3 Discussion Questions, 3 Student Responses, 2 Papers ...

SOC205: Society, Law and Government

Week 10 Discussion Question

Part 1:

Summarize three Supreme Court decisions that you believe have had the most impact on our society. Provide a rationale for your response.

Build on a classmate's post by asking questions, offering thoughtful ideas, or sharing personal connections. Be sure to demonstrate respect for classmates' comments.

You may choose to use the following additional resource to assist you in completing this discussion:

· Supreme Court of the United States . https://www.supremecourt.gov

Part 2 Student Response (Respond to this student)

Tanisha Higgins 

RE: Week 10 Discussion

Hello everyone, here is my post for the week:

Summarize three Supreme Court decisions that you believe have had the most impact on our society. 

The Brown v. Board of Education that took place was one of the biggest and had the most impact on American society in history. Before this case made its ruling, it was segregation between African Americans and Whites public schools. During this time in history, blacks and whites had complete segregation everywhere in society, not just public schools. The case helped end the famous "separate but equal" Jim Crow laws in American society as fair laws. The Supreme Court ruled in 1954 that establishing public schools to separate black and white students was not constitutional. This is one of the primary victories of the civil rights movement for African Americans fighting for their constitutional rights. 

https://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/brown-v-board  

 

The second Supreme Court case, I believe, had a major impact on our society today is the Miranda v. Arizona case. The case put restraints on certain police tactics they used towards citizens during the interrogation process. Police Officers must read a suspect their rights before taking them into custody and before questioning them to prevent self-incrimination without an attorney to represent them. This case is why the term used in law enforcement and the public as "Miranda rights." The Supreme Court ruled in 1966 that statements made by a defendant to police officers are admissible at trial only if they were informed of their rights regarding the Fifth and Sixth Amendments.  

https://online.alvernia.edu/articles/landmark-court-cases-that-changed-america/  

 

The third Supreme Court case I believe to have had a major impact on American society is the Mapp v. Ohio case. The case made sure that law enforcement gets a search warrant before entering a citizen's home and searching it. With a warrant, law enforcement can only collect evidence that would be in reason and is tied to the description of the warrant granted by a judge. The case is based on Cleveland Ohio police officers had entered into Dollree Mapp's home illegally and found obscene pictures that they arrested Mapp for, and later she was convicted for in the state court. In 1961 the Supreme Court ruled that evidence seized unlawfully without a search warrant could not be used in criminal prosecutions in state courts. 

https://www.uscourts.gov/about-federal-courts/educational-resources/supreme-court-landmarks/mapp-v-ohio-podcast  

 

The three Supreme Court cases I chose were only a fraction of cases that I feel have significantly impacted our society. This post was hard for me because I had a problem narrowing it down to only three at first. However, I feel these three cases are a few of the most significant landmark cases that had made a difference in history, present, and future of our society. 

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