Schenck v. United States, Supreme Court, 1919 Facts of the Case During World War I, Charles Schenck, the General Secretary of the Socialist Party, distributed leaflets urging resistance to the draft. The leaflets argued that the draft violated the Thirteenth Amendment’s prohibition against involuntary servitude and encouraged draftees to petition for the repeal of the […]
Category: Court Case Library
Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District
Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District, Supreme Court, 1969 Facts of the Case In December 1965, a group of students in Des Moines, Iowa, decided to wear black armbands to school to protest the Vietnam War. The school authorities learned of the plan and preemptively announced a policy banning the wearing of armbands, […]
Bethel School District v. Fraser
Bethel School District v. Fraser, Supreme Court, 1986 Facts of the Case In April 1983, Matthew Fraser, a high school student in the Bethel School District in Washington, delivered a speech nominating a fellow student for a student government position during a school assembly. The speech contained sexual innuendos and vulgar language, though it did […]
West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette
West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette, Supreme Court, 1943 Facts of the Case In 1942, the West Virginia State Board of Education mandated that all students and teachers participate in a daily flag salute and pledge of allegiance. Refusal to comply was considered insubordination and could result in expulsion for students and dismissal […]
Morse v. Frederick
Morse v. Frederick, Supreme Court, 2007 Facts of the Case In January 2002, Joseph Frederick, a high school student in Juneau, Alaska, displayed a banner reading “BONG HiTS 4 JESUS” during a school-supervised event. The event was held to watch the Olympic Torch relay pass through the city. Deborah Morse, the school principal, demanded that […]
Gregg v. Georgia
Gregg v. Georgia, Supreme Court, 1976 Facts of the Case Troy Leon Gregg was convicted of armed robbery and murder and sentenced to death under Georgia’s revised death penalty statute. This statute was designed to address the constitutional issues identified in Furman v. Georgia by implementing a bifurcated trial process, where the guilt and penalty […]
Furman v. Georgia, Supreme Court
Furman v. Georgia, Supreme Court, 1972 Facts of the Case William Henry Furman was burglarizing a private home when a resident discovered him. In an attempt to flee, Furman tripped and his gun accidentally discharged, killing the resident. Furman was convicted of murder and sentenced to death. He challenged the constitutionality of his death sentence, […]
New York Times Co. v. Sullivan
New York Times Co. v. Sullivan, Supreme Court, 1964 Facts of the Case In 1960, the New York Times published a full-page advertisement titled “Heed Their Rising Voices,” which criticized the police department of Montgomery, Alabama, for their treatment of civil rights protesters. L.B. Sullivan, the Montgomery city Public Safety Commissioner, claimed that the ad […]
Bantam Books, Inc. v. Sullivan, Supreme Court, 1963
Bantam Books, Inc. v. Sullivan, Supreme Court, 1963 Facts of the Case The Rhode Island Commission to Encourage Morality in Youth was established to review and classify books and other publications it considered “objectionable” for sale to youth. The commission sent notices to booksellers, informing them that certain publications were deemed objectionable and requesting their […]