Important Court Cases of the 20th Century

Dollree Mapp was suspected of hiding gambling equipment in her home Dollree Mapp was suspected of hiding gambling equipment in her home. When she tried to prevent police from entering, Ms. Mapp was arrested. A search of her home turned up obscene material, prohibited under Ohio law. Mapp believed 4th amendment rights had been violated by the search. The Supreme Court agreed with Mapp that her right to be protected against “unreasonable search and seizure” had been violated by the police The Supreme Court ruled that officials could not use evidence obtained in an unlawful search in court Mapp vs. Ohio

Ernesto Miranda was arrested for raping a young woman Ernesto Miranda was arrested for raping a young woman. After two hours of interrogation, Miranda confessed to the crime. The police never told him he had the right to remain silent under the 5th amendment and did not have to answer their questions. He was also never informed that he could have a lawyer present to advise him. The supreme Court overturned Miranda’s conviction. The ruling requires police to inform suspects of their “Miranda” rights. Miranda vs. Arizona

Clarence Earl Gideon was arrested for burglarizing a poolroom, a felony in the state of Florida. Since he could not afford an attorney, he asked for the court to appoint a lawyer. The court denied his request because under Florida law a lawyer was only appointed for defendants in capital cases, forcing Gideon to defend himself. He was found guilty and sentenced to 5 years in jail Gideon petitioned the Court for a new trial stating that he had been denied counsel and the due process guaranteed to him by the 6th & 14th amendments. The Supreme Court that those amendments apply to all criminal cases. The state of Florida granted Gideon an new trial where he was found not guilty. Gideon vs. Wainwright

Part of the women’s liberation movement involved women who believed they were not equal to men until they could make their own medical decisions. Jane Roe (fake name) tried to terminate her pregnancy. She was arrested for violating a state law making abortion a crime unless the mother’s life was endangered. The Court ruled that a woman’s constitutional right to privacy guaranteed under the 14th amendment making abortion a private medical decision between patient and doctor. Restrictive state laws regulating abortion were unconstitutional. Since then, subsequent Supreme Court decisions have placed restrictions on abortion but it the ruling has withstood several legal challenges and abortion is still a controversial issue. Roe vs. Wade

Regents of the UC vs. Bakke Allan Bakke applied for admission to the University of California-Davis Medical School twice and was rejected. The school has an affirmative action policy that reserved 16 enrollments for qualified minorities. Bakke’s test scores were higher than of the admitted minority students. Bakke sued the school on the basis that he had been discriminated against when the school considered his acceptance solely on race The Supreme Court ruled that Bakke’s rights had been violated, and ordered the school to admit him. It also determined schools could use race as one of as a public policy. several criteria for admission to college, upholding affirmative action Legal challenges testing the Constitutionality of affirmative action continue. Regents of the UC vs. Bakke