The US Supreme Court hears important cases and rules on the constitutionality of laws. Controversial cases include Marbury v. Madison, Dred Scott v. Sandford, Plessy v. Ferguson, Brown v. Board of Education, and Roe v. Wade, which have had lasting impacts on politics, law, culture, and government.
The United States Supreme Court, the highest court in the judicial branch of government, hears important cases and rules on the constitutionality of laws. In the history of American government, there have been several controversial US Supreme Court cases that have had a lasting impact on politics, law, culture, and government.
One of the most controversial US Supreme Court cases in American history is Marbury v. Madison (1803), which declared an act of Congress unconstitutional. William Marbury, designated by President John Adams to serve as Justice of the Peace for the District of Columbia, did not receive this commission under the new Jefferson administration and sued the Secretary of State, James Madison, citing the Judiciary Act of 1789. The court he held that while Marbury was entitled to claim his seat, the Judiciary Act of 1789 was in direct opposition to the third article of the United States Constitution, which defines judicial jurisdiction. This case was and is controversial in American politics because the court ruled that the constitution takes precedence over legislative action.
Another of the notable controversial US Supreme Court cases is Dred Scott v. Sandford, decided by the court in 1857. Dred Scott, a freed slave, was moved to a pro-slavery state after his master’s death. He sued, arguing that since he had previously lived in a state where slavery was illegal, he should have been free. The court found that Dred Scott had no rights as a citizen, and also that blacks were not considered citizens. This was a hotly debated topic because during this period the country was divided over the issue of slavery and on the verge of civil war.
After the passage of the 13th amendment, which outlawed slavery in the United States, Congress passed the 14th amendment, which protected citizens equally from the law. However, many cases of segregation still existed in the United States. An example of this was Louisiana’s Separate Car Act which required railroad companies to provide “separate, but equal” accommodations for their passengers. In June of 1892, Homer Plessy, an African American man, traveled in a whites-only train car. He was arrested and his case eventually became one of the most controversial US Supreme Court cases in America. The court found him guilty in 1896, thus setting the precedent that if “separate, but equal” accommodations were provided, these would be protected by the Constitution.
The Brown v. Board of Education 1954 is probably the best-known American legal case and certainly one of the most controversial US Supreme Court cases in history. Although Plessy v. Ferguson had found separate but equal facilities to protect under constitutional law, in the Brown case, the Supreme Court ruled that states that provide separate educational facilities to school children, based on race, violated the 14th Amendment, supplementing thus schools across the country and opening the door to the controversial civil rights movement.
The 14th amendment also played an important role in the case of Roe v. Wade from 1973. Two lawyers, on behalf of a Texas woman (known as Roe), argued that a woman had a basic right to an abortion. The judges, in one of the most controversial cases of the US Supreme Court, ruled in favor of the plaintiff, thus overturning the state law. They concluded that the 14th Amendment to the Constitution provided for the right to privacy under the due process clause, making abortion legal in the United States. This issue is still hotly debated in America today, making the court’s decision a milestone in American history.
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