Some court cases fought by tough lawyers have changed the course of American history. Usually, these cases take a long time to move up the ladder from lower courts until they reach the Supreme Court. Consider these five examples of cases that changed American history.
Marbury v. Madison
Marbury v. Madison established the principle of judicial review in 1803. This gave courts the right to strike down laws that the judges found unconstitutional. While Alexander Hamilton had argued in the Federalist Papers that the Supreme Court had the power to overrule Congress, this case helped establish this point as a law. Furthermore, this case established the Supreme Court as the final arbiter of constitutional interpretation in the United States, helping to establish the balance of power between the government’s three branches.
Dred Scott v. Sandford
The Supreme Court heard Dred Scott v. Sandford in 1857. They ruled that African Americans were not American citizens. Therefore, they could not sue in federal court. Dred Scott and his wife, Harriet, were slaves. They filed separate court cases based on Missouri laws, where they had lived for a period, demanding freedom. The Supreme Court found that regardless of where a Black person lived, they were considered property. It also ruled that the Missouri Compromise, which ended slavery west of Missouri, was unconstitutional. This decision hastened the start of the Civil War.
Brown v. Board of Education
In Plessy v. Ferguson, the Supreme Court upheld a Louisiana case that found it constitutional to provide white and Black people with separate facilities if they were equal. Oliver Brown and other plaintiffs were denied admission to a school that had only white children. The district court found that Pleassy had no case because there was a school for Black students. Ultimately, the Supreme Court overruled its original decision in Brown v. Board of Education. This set up conditions so that all students, regardless of color, could attend the same school.
Miranda v. Arizona
Miranda v. Arizona was a series of four different cases that occurred in Arizona, New York, Missouri, and California. In all cases, a crime suspect was separated from everyone. Then, they admitted to committing a crime while in custody, either orally or in writing. The Supreme Court found that suspects must be informed of their rights, including the right to remain silent and the right to an attorney, before being interrogated while in police custody. The case led to the writing of the Miranda Rights.
Gideon v. Wainwright
In 1963, the Supreme Court ruled that a person who did not have enough money to hire an attorney was still entitled to one. In the Gideon v. Wainwright case, Mr. Gideon had to represent himself in court because he could not afford to pay for an attorney. He asked for one to be appointed for him, but Florida officials refused. The Supreme Court overturned the lower court’s decision.
People in need of a lawyer should look for one with the grit to take the case to the Supreme Court if necessary. These cases often change the course of American history by ensuring that everyone gets justice.
