U.S. Supreme Court rulings that have a significant impact on society are often referred to as "Landmark decisions" or "Landmark cases". The following list summarizes milestone rulings by year, through 2008. Cases considered to be of particular historical importance are marked with an asterisk (*).
- 1796 Hylton v. United States
Upheld the constitutionality of a fine Congress imposed against a transportation company that failed to pay a federal tax. This was the first time the Supreme Court ruled on the constitutionality of an act of Congress. - 1803 Marbury v. Madison
Upheld the right of Marbury to occupy the position of justice of the peace of a certain district because the President (Madison) signed and sealed the appointment, despite Congress' attempt to block the appointment. This was the first time the Supreme Court formally defined its role as a court of review. They also admonished Congress for trying to legislate greater authority to the Court than the Constitution allowed.
- 1816 Martin v. Hunter's Lessee
The Supreme Court asserted its right to review decisions of the state courts. - 1819 Dartmouth v. Woodward
Decided that the government could not terminate a contract between two parties unilaterally. - 1819 McCullough v. Maryland
Upheld the constitutionality of the Bank of the United States, based on the "spirit of the Constitution," rather than on a literal interpretation of the articles. - 1824 Gibbons v. Ogden
Invalidated a monopoly enacted by New York state with regard to operating steamboats in state waters. Established the principle that Federal law supersedes state law. - 1831 Cherokee Nation v. Georgia
Ruled that the Supreme Court lacked jurisdiction over a dispute between the state of Georgia and the Cherokee Nation because the Cherokee were a "domestic dependent," not a foreign country. - 1832 Worcester v. Georgia
Declares a Georgia state law requiring residents of Cherokee territory to obtain a permit for living on the land because the demand conflicted with a federal treaty. - 1833 Barron v. Baltimore
Ruled that the Bill of Rights only offered individual protection from the federal government, and was not binding upon state governments. - 1837 Charles River Bridge v. Warren Bridge
Decided that a state can't grant a monopoly to, or protect from competition, any company when the charter is against the public interest. - 1841 Amistad*
Freed Africans who had been enslaved in violation of Spanish law, and who had mutinied against the captain and crew of the Spanish ship, Amistad. - 1842 Prigg v. Pennsylvania
Invalidated a Pennsylvania "personal liberty" law that prevented slaveholders from reclaiming runaway slaves residing in that state. Also ruled Pennsylvania had no obligation to assist in returning runaway slaves. - 1847 License Cases
Upheld Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Rhode Island laws taxing the sale of alcohol, against the argument that such laws impinge on interstate commerce. - 1849 Luther v. Borden
Ruled that Congress determines which state government it recognizes in cases of attempts to overthrow a government, and that this was a proprietary decision not under the jurisdiction of the courts. - 1857 Dred Scott v. Sandford*
Ruled neither slave nor free African-Americans were citizens of the United States, and were not entitled to sue in federal court. Also ruled that freemen traveling through slave-holding states had no right to freedom if captured. Also ruled the Missouri Compromise unconstitutional because it deprived people of property without due process. - 1859 Abelman v. Booth
When the Wisconsin Supreme Court freed an abolitionist convicted of violating the Fugitive Slave Act, the U.S. Supreme Court declared state courts could not override federal laws. - 1861 Ex Parte Merryman
Decided that the U.S. President lacked the right to interfere in Supreme Court orders when the President tried to suspend a writ of habeas corpus Chief Justice Taney issued against a military officer. - 1863 Prize Cases
Upheld the legality of Lincoln's blockade of Confederate ports and allowing the Union to seize neutral shipping. - 1864 Ex Parte Vallandigham
Decided the Supreme Court lacked jurisdiction to interfere with a military court proceeding. - 1866 Ex Parte Milligan
Declared military courts unconstitutional in areas where civil courts were in operation. Stated the U.S. Constitution applies regardless of peace or war. - 1867 Ex Parte Garland
Declared state and federal loyalty oaths preventing former Confederates from pursuing their occupations unconstitutional because they violated a Constitutional prohibition against ex post facto laws. Garland argued he was being unfairly punished for an act he had been pardoned for. - 1867 Cummings v. Missouri
Applied the decision in Garland to the case of a minister who was tried for preaching and teaching. Declared, among other things, that a person cannot be made to testify against himself in court. - 1869 Veazie Bank v. Fenno
Upheld the right of Congress to impose taxes on state bank notes because the intent was to eliminate state currency in order to promote a federal currency and stabilize the banking system. - 1871 Collector v. Day
Ruled that the federal government could not tax the income of a state official (overturned in 1939). - 1873 Slaughterhouse Cases
Ruled that the 14th Amendment applied only to federal violations of individual rights, and that states were exempt. Also held that equal protection applied only to state laws discriminating against African-Americans. - 1875 Civil Rights Cases
Held that Congress had no right to impose laws requiring equal treatment for African-Americans on private businesses.
- 1877 Munn v. Illinois
First of the "Granger Cases."Upheld states' rights to regulate businesses that involved the public interest. - 1879 Strauder v. West Virginia
Ruled that the 14th Amendment prohibits states courts from excluding people from juries because of race. - 1881 Springer v. United States
Upheld the constitutionality of the federal income tax imposed during the Civil War. - 1883 Civil Rights Cases
Joint ruling on several petitions on the applicability of the 1875 Civil Rights Act, "An Act to protect all citizens in their civil and legal rights." 18 Stat. 335, and struck down as unconstitutional the first two sections of the Act. The various suits involved racial discrimination against African-Americans by private businesses. Declared the Act applied only to wrongful acts by states, not by individuals and businesses. - 1884 Ex Parte Yarbrough
Upheld Congress' authority to prohibit individuals from interfering with any citizen's right to vote in a federal election. - 1886 Yick Wo v. Hopkins
Invalidated a San Francisco ordinance unfairly regulating the operation of laundries because the ordinance was administered in a way that applied only to Chinese immigrants. - 1886 Santa Clara Co. v. Southern Pacific RR Co.
Extended the protection of due process to business enterprises. - 1886 Wabash, St. Louis & Pacific RR v. Illinois
Struck down a state law regulating transportation contracts because the federal government held sole jurisdiction over interstate commerce. - 1890 Chicago, Milwaukee, & St. Louis RR v. Minnesota
Invalidated a state law that prevented parties from appealing certain decisions of the state government to the courts. - 1895 U.S. v. EC Knight Co.
Ruled that the Sherman Anti-Trust Act does not apply to manufacturers located within a single state. - 1895 Pollock v. Farmers' Loan and Trust Co.
Ruled that a federal income tax on municipal bonds, established by the Wilson-Gorham Tariff Act of 1894, was an unconstitutional attempt to collect direct taxes. - 1895 In Re Debs
Denied a writ of habeas corpus to the president of the American Railroad Union who was cited with contempt after violating an injunction against the Pullman Strike, on the grounds that the strike interfered with federal business. - 1896 Plessy v. Ferguson*
Famous decision that allowed "separate but equal" accommodations for African-Americans and Whites, on the grounds that segregation didn't deprive African-Americans of protection under the 14th Amendment. - 1897 U.S. v. Trans-Missouri Freight Association
Ruled that a coalition of 18 railroads engaged in price fixing were in violation of the Sherman Anti-trust Act. - 1898 Holden v. Hardy
Upheld a Utah law regulating work hours in mining, affirming the states' right to police business practices. - 1898 Smyth v. Ames
Overturned a Nebraska act that set railroad rates, preventing companies from making a fair return on their investment. - 1898 Williams v. Mississippi
Ruled that literacy tests and poll taxes were not a violation of the 15th Amendment. - 1901 De Lima v. Bidwell
Ruled that Puerto Rico was no longer a foreign nation. - 1901 Downes v. Bidwell
Ruled that Puerto Rican citizens were not citizens of the U.S. or protected by the Constitution because they were members of an annexed territory. - 1903 Champion v. Ames
Upheld a federal law prohibiting states from selling lottery tickets by mail. - 1904 Northern Securities Co. v. United States
Upheld the verdict in a federal antitrust suit against a railroad company. - 1905 Lochner v. New York
Struck down a state law enforcing 10-hour workdays on bakery workers because it interfered with the employees' 14th Amendment right to liberty by denying employees the ability to negotiate employment contracts with their employer. - 1905 Swift v. United States
Upheld a lower court ruling in favor of the U.S. against the Beef Trust for antitrust violations. - 1908 Adair v. United States
Struck down a provision of the 1898 Erdman Act that prohibited railroads from requiring workers to agree not to join or form a labor union. - 1908 Loewe v. Lawler
Ruled that a labor union boycott constituted a conspiracy in restraint of trade that violated the Sherman Antitrust Act. - 1908 Muller v. Oregon
Upheld an Oregon law setting maximum work hours for female employees. - 1911 Standard Oil of NJ v. United States
Ordered the dissolution of the huge Standard Oil conglomeration into smaller, competitive units because it held an unfair monopoly that constituted a restraint of trade for potential competitors. - 1915 Guinn v. United States
Ruled grandfather clauses exempting certain citizens from paying poll taxes, taking literacy tests, or being subject to the same voting restrictions as other citizens was unconstitutional. - 1918 Arver v. United States
Upheld the constitutionality of the draft for WW I. - 1919 Hamilton v. Kentucky Distilleries
Upheld Prohibition as a legitimate exercise of the government's powers. - 1919 Schenck v. United States*
Ruled that the WW I Espionage Act did not violate the First Amendment protection of free speech, stating that anti-war pamphlets encouraged resistance to the draft. This was the famous case that cited "clear and present danger" as a reasonable restriction on free speech. - 1919 Abrams v. United States
Upheld the 1918 Sedition Act, ruling pamphlets criticizing the U.S. intervention in Serbia were not protected by the First Amendment. Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes dissented. - 1922 Bailey v. Drexel Furniture
Struck down a 1919 federal law that levied a high tax on products manufactured by child labor. - 1923 Adkins v. Children's Hospital
Struck down a Congressional act authorizing a Wage Board for D.C. to exempt women from minimum wage protection. - 1925 Gitlow v. New York
In contrast to the Court's earlier rulings that the Constitution only applied to the federal government, decided the 14th Amendment made the First Amendment protection of speech and the press applicable to the states. - 1931 Near v. Minnesota
Invalidated a Minnesota state law that violated First Amendment freedom of the press by attempting to shut down publication of a newspaper the state court believed to be "malicious, scandalous, and defamatory." - 1932 Powell v. Alabama*
Overturned the Alabama state conviction of the "Scottsboro Boys," nine African-American boys convicted in the rape of two white women because the boys had been denied due process when the judge declined to provide them with a defense attorney. - 1934 Nebbia v. New York
Ruled that a state may regulate business for the public good, as long as the laws imposed were fair and reasonable. - 1935 Schechter v. United States
Struck down the National Industrial Recovery Act because it delegated excessive authority of the U.S. President to regulate businesses not involved in interstate commerce. - 1935 Retirement Board v. Alton Railroad Co.
Struck down the Railroad Retirement Act that established pensions for railroad employees on the grounds that Congress had exceeded their authority. - 1935 Patterson v. Alabama
A follow-up case in which the court ruled the Scottsboro Boys had been further denied due process because African-Americans were excluded from the jury. - 1936 Ashwander v. Tennessee Valley Authority*
Upheld a federal law enabling the federal government to control navigable streams for the purpose of national defense. - 1937 West Coast Hotel v. Parrish
In support of Roosevelt's New Deal, the Court reversed its position Adkins v. Children's Hospital, and upheld a Washington State minimum wage law. - 1937 National Labor Relations Board v. Jones and Laughlin Steel Co.
Upheld the National Labor Relations Act against a manufacturer that engaged in unfair labor practices by punishing or firing union members in an attempt to break the union. - 1937 Steward Machine Co. v. Davis
Upheld the Social Security Act in a case where a manufacturer brought suit against the government for a refund of taxes paid, claiming the tax was unconstitutional. - 1937 DeJonge v. Oregon
Overturned a criminal conviction on the grounds that speech presented in an orderly meeting did not constitute a "clear and present danger". The defendant had been charged with "criminal syndicalism" (essentially sedition) by helping facilitate a meeting of a group associated with the Communist Party. - 1937 Herndon v. Lowery
Reversed the Georgia criminal conviction of a Communist Party member for inciting insurrection. - 1938 United States v. Carolene Products
Upheld the constitutionality of the Filled Milk Act of 1923 which prohibited interstate shipment of of skimmed milk compounded with any fat or oil other than milk fat, so as to resemble milk or cream, declaring Congress did not exceed their authority in violation of the 5th Amendment. - 1938 Lovell v. Griffin
Upheld the right of Jehovah's Witnesses to distribute religious information without a license. - 1938 Missouri ex rel. Gaines v. Canada
Ruled that an African-American had the right to be admitted to a state law school because the alternative (the state paying for the student to a law school in another state) did not meet the "separate but equal" test. - 1939 Hague v. C.I.O.
Ruled that the 14th Amendment prohibited states from interfering with peaceable assembly in a case where a New Jersey mayor had banned meetings of the C.I.O. labor union. - 1939 Graves v. New York ex. rel. O'Keefe
Ruled that a state tax on federal employees was constitutional. - 1940 Minersville School District v. Gobitis
Upheld the expulsion of two students for refusing to salute the flag, a requirement under 16 states' laws. Justice Harlan Stone dissented on the grounds that it was wrong to force citizens to say things they do not believe. - 1940 Thornhill v. Alabama
Ruled that the 14th amendment prohibited states from interfering with peaceful picketing. - 1941 Edwards v. California
Struck down a California law which made it a misdemeanor to bring into the state any indigent known to be an indigent. The state courts considered the law a valid police exercise by the state. The Supreme Court held this was an unconstitutional barrier to interstate commerce. - 1943 West Virginia State School Board v. Barnette
Reversed its standing on Minersville School District v. Gobitis, and struck down the West Virginia state law requiring students to salute the flag. - 1943 Korematsu v. United States
Upheld the U.S. policy of holding Japanese Americans in interment camps, except in the case where the person's loyalty had already been established.
- 1944 Smith v. Allwright
Struck down a Texas law prohibiting African-Americans from participating in the Democratic primary elections, on the grounds that primaries are central to the elector process. - 1946 Morgan v. Virginia
Ruled that buses transporting people in interstate service could not segregate passengers. - 1946 Hannegan v. Esquire
Interpreted the federal law criminalizing mailing "obscene" materials, and restricted the authority of the Postmaster General to unilaterally determine what constituted "offensive" material. - 1947 Everson v. Board of Education*
Ruled in favor of the board of education against a taxpayer challenging the constitutionality of the board using state money to reimburse parents for public transportation to and from parochial schools. Specifically addressed the issue of "separation of church and state." - 1948 Illinois ex. rel. McCullum v. Board of Education
Ruled that an Illinois law permitting public schools to provide religious instruction using private teachers during school hours was unconstitutional. - 1948 Shelley v. Kraemer
Struck down restrictive covenants preventing the sale of real estate to African-American and Asian people as unconstitutional, in violation of the 14th Amendment's guarantee of equal protection.
- 1950 Sweatt v. Painter
Struck down a Texas law restricting the University of Texas to white students only, despite Texas having set up a separate school for African-American students. - 1950 Communications Association v. Douds
Upheld a section of the Taft-Hartley Act (1947) restricting benefits of the National Labor Relations Act to any union organization whose officials had not signed an affidavit declaring themselves non-Communist. - 1950 McLaurin v. Oklahoma State Regents
Invalidated an Oklahoma law permitting universities to segregate African-American students within classrooms, libraries and cafeterias. - 1951 Dennis et. al. v. United States
Upheld the Smith Act of 1946 in determining the defendant, a leader of the Communist Party in the United States, represented a "clear and present danger" by advocating for violent overthrow of the U.S. government and affirmed his conviction under the act. - 1952 Youngstown Sheet & Tube v. Sawyer*
Ruled that President Truman exceeded his authority by seizing steel manufacturers without the specific approval of Congress, in order to avert a strike by the United Steel Workers of America that would have disrupted arms production during the Korean War. (Also referred to as The Steel Seizure Case) - 1952 Rochin v. California
Reversed conviction of a man who had been forced to take an emetic so police could retrieve drug evidence against the man's will, on the grounds that the conviction was obtained by violation of the due process clause of the 14th Amendment. - 1952 Burstyn v. Wilson Artistic
Ruled that movies enjoyed First Amendment protection after a censor in New York denied the movie company a license to show their film (The Miracle) on the grounds that the content was sacrilegious.
- 1954 Brown v. Board of Education*
Ruled unanimously that segregation in the schools was unconstitutional, a move that overturned the 1896 Plessy v. Ferguson decision advocating "separate but equal" facilities for African-American and White citizens. Held that Brown experienced stigmatizing discrimination when denied enrollment in a school near her home. - 1956 Pennsylvania v. Nelson
Ruled that the state had overstepped its authority by enacting a law against sedition, and that the state law was superseded by The Smith Act, a federal law that prohibited advocacy for overthrowing the government. - 1957 Watkins v. United States*
Held that the Subcommittee of the House of Representatives Committee on Un-American Activities violated the defendant's 5th Amendment right not to incriminate himself and denied him due process when they found him in contempt for refusing to testify against others. Ruled that the questions asked were not relevant to the committee's work. - 1957 Yates v. United States
Ruled that The Smith Act did not, in fact, prohibit advocating overthrowing the government, but only addressed taking actions to achieve that goal. - 1957 Roth v. United States*
Clarified protected speech and more narrowly defined "obscenity" as being something "utterly without redeeming social value." Used "violation of community standards" as a loose measure of obscenity. - 1958 Kent v. Dulles
Ruled that the State Department violated Kent's constitutional right under the 5th Amendment by refusing to issue him a passport for refusing to sign an anti-Communist affidavit. - 1960 Boyton v. Virgina
Ruled that a bus terminal for interstate travel may not segregate passengers by race. - 1961 Mapp v. Ohio*
Ruled that evidence obtained without a warrant or by any other unethical means was a 4th Amendment violation, and that the evidence may not be admitted in court. - 1962 Baker v. Carr
The court reversed its stance on cases involving "political questions," that cannot be tried in court, and decided citizens had a right to challenge political redistricting that overrepresented rural districts and diluted votes from urban districts. - 1962 Engel v. Vitale*
Ruled prayer in public schools unconstitutional because it violated the separation of church and state. - 1963 School District of Abington Township v. Schempp*
Prohibited bible reading and prayer in public schools. - 1963 Gideon v. Wainwright*
Unanimously ruled in favor of the plaintiff against the decision of the Florida Supreme Court, holding that the courts had violated Gideon's 6th Amendment right to counsel and 14th Amendment right to due process by refusing to appoint a defense attorney to Gideon, who was indigent. - 1964 New York Times v. Sullivan*
In one of the few Supreme Court cases involving civil liability, held that public figures could not sue for libel unless they could demonstrate the defamation was "malicious intent and with reckless disregard for the truth," a higher standard than imposed for ordinary citizens. - 1964 Escobedo v. Illinois
Overturned the conviction of a man who was refused his 6th Amendment right to counsel during a police interrogation. - 1965 Griswold v. Connecticut
Struck down a Connecticut law prohibiting couples from using birth control because it violated the constitutional right to privacy. Although the Constitution does not specify a right to privacy, the court held that the right is implied in a variety of amendments. - 1966 Sheppard v. Maxwell
Overturned the murder conviction of Sam Sheppard, ruling that excessive publicity had deprived him of his 6th Amendment right to a fair trial. - 1966 Miranda v. Arizona*
Ruled that Miranda should have been advised of his constitutional rights against self-incrimination and right to consult with an attorney prior to questioning. Overturned the conviction and set precedent for the now-famous Miranda Warning. - 1967 Loving v. Virginia*
Invalidated a Virginia law prohibiting interracial marriage as a violation of the 14th Amendment. - 1967 In Re Gault*
Ruled that juveniles are entitled to the same 14th Amendment due process protections as adults with regard to timely notice of charges, the right to confront and cross-examine witnesses, the right not to testify against himself, and the right to counsel. - 1969 Shapiro v. Thompson
Struck down state laws requiring indigent people reside in a state for a year before becoming eligible for welfare benefits, on the grounds that the states' purpose was to deter poor people from traveling to states with better benefits and favored people who had paid state tax. The court held that this practice violated Article IV of the Constitution, the Privileges and Immunities Clause. - 1969 Tinker v. Des Moines
Overturned the suspension of students who had worn black arm bands in protest of the Vietnam War, declaring the school had violated their First Amendment right to freedom of speech. - 1970 Williams v. Florida
Ruled the states could use 6-person (rather than 12) juries in cases not involving capital punishment. - 1971 New York Times v. United States
Denied the government's request for prior restraint in their attempt to bar the New York Times from publishing a secret Pentagon history of the Vietnam war. - 1971 Griggs v. Duke Power*
Ruled Duke Power's use of IQ scores and high school diplomas in determining who would qualify for positions above the level of unskilled labor constituted discrimination because it was designed to exclude African-Americans from being eligible for promotions. The Court found the defendant in violation of Title VII of The Civil Rights Act of 1964. - 1971 Lemon v. Kurtzman
Ruled that public funds could not be used to supplement religious school teachers' salaries or their textbooks and teaching materials because it violated the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. - 1972 Furman v. Georgia*
Struck down death penalty laws because juries had excessive discretion in applying capital punishment, making capital punishment unconstitutional under the 8th and 14th Amendments.
- 1972 Johnson v. Louisiana
Ruled that the state of Louisianna's law allowing criminal conviction of non-captial punishment cases by less than a unanimous jury verdict was constitutionally sound. - 1972 Apodaca v. Oregon
Applied the same rule as in Johnson v. Louisianna, declaring unanimous jury verdicts were unnecessary in criminal cases. - 1972 Eisenstadt v. Baird
Ruled that laws prohibiting sale and distribution of contraceptives to unmarried adults violated the equal protection clause. - 1973 Roe v. Wade*
Invalidated Texas law prohibiting abortion except when needed to save the mother's life. Ruled such laws violate a woman's right to privacy. - 1973 Doe v. Bolton
Invalidated a Georgia law that imposed excessive restrictions on the ability of a woman to procure an abortion, in that it required the procedure be performed in a hospital, be approved by three physicians and a hospital committee, and could only be performed on residents of the state. - 1974 United States v. Nixon*
The Court ordered President Nixon to turn over subpoenaed tapes to the special prosecutor in charge of the Watergate hearings. - 1974 Milliken v. Bradley*
Struck down a district court order requiring urban youth be bussed to the suburbs to attend school. - 1975 O'Connor v. Donaldson*
Ruled that it is unconstitutional to involuntarily commit a mentally ill person to a mental hospital unless the person is an imminent danger to himself or others. This ruling set the stage for deinstitutionalization, and its interpretation is still debated by the mental health community. - 1976 Planned Parenthood of Central Missouri v. Danforth*
Invalidated a Missouri law that required a wife obtain the consent of her husband before procuring an abortion; required physicians to preserve the life and health of the fetus ; and prohibited the use of saline amniocentesis as a means of abortion. Also struck down a requirement that an unmarried minor obtain the written consent of one parent because the law did not provide for judicial waiver. - 1976 Gregg v. Georgia*
Reinstated the death penalty, but required strict guidelines for its implementation. - 1976 Woodson v. North Carolina*
Declared mandatory death penalty laws unconstitutional.
- 1977 Coker v. Georgia*
Declared capital punishment for rape constituted cruel and unusual punishment because the penalty was disproportionate to the crime. - 1977 Carey v. Population Services
Invalidated a New York law prohibiting the sale of contraceptives to minors. - 1982 Plyler v. Doe*
Ruled that the children of illegal immigrants were entitled to free public education. - 1982 Hustler Magazine v. Falwell
Extended First Amendment protection to speech intended as parody or satire.
- 1986 Bowers v. Hardwick*
Upheld the constitutionality of a Georgia sodomy law that prohibited oral and anal sex between consenting adults. The court reversed its own decision in Lawrence v. Texas in 2003. - 1989 Texas v. Johnson*
Invalidated a Texas law that prohibited burning the flag on the grounds that it represented an unconstitutional restriction on expressive conduct and political commentary. - 1990 Employment Division v. Smith
Overruled accepted case law on the meaning of free exercise of religion and held that a person could be denied unemployment benefits if discharged from his or her employment for just cause (in this case, involved a Native American using peyote at work), even if the drug was a documented part of the person's religious practice.
- 1990 Cruzan v. Missouri Department of Health*
Determined Nancy Cruzan existed in a persistent vegetative state, but was not dead or dependent on life support for vital functions. Affirmed Missouri Supreme Court ruling that guardians could not order discontinuation of nutrition and hydration because Cruzan had not executed a living will, as required by Missouri Law.
- 1992 Planned Parenthood v. Casey*
In a challenge to Roe v. Wade, the court reaffirmed its position that abortion prior to the fetus being able to live outside the womb was not a criminal offense.
- 1992 Lee v. Weisman*
Ruled that officially-sanctioned prayer at public school graduation violated the Constitution. - 1996 United States v. Virginia*
Ruled that the Virginia Military Institute could not exclude women from enrolling and matriculating at the school.
- 2000 Stenberg v. Carhart
Invalidated a Nebraska prohibition on partial-birth abortion because the law lacked an exception to protect the mother's health.
- 2000 Bush v. Gore*
Ruled in favor of the stay preventing Florida from counting legal ballots where the intent of the voter was considered unclear (e.g., hanging chads). Concluded that the recount would change the state voting process to favor one candidate over another and was, therefore, unconstitutional in that it failed to provide equal protection.
- 2000 Boy Scouts of America v. Dale*
Held that the Boy Scouts had the right to dismiss a gay scout leader due to his sexual orientation under the freedom of association rights granted by the First Amendment. - 2000 United States v. Morrison
Ruled that Congress lacked authority to enact federal laws addressing gender-motivated violence.
- 2002 Board of Education v. Earls
Upheld a school district policy requiring all students participating in extra-curricular activities submit to urine testing for drugs. Concluded the policy did not represent a Fourth Amendment violation of unreasonable search.
- 2003 Scheidler v. National Organization for Women
Rejected ruling supporting NOW's assertion that organized abortion protest constituted violations of federal RICO (anti-racketeering) statutes and the Hobbs Act, an extortion law. - 2003 Lawrence v. Texas*
Ruled the state could not interfere in private lives by making sexual acts between consenting adults a crime. Struck down the Texas statute as a violation of the 5th and 14th Amendments. This decision overruled the Courts own ruling on Bowers v. Hardwick, 1986. - 2003 Grutter v. Bollinger*
Held that race can be a consideration in deciding college enrollment, but that schools could not use a quota system in order to achieve a model that mirrored minorities' statistical representation in the population (University of Michigan Law School).
- 2004 Hamdi v. Rumsfeld
Ruled that persons retained as "enemy combatants" had a legal right to challenge their classification, despite a presidential order stating otherwise. Further ruled that Sixth Amendment protection did not extend to prisoners of war.
- 2005 Gonzales v. Raich
Held that Congress was empowered under the Commercial Clause to criminalize growth of medical marijuana, even if permitted by the state.
- 2005 Van Order v. Perry*
Held that the placement in front of the Texas State Capitol of a large stone monument engraved with the 10 Commandments was constitutional because it did not represent a case of government establishment of religion, but had historical significance in demonstrating the origin of modern law. - 2005 Kelo v. City of New London
Ruled in favor of New London exercising eminent domain in taking, with fair reimbursement, property from unwilling homeowners in an effort to create a development expected to create 1,000 new jobs, as being in the public interest. - 2005 Roper v. Simmons*
Held that execution of criminals for crimes committed as a minor was unconstitutional and constituted cruel and unusual punishment.
- 2007 Gonzales v. Planned Parenthood Federation of America
Upheld the 2003 Partial Birth Abortion Act prohibiting a certain type of abortion. - 2008 District of Columbia v. Heller*
Held that the District's ban on handgun possession in the home violated the Second Amendment, as did the prohibition against rendering any lawful firearm operable for the purpose of immediate self-defense. - 2010 McDonald v. City of Chicago*
Held that US citizens had the right of self-defense (to bear arms) and incorporated the Second Amendment to the States. Similar to District of Columbia v. Heller, but applied to the states, not just the federal government as Heller did.
For more information, see Related Questions, below.