APUSH+Warren+Court

The Warren Court was the period in which the U.S. Supreme Court was headed by Earl Warren. Appointed in 1953 by President Eisenhower, Warren quickly characterized himself as a progressive justice with a pronounced social conscience. Warren was also known for his view of the Constitution and the law as flexible and growing, while still guided by ethics and facts. This ideology allowed many of the court's decisions to become possible. The Warren Court's duration was from 1953 to 1969.

The Warren Court's first major case was also one of its most influential. //[|Brown v. Board of Education]// ( 1952) stated that school children should not be segregated. The case involved Brown, a black family whose daughter was unable to attend a school close to home because it was “white”. Instead, she has to attend a “black” school much further away. The family brought suit against the Board of Education of Topeka. The court, then consisting of justices Warren, Black, Reed, Frankfurter, Douglas, Jackson, Burton, Clark, and Minton, unanimously decided in favor of Brown. This helped pave the way for further desegregation and was an important facet of the Civil Rights Movement.

Another recognized case decided by this court was [|Miranda v. Arizona] (1966). This case stated that if a person was arrested, they must be read their rights (e.g., right to remain silent, right to an attorney, right to know that anything said could be used against them in a court of law). Previous to this case, the court had decided in //[|Escobedo v. Illinois]// (1964) that before being interrogated by the police, the accused had the right to speak with an attorney. Just prior to that, //[|Gideon v. Wainwright]// (1963) required that every person had the right to a lawyer.

Other cases decided by the Warren Court include //[|Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District]// (1968), which stated that school children had the right to free speech, //[|Griswold v. Connecticut]// (1965), which allowed married couples to use birth control, //[|Abington School District v. Schempp]// (1963), which dissuaded school districts from requiring students to participate in religious prayer, among many others.

The Warren Court had many dramatic effects on the social fabric of America. Besides encouraging the Civil Rights Movement, the court also gave more rights to prisoners and the accused, while also allowing for more free speech and public expression. The court allowed for more modern ways of thinking and helped lead the United States into a different tomorrow.