2007 U.S. Supreme Court Cases Trivia Quiz

Answer: The 4th Amendment

"When the police make a traffic stop, a passenger in the car, like the driver, is seized for Fourth Amendment purposes and so either one may challenge the stop's constitutionality." 127 S.Ct.2400 (June 18, 2007)

Answer: Pot

A student was punished for holding a questionable sign (Bong Hits 4 Jesus) at a school event on a public sidewalk outside the school. The school interpreted the banner as encouraging drug use. The student was then suspended.

Answer: Justice Alito

Justice Alito could only get a plurality opinion in this case because Justice's Scalia and Thomas wanted to obliterate Flast v. Cohen. Sam Alito didn't want to rock the boat like that being the newest member of the court. He kept precedent for the time being.

Answer: Tinker v. Des Moines School District

Tinker v. Des Moines School District concerned whether a high school had violated the First Amendment rights of students by prohibiting them from wearing black anti-war armbands on school property.

Answer: No

The issue in the case was "whether the three-judge district court correctly dismissed appellant's as-applied constitutional challenge to the federal prohibition on the use of corporate treasury funds to finance "electioneering communications." (www.firstamendmentcenter.org)

Answer: Gonzales v. Carhart

Gonzales v. Carhart dealt with the legality of the federal Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003.

Answer: There was no dissent

There was no dissent because this was a 9-0 decision. All the justices were on the same page regarding the 4th amendment issue.

Answer: The Establishment Clause

The Establishment Clause is what Hein v. Freedom from Religion Foundation is all about. However, the plaintiffs lost to the dismay of Justice Souter.

Answer: Steven Breyer

Justice Breyer uses his dissent in Morse v. Frederick to rip into the holding of Saucier v. Katz. He also has a passion for qualified immunity.

Answer: The 1st Amendment

Freedom of Speech is what Morse v. Frederick is all about. "Due to the special features of the school environment, school officials must have greater authority to intervene before speech leads to violence." 127 S.Ct. 2618 (June 25, 2007)

Answer: Flast v. Cohen

The general rule from Flast v. Cohen is that federal taxpayer standing is limited to establishment clause challenges to the constitutionality of exercises of congressional power under the taxing and spending clause of Article I Section 8. 127 S.Ct 2553 (June 25, 2007) Justice Scalia wants to abolish Flast.

Answer: Justice Alito

Justice Scalia views the Alito opinion in Hein as dishonestly minimalist. Scalia does so because minimalist rulings increase the space for further reflection and debate at all levels simply because they don't foreclose subsequent decisions. Justice Alito had the chance in his ruling to do away with Flast when he and the majority found in favor of Jay Hein.

Instead, Alito allowed Flast to survive when Scalia set out plainly the numerous reasons why Flast needs to be overturned.

Answer: Vacated

They handled this case with brevity and wit. When all the justices agree on a decision it is a rare day.

Answer: Clarence Thomas

Clarence Thomas thinks that schools can discipline students anyway they think is appropriate. He feels that once a child is in school they are the property of the school until they leave to go home.

Answer: Planned Parenthood

The plaintiffs were Planned Parenthood and a group of doctors that wanted an injunction from the district court to stop the Attorney General from enforcing the Partial Birth Abortion Act.