Landmark Supreme Court Casesby: James W. G.

Content Guide• Cherokee Nation v. Georgia (1831) – slide 3• Talton v. Mayes (1896) – slide 5• Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) – slide 6• Mendez v. Westminster (1945) – slide 8• Delgado v. Bastrop I.S.D. (1948) – slide 9• Sweatt v. Painter (1950) – slide 10• Hernandez v. Texas (1951) – slide 11• Brown v. Board of Education (1954) – slide 12• Edgewood I.S.D. v. Kirby (1968) – slide 14• Tinker v. Des Moines (1969) – slide 15• Wisconsin v. Yoder (1972) – slide 17• White v. Regester (1973) – slide 18

Cherokee Nation v. Georgia (1831)Who/Where?-members of the Cherokee Nation (tribe) living in Georgia

What?-Members of the Cherokee Nation, assuming they had the status of a foreign nation, sued the Georgia State Government for making laws they claimed were trying to destroy the Cherokee Nation and its way of life.

Why?-Does the Cherokee Nation have the rights of a foreign country according to the U.S. Constitution?

Impact:-The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Native American tribes were “domestic dependent nations”; and thus were subject to state and federal regulations. The Cherokee were relocated – “Trail of Tears”. 4,000 died during travel.

(Cherokee Nation members forced to relocate by US Army during the “Trail of Tears”)

Talton v. Mayes (1896)Who/Where?-Bob Talton was convicted by a Cherokee Nation court for murdering a fellow Cherokee man and was sentenced to death in Georgia.What?-Talton argued that his Cherokee Nation trial violated the 5th Amendment because his jury only had 5 members.Why?-Do Native American tribal courts have to abide by the regulations of the US Constitution? Impact:- The U.S. Supreme Court decided that the individual rights protections in the US Constitution do not apply to Native American tribal government.

Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)Who/Where?-Homer Plessy, an “octoroon” (1/8th African-American) man in New Orleans, Louisiana.

What?-The Separate Car Act law in Louisiana segregated African-Americans in passenger railroad cars. Plessy was arrested for trying to ride in a whites-only passenger car.

Why?-Does this law violate the 13th Amendment, and/or the “equal protection clause” in 14th Amendment?

Impact:-The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of Louisiana Law. This ruling was used to defend segregation by some in future cases.

Mendez v. Westminster (1945)Who/Where?-Gonzalo Mendez was not allowed to register at Westminster Main School, an all-white school in Orange County in California.

What?-separate public schools for Mexican children and children of Latin descent (segregation)

Why?-Does segregation of Mexican-American children deny them equal protection under the law?

Impact:-The case never reached the Supreme Court; California did not have a state law requiring segregation of Latino children.

Delgado v. Bastrop I.S.D. (1948)Who/Where?-Mexican-American children in various school districts. Del Rio, TX.

What?-separate public schools for Latin descent children (segregation)

Why?-If there is no state law requiring segregation of Mexican-American children and Anglo children, does it violate the equal protection clause?

Impact:-This case had little impact because children were still segregated based on language deficiency.

Sweatt v. Painter (1950)Who/Where?-Herman Sweatt an African-American man, at the University of Texas, in Austin.

What?-Sweatt wanted acceptance into the university’s law school.

Why?-Does the “equal protection clause” (in 14th Amendment) permit states to have separate law schools based on race?

Impact:-Supreme Court ruled in favor of Herman Sweatt, and consequently he was admitted into the UT law school.

Hernandez v. Texas (1951)Who/Where?-Pete Hernandez commits murder in Jackson County, Texas.

What?-The jury that found Hernandez guilty, and sentenced him to life in prison, was an all-Anglo (white) jury.

Why?-Was Hernandez denied equal protection under the law because it was an all-Anglo jury, even though 14% of the community was of Mexican descent?

Impact:-Justice Earl Warren overturned the conviction because the jury was not representative and excluded Mexicans from serving.

Brown v. Board of Education (1954)Who/Where?-Linda Brown, a third grader, had to travel 21 blocks from her home to a segregated African American school in Topeka, Kansas.

What?-separate public schools for African Americans (segregation)

Why?-Does segregation of public schools deny children equal protection under the law?

Impact:-Public schools were desegregated.

Edgewood I.S.D. v. Kirby (1968)Who/Where?-Demetrio Rodriguez and other parents with students in Edgewood I.S.D; San Antonio, Texas.

What?-Texas public school finance/disparities between school districts (funding based on property taxes)

Why?-Do the disparities between school districts violate the Texas Constitution’s duty to provide an efficient public school system?

Impact:-The Texas Supreme Court ruled in favor of Edgewood I.S.D., stating that children living in poor districts had less access to equal education.

Tinker v. Des Moines (1969)Who/Where?-Mary Beth Tinker, her brother John, and other students in Des Moines, Iowa

What?-Students protested the Vietnam War by wearing black armbands to school. The students were suspended for violating a school dress code rule.

Why?-Is wearing armbands to school as part of a protest considered a freedom of speech protected under the 1st Amendment?

Impact:-The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of the students and their 1st Amendment rights.

(Mary Beth Tinker and John Tinker)

Wisconsin v. Yoder (1972)Who/Where?-Jonas Yoder, Wallace Miller and Adin Yutzy (Amish children) in Green County, Wisconsin

What?-Three Amish students were charged with violating Wisconsin state law by not attending school. (Their parents made them drop-out after 8th grade.)

Why?-Can a state law require children to attend school, even if it goes against their religious beliefs (1st Amendment)?

Impact:-The US Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Amish children; claiming the state law violated the Free Exercise (of religion) Clause in the 1st Amendment.

White v. Regester (1973)Who/Where?-Mark White, the Secretary of the State of Texas (and later Texas Governor) dealt with multiple lawsuits filed against the Texas Legislature.

What?-Reapportionment of voting districts done by the state legislature every ten years based on the US. Census were not equal in population.

Why?-Did the Texas Legislature violate the U.S. Constitution and the 4th Amendment by having some districts with more people?

Impact:-The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in favor of White by stating that district reapportionment for the state (Texas) was not subject to the same standards as federal districts.