SCOTUS Cases

Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010)

• Citizens United is a political action group that produced a film critical of Barack Obama.

• Citizens United is a political action group that tried to air a film critical of Hillary Clinton ahead of the 2008 primary elections.

• Citizens United is a non-profit organization that supported the election of John McCain.

• Citizens United is a film production company that focused on documentaries about American history.

Gideon v. Wainwright (1963)

• Clarence Gideon was denied a court-appointed attorney in Florida for a felony

• Clarence Gideon was provided with a court-appointed attorney in Florida for a misdemeanor

• Clarence Gideon was tried without any legal representation in a civil case

• Clarence Gideon was represented by a private attorney in a felony case

Baker v. Carr (1962)

HOLDING

• YES

• NO

• MAYBE

• UNDECIDED

Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010)

Do restrictions on spending by companies violate the 1st amendment?

• Yes, they violate the 1st amendment

• No, they do not violate the 1st amendment

• Only if the company is a non-profit

• Only if the spending is for political purposes

McDonald v. Chicago (2010)

What was the holding of the case?

• The Second Amendment does not apply to state and local governments.

• The Second Amendment must also be protected by state and local governments.

• The Second Amendment only applies to federal jurisdictions.

• The Second Amendment is irrelevant to state laws.

Schenk v. US (1919)

• Schenk supported the draft during WWI

• Schenk distributed pamphlets opposing the draft during WWI

• Schenk was a soldier during WWI

• Schenk was arrested for espionage

Shaw v. Reno (1993)

• North Carolina created a racially gerrymandered district.

• North Carolina established a new voting law.

• Shaw v. Reno was a case about economic inequality.

• Reno was a case about environmental regulations.

McDonald v. Chicago (2010)

• The right to self-defense is protected by the Second Amendment and is incorporated to the states via the Due Process Clause

• The right to bear arms is only applicable to federal jurisdictions

• The Second Amendment does not apply to state laws

• Self-defense laws are determined solely by state legislation

Tinker v. Des Moines (1969)

• Symbolic speech is protected under the Free Speech clause of the First Amendment as long as it does not disrupt the educational environment.

• Symbolic speech is not protected under the Free Speech clause of the First Amendment in any circumstances.

• Only verbal speech is protected under the Free Speech clause of the First Amendment.

• Students have no rights to free speech in public schools.

Engel v. Vitale (1962)

• Government endorsement of religion is prohibited via the Establishment Clause of the 1st Amendment, and school prayers constitute such endorsement.

• School prayers are allowed as long as they are non-denominational.

• The Supreme Court ruled that school prayers are a matter of personal choice.

• The Establishment Clause only applies to federal government actions, not state actions.