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Unit

Rights of the Accused Supreme Court Cases

Published
Nov 6, 2020
A photo of the U.S. Supreme Court building in Washington, DC

Lessons

The front exterior of a large, neoclassical courthouse with columns and steps under a blue sky.
Mapp v. Ohio (1961)
  • 4 Activities

Case background and primary source documents concerning the Supreme Court case of Mapp v. Ohio. Dealing with incorporation of the Fourth Amendment and the legality of searches and seizures, this lesson asks students to assess the claim that the exclusionary rule helps ensure liberty and justice.

Columns and stone facade of a building with the inscription "COURT HOUSE" above.
Gideon v. Wainwright (1963)
  • 4 Activities

Case background and primary source documents concerning the Supreme Court case of Gideon v. Wainwright. Dealing with whether or not a state must provide a lawyer to the accused, this lesson asks students whether or not they believe the Sixth Amendment guarantees the right to counsel in all cases and whether the government must provide a lawyer to defendants who want one but cannot afford one.

The facade of a neoclassical building with sculptures and the inscription "EQUAL JUSTICE UNDER LAW."
Miranda v. Arizona (1966)
  • 4 Activities

Case background and primary source documents concerning the Supreme Court case of Miranda v. Arizona. Dealing with the Fifth and Sixth Amendments and whether or not the accused needs to be advised of their rights upon arrest, this lesson asks students to evaluate the extent to which Miranda is the fulfillment of the legal tradition of the promise against self-incrimination.

Standards