Landmark Supreme Court

Cases: 68-69
Noemi Acevedo
 Case 68: Shelby County v. Holder (2013)
Facts: case about the constitutionality of two provisions of the Voting Rights Act
of 1965: Section 5 , Section 4(b)

Question:Does the renewal of Section 5 of the Voter Rights Act under the
constraints of Section 4(b) exceeded Congress' authority under the Fourteenth and
Fifteenth Amendments, and therefore violate the Tenth Amendment and Article Four of
the Constitution?

Conclusion: Yes, Section 4 of the Voting Rights Act is unconstitutional.The 5-4

majority.

Impact of the case: The Court did not strike down Section 5, but without
Section 4(b), no jurisdiction will be subject to Section 5 preclearance unless
Congress enacts a new coverage formula
 Case 69: Obergefell v. Hodges (2015)
Facts: Groups of same-sex couples sued their relevant state agencies in Ohio,
Michigan, Kentucky, and Tennessee to challenge the constitutionality of those
states' bans on same-sex marriage that occurred in jurisdictions that provided for
such marriages

Question: 1. Does the Fourteenth Amendment require a state to license a marriage

between two people of the same sex?

2. Does the Fourteenth Amendment require a state to recognize a marriage between

two people of the same sex that was legally licensed and performed in another
state?

Conclusion:yes. Justice Anthony M. Kennedy delivered the opinion for the 5-4
majority.

Impact of the case:Prior to Obergefell, thirty-six states, the District of

Columbia, and Guam already issued marriage licenses to same-sex couples