Test your basic knowledge |

Important Court Cases

Subject : law
Instructions:
  • Answer 50 questions in 15 minutes.
  • If you are not ready to take this test, you can study here.
  • Match each statement with the correct term.
  • Don't refresh. All questions and answers are randomly picked and ordered every time you load a test.

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. Ordered house districts to be near as equal as possible - enshrined principal of 'one man - one vote.'






2. Forbids execution of defendants who are mentally retarded






3. States not allowed to prevent or punish inflammatory speech unless it will lead to imminent lawless action






4. All defendants must be informed of legal rights before they are arrested






5. Threw out undergraduate system of selection - generally upheld Bakke






6. Established national abortion guidelines by extending inferred right of privacy from Griswold






7. Demonstrations near schools that disrupted classes could be legally banned






8. Federal wiretaps of phone conversation is constitutional






9. States can regulate abortion but not with regulations that impose an 'undue burden' on women






10. Intentional infliction of emotional distress was permissible First Amendment speech as long as it was about a public official - and no one would actually think it was fact






11. Race cannot be sole or predominant factor in redrawing legislative district boundaries (1982 VRA wants them to do that - though)






12. Commerce clause of the constitution does not give congress the power to regulate guns near state operated schools






13. NY could not grant steamship company monopoly - increased federal power over interstate commerce






14. Banned presidential use of a line=item veto as a violation of legislative powers.






15. Cities could legitimately require parade permits in the interest of pubic order (Jehovah's Witnesses march w/out permit)






16. Court rebuffed an attempt by state of New Hampshire to take control of Dartmouth by holding that Dartmouth's corporate charter was qualified as a contract between private parties






17. Race-based affirmative action was permissible so long as it was in the service of creating greater diversity






18. Parents may remove children from public school for religious reasons






19. States cannot set term limits on members of congress






20. Right to privacy






21. Not libel when they thought it was true at the time of printing






22. School district can suspend students for lewd or indecent speech






23. Segregate with al 'due and deliberate speed'






24. Halt to all death penalty punishments in nation until a less arbitrary method of sentencing was found






25. Prohibited state-sponsored recitation of prayer in public schools






26. Clear and present danger (yelling fire) - Holmes






27. Overturned Olmstead - warrants were required to listen in on phone conversation






28. Prohibited states from banning teaching of evolution in public schools






29. No such thing as executive privilege in criminal cases - but definitely at other times






30. Helped states to engage in eminent domain - said that fifth amendment right to take private property for public use is legal for states without eminent domain






31. All state governments must provide an attorney in all cases for those who can't afford one - powerful repudiation of Betts v Brady






32. Selectively incorporates freedom of the press - prevents prior restraint -state injunctions to prevent publication unconstitutional






33. Giving money to political campaign = free speech - so wealthy people can now spend as much of their own money as they want if they choose to run for federal office






34. Separate but equal for races






35. Confessions given immediately before rights are given means the confession is still admissible






36. First time court overturned state law on constitutional grounds.






37. Cross burning = 'fighting words' = unconstitutional






38. African Americans denied right to vote in primaries = violate fifteenth amendment






39. Mandated 21-year-old drinking age (if you don't feds will take away all federal highway funds






40. Extended exclusionary rule to the states






41. BSA could expel any homosexual member they wanted because of first amendment right of expressive association






42. Secular rather than religious purpose? neither promote nor discourage religion? avoid 'excessive entanglement?'






43. Strikes by labor unions are constitutional






44. FCRA mandated that places of public accommodation are prohibited from discrimination against blacks






45. Legitimate use of eminent domain - town wanting to buy private land and turn it over to private developers






46. State govs must provide counsel in cases involving the death penalty to those who can't afford it






47. Citizens of Japanese descent could be interned and deprived of basic constitutional rights due to executive order






48. Established judicial review






49. Fighting words - certain offensive types of speech prohibited






50. Overruled Powell - state govs do not have to provide lawyers to indigent defendants in capital cases