Here are 15 significant cases interpreting the Constitution by the US Supreme Court with their case citations and key holdings:
- Marbury v. Madison (1803) [5 U.S. 137]
- Established the principle of judicial review, allowing the Supreme Court to declare laws unconstitutional.
- McCulloch v. Maryland (1819) [17 U.S. 316]
- Confirmed the supremacy of federal over state law and interpreted the Constitution to allow for implied powers of the federal government.
- Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857) [60 U.S. 393]
- Ruled that African Americans, whether enslaved or free, could not be American citizens and that the federal government had no power to regulate slavery in federal territories.
- Plessy v. Ferguson (1896) [163 U.S. 537]
- Upheld racial segregation laws for public facilities under the doctrine of “separate but equal.”
- Brown v. Board of Education (1954) [347 U.S. 483]
- Overturned Plessy v. Ferguson, declaring that racial segregation in public schools is unconstitutional.
- Mapp v. Ohio (1961) [367 U.S. 643]
- Established that evidence obtained in violation of the Fourth Amendment, which protects against “unreasonable searches and seizures,” is inadmissible in state courts.
- Gideon v. Wainwright (1963) [372 U.S. 335]
- Held that the Sixth Amendment’s right to counsel in criminal cases extends to felony defendants in state courts.
- Miranda v. Arizona (1966) [384 U.S. 436]
- Established Miranda rights, requiring police to inform suspects of their rights before interrogation.
- Loving v. Virginia (1967) [388 U.S. 1]
- Invalidated laws prohibiting interracial marriage.
- Roe v. Wade (1973) [410 U.S. 113]
- Ruled that a state law that banned abortions (except to save the life of the mother) was unconstitutional. See,Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization (2022) [No. 19-1392]
- Overturned Roe v. Wade, ruling that the Constitution does not confer a right to abortion, thereby returning the authority to regulate abortion to the individual states. This decision marked a significant shift in abortion law in the United States, impacting federal and state-level policies and legal frameworks surrounding reproductive rights.
- Ruled that a state law that banned abortions (except to save the life of the mother) was unconstitutional. See,Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization (2022) [No. 19-1392]
- United States v. Nixon (1974) [418 U.S. 683]
- Limited the power of the president to claim executive privilege.
- Bush v. Gore (2000) [531 U.S. 98]
- Resolved the 2000 presidential election in favor of George W. Bush by stopping the recount of votes in Florida.
- Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010) [558 U.S. 310]
- Held that the free speech clause of the First Amendment prohibits the government from restricting independent expenditures for political campaigns by corporations, associations, or labor unions.
- Obergefell v. Hodges (2015) [576 U.S. 644]
- Legalized same-sex marriage nationwide.
- District of Columbia v. Heller (2008) [554 U.S. 570]
- Held that the Second Amendment protects an individual’s right to possess a firearm for traditionally lawful purposes.