1. Landmark Court Cases
Judicial Branch

2. Landmark Court Cases
Landmark decisions create important new laws or largely change the interpretation of existing law.
List of biggies:
Marbury v. Madison (1803)
McCullough v. Maryland (1819)
Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857)
Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)
Brown V Board of Education (1954)
Miranda v. Arizona (1966)

3. ***Established JUDICIAL REVIEW for the Supreme Court***
Marbury v. Madison (1803)
***Established JUDICIAL REVIEW for the Supreme Court***
Checks and balances against Legislative and Executive branches
If law = unconstitutional, Supreme Court can void it
Not stated in Article III though!

4. McCullough V. Maryland (1819)
***Implied powers and national supremacy***
Maryland tried to tax a national bank
Implied powers:
Federal government can make laws not stated in constitution
National supremacy
A state cannot override national law

5. Dred Scott v. Sandford (1854)
***Denied right for blacks to sue for freedom and maintain freedom in the North***
A slave was taken to the north (where slavery was outlawed) and attempted to sue for freedom
He was denied and the Court also prevented other blacks from being freed in the north
Considered worst decision by Supreme Court by historians

6. ***Flexibility of Constitution and it’s interpretation***
Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)
***Flexibility of Constitution and it’s interpretation***
14th amendment: equal rights and protection but…
“Separate but equal” concept established
View as OKAY under specific interpretation
Goes hand-in-hand with Brown v. Board of Education (1954) – you’ll see in our activity

7. ***Protects the accused and protects society***
Miranda v. Arizona (1966)
***Protects the accused and protects society***
Suspected criminals have rights (you have the right to remain silent, etc)
Miranda was forced to confess without knowing his rights
This ensures police inform citizens of their legal rights as they are arrested for suspected crimes