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Civil Rights And Civil Liberties Court Cases

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  • Answer 50 questions in 15 minutes.
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This is a study tool. The 3 wrong answers for each question are randomly chosen from answers to other questions. So, you might find at times the answers obvious, but you will see it re-enforces your understanding as you take the test each time.
1. The Supreme Court - however - held that the ordinances were neither neutral nor generally applicable: rather - they applied exclusively to the church. Because the law was targeted at Santera






2. The Court ruled that the use of the swastika is a symbolic form of free speech entitled to First Amendment protections and determined that the swastika itself did not constitute 'fighting words.' [symbolic speech]






3. Fed can limit speech that doesn't lead to action (upholding Smith Act - Which made it a crime to support any communist organization)






4. You may believe whatever you wish - but you may not be able to exercise that belief.






5. A case in which the Supreme Court of the United States held that the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment required that government demonstrate a compelling government interest before denying unemployment compensation to someone Who was fired b






6. The Court ruled that the recitation in public classrooms of a non-denominational prayer was unconstitutional and a violation of the establishment clause.






7. Declared that a work is obscene and may be regulated by the gov if work taken as a whole appeals to prurient interests - work portrays sexual conduct in a patently offensive way and work taken as a whole lacks literary - artistic - political or scien






8. Moments of silent prayer at school are unconstitutional---moments of silence are not. [est. clause and schools]






9. Law aimed at preventing laws which substantially burden a person's free exercise of their religion. Also - attempted to reign in the Courts' decisions against religious practices.






10. Due process in suspension or expulsion






11. The Supreme Court used this case to end capital punishment - at least in the short run.






12. Defined the power of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) over 'indecent' material as applied to broadcasting; some kid over heard Filthy Words routine on TV - so the dad sued. [obscenity]






13. In upholding several restrictive abortion regulations - the Court opened the door for state governments to enact new restrictions on abortion.






14. 'Bad Tendency Doctrine -' speech restricted if it has tendency to lead to illegal actions; selectively incorporated freedom of speech to states






15. Concluded that the U.S. Congress lacked the constitutional authority to bar slavery in the territories; this decision narrowed the scope of national power while it enhanced that of the states. Also declared that slaves couldn't sue since they weren't






16. Upheld student's rights to express themselves by wearing black armbands symbolizing protest of the Vietnam War.






17. The Court found that a San Francisco law banning cleaners from operating in wooden buildings violated the Fourteenth Amendment in its application






18. Although the tests were searches under the Fourth Amendment - they were reasonable in light of the schools' interest in preventing teenage drug use.






19. Overturning Furman v. Georgia - the case ruled that Georgia's rewritten death penalty statute is constitutional.






20. Court made it illegal to send or receive images online that are indistinguishable from that of a minor in a sexual act.






21. Censorship did not violate the student's First Amendment rights of free speech; decision which held that public school curricular student newspapers that have not been established as forums for student expression are subject to a lower level of First






22. The last time the Supreme Court addressed the constitutionality of the Second Amendment; ruled that the amendment was only intended to protect a citizen's right to own ordinary militia weapons.






23. A Colorado constitutional amendment precluding any legislative - executive - or judicial action at any state or local level designed to bar discrimination based on sexual preference was ruled not rational or reasonable.






24. Illegal to discuss overthrowing the government [free speech]






25. The Court ruled that an all-male jury did not violate a woman's rights under the Fourteenth Amendment.






26. A policy permitting student-led - student-initiated prayer at football games violates the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment [est. clause and schools]






27. Supreme Court decision that said it was unconstitutional to keep Mexican-Americans off of juries.






28. The Court ruled that a redistricting plan in Texas did not intentionally limit Latino representation.






29. The Army accused chief counsel - Roy Cohn - of pressuring the Army to give preferential treatment to G. David Schine - Who was a former McCarthy aide and a friend of Cohn's. McCarthy counter-charged that this accusation was made in bad faith - in ret






30. Held that the Justice Department does not have the authority to block physician assisted suicides.






31. Also called the Pentagon Papers case; the Supreme Court ruled that any attempt by the government to prevent expression carried 'a heavy presumption' against its constitutionality.






32. Extended 1981 ruling to high schools for use of facilities by religious groups after hours [est. clause and schools]






33. The Court ruled that a Nebraska 'partial birth' abortion statute was unconstitutionally vague and unenforceable - calling into question the laws of twenty-nine other states.






34. Supreme Court ruling that simply publishing a defamatory falsehood is not enough to justify a libel judgment. 'Actual malice' must be proved to support a finding of libel against a public figure.






35. Established exclusionary rule [4th amendment]; Fremont Weeks was suspected of using the mail system to distribute chances in a lottery - which was considered gambling and was illegal in Missouri. State agents entered his home - searched his room - an






36. Man claimed that the court should not find him guilty of polygamy since it was his religious duty. The court disagreed. [Free exercise]






37. Supreme Court decision holding that a state university could not admit less qualified individuals solely because of their race.






38. The objectives of the military allow it to restrict the religious rights of individuals in the interest of cohesiveness. The Court did not endeavor to assess the military's claims concerning the importance of regulating the appearance of its members.






39. Ll nine Justices of the Court voted to strike down anti-indecency provisions of the Communications Decency Act (the CDA) - finding they violated the freedom of speech provisions of the First Amendment [obscenity]






40. The Supreme Court found that a woman's right to an abortion was protected by the right to privacy that could be implied from specific guarantees found in the Bill of Rights and the Fourteenth Amendment.






41. Established the actual malice standard. In cases of libel or slander - public figures must prove that the author had 'knowledge of falsity and reckless disregard for the truth.'






42. The arm band in schools case; First Amendment applied to public schools - and that administrators would have to demonstrate constitutionally valid reasons for any specific regulation of speech in the classroom. [symbolic speech]






43. Names attached to five cases brought under the Civil Rights Act of 1857. In 1883 - the Supreme Court decided that discrimination in a variety of public accommodations could not be prohibited by the act because such discrimination was private discrimi






44. Unsuccessful attempt to challenge Georgia's sodomy law. The case was overturned by Lawrence v. Texas.






45. Law must be clearly secular - not prohibiting or inhibiting religion - and there should be no excessive entanglement






46. Halt to all death penalty punishments in nation until a less arbitrary method of sentencing was found [8th]






47. Selectively incorporates freedom of the press -The Court ruled that a Minnesota law that targeted publishers of 'malicious' or 'scandalous' newspapers violated the First Amendment






48. Case wherein the Supreme Court began to formulate rules designed to make it easier for states to regulate obscene materials and to return to communities a greater role in determining What is obscene.






49. (no burning draft card) [symbolic speech]


50. MALDEF failed to convince the Court that educational funds should be distributed equally among school districts.