhibits religion; and (3) not foster excessive government entanglement
with religion.
\.Brandenburg v. Ohio - Answer- 1969--Determined that a law that proscribes advocacy of
violence for political reform is constitutional if applied to speech that is not directed toward
producing imminent lawlessness and is not likely to produce such action is not constitutional.
\.Brown v Board ofEducation of Topeka (1954) - Answer- Supreme Court ruling that
overturned the Plessy v. Ferguson Supreme Court Case of 1896. "Separate but equal" is
Unconstitutional in the field of public education
\.Burwell v. Hobby Lobby - Answer- (2014) Allowed closely-held, for-profit corporations to be
exempt from a law its owners religiously object to if there is a less restrictive means of
furthering the law's interest.
\.Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission - Answer- A 2010 landmark Supreme Court
case that ruled that individuals, corporations, and unions could donate unlimited amounts of
money to groups that make independent political expenditures.
\.Cohen v. California - Answer- This case involved an arrest and conviction for disturbing the
peace for wearing a jacket expressing opposition to the draft (and the Vietnam War). The
conviction was overturned by the Supreme Court since his actions were silent and he made no
attempt to otherwise disturb the peace.
\.Dred Scott v. Sanford - Answer- Supreme Court case that decided US Congress did not have
the power to prohibit slavery in federal territories and slaves, as private property, could not be
taken away without due process - basically slaves would remain slaves in non-slave states and
slaves could not sue because they were not citizens
, \.Furman v. Georgia - Answer- This 1972 Supreme Court case struck down all state laws
allowing the death penalty stating that they allowed for too much discretion on the part of the
judge and jury resulting in lack of consistent administration of the penalty.
\.Gibbons v. Ogden - Answer- Regulating interstate commerce is a power reserved to the
federal government
\.Gideon v. Wainwright - Answer- A person who cannot afford an attorney may have one
appointed by the government
\.Gillette v. United States - Answer- Individual cannot use religion to get out of particular war,
must be against all wars
\.Grsiwold v. Connecticut - Answer- Although several state constitutions do list the right to
privacy as a protected right, the explicit recognition by the Supreme Court of a right to privacy
in the U.S. Constitution emerged only in the middle of the twentieth century. In this 1965 case,
the court spelled out the right to privacy for the first time in a case that struck down a state law
forbidding even married individuals to use any form of contraception.
\.Harper v. Virginia State Board of Elections - Answer- Struck down poll taxes at the state level
\.Korematsu v. US - Answer- 1944 Supreme Court case where the Supreme Court upheld the
order providing for the relocation of Japanese Americans. It was not until 1988 that Congress
formally apologized and agreed to pay $20,000 2 each survivor
\.Lemon v. Kurtzman - Answer- The 1971 Supreme Court decision that established that aid to
church-related schools must (1) have a secular legislative purpose; (2) have a primary effect that
neither advances nor inhibits religion; and (3) not foster excessive government entanglement
with religion.
