FCLE Landmark Supreme Court Cases Questions and Answers 4

Question 1

United States v. Nixon (1974) established the principle that:

Accepted Answer

Executive privilege exists but is not absolute and can be overridden by due process in criminal proceedings

Answer

The Court unanimously ruled that Nixon had to surrender the Watergate tapes, confirming that executive privilege yields to the needs of criminal justice.

Question 2

Which Supreme Court case ruled that the death penalty for juveniles who committed crimes before age 18 is unconstitutional?

Accepted Answer

Roper v. Simmons (2005)

Answer

Roper v. Simmons held that executing those who were under 18 at the time of their crime violates the Eighth Amendment's ban on cruel and unusual punishment.

Question 3

The Supreme Court case Obergefell v. Hodges (2015) ruled that:

Accepted Answer

Same-sex couples have a fundamental right to marry under the Fourteenth Amendment

Answer

The Court held 5-4 that the right to marry is a fundamental liberty under the Due Process and Equal Protection Clauses, extending it to same-sex couples nationwide.

Question 4

In District of Columbia v. Heller (2008), the Supreme Court held that the Second Amendment protects:

Accepted Answer

An individual's right to possess firearms for traditionally lawful purposes, such as self-defense at home

Answer

Heller was the first case to explicitly hold that the Second Amendment protects an individual right to keep and bear arms independent of militia service.

Question 5

What did the Supreme Court decide in Mapp v. Ohio (1961)?

Accepted Answer

Evidence obtained through illegal searches cannot be used in state courts

Answer

Mapp v. Ohio applied the exclusionary rule to state courts, preventing illegally obtained evidence from being used in criminal prosecutions.

FCLE - Florida Civic Literacy Exam Practice Test

FCLE - Florida Civic Literacy Exam Practice Test

FCLE Landmark Supreme Court Cases Questions and Answers 4