[dropcap]A[/dropcap] lawsuit is a very stressful and complex experience, no matter if you have to handle a divorce or are on trial for some other (hopefully minor) mishap. While the entire experience might seem scary, most trials are actually quite routine endeavors and there’s nothing too alarming or extravagant about them. However, there are those select few cases when one trial becomes so controversial that it becomes famous around the world. Today we’ll have a look at and discuss the top three most controversial Supreme Court cases in history presented in chronological order.
1.Dred Scott v. Sanford (1857)
The Dred Scott v. Sanford trial is among the first attested controversial Supreme Court cases in the history of the United States of America. This case is particularly controversial because it has to do with the long and arduous fight that African Americans had to hold up for centuries in order to gain equal rights in America.
There were quite a few Supreme Court cases that played out on this topic and the reasons and occurrences discussed within them varied, but they all touched upon the very sensitive topic of granting rights to the African American community of the USA. This particular case denied African Americans US citizenship regardless of whether they were free or not.
The trial happened due to one Dred Scott, who at that time was still a slave even though the Civil War had ended two years prior, who sued his ‘masters’ for his freedom once they had brought him into slavery-free territories. He lost, but the trial is an important step that paved the way for all the civil rights movements that ensued on this topic.
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Roe v. Wade (1973)
Roe v. Wade is another important Supreme Court case that has to do with civil rights and the overall American fight for freedom, but this time it’s aimed at the women’s lib movement. This particular trial was important because it ruled that women are allowed to have an abortion at any time during the first two trimesters of a pregnancy.
Those parties involved in the trial that were vehemently opposed to abortion invoked various arguments, with the most predominant being the religious one, followed by the philosophical conundrum of where life begins and where it ends. Unfortunately, this will be a debate that liberals and conservatives will keep on having for years to come, because finding the appropriate answer is tricky.
Needless to say, the pro-choice movement had much to gain from the outcome of this case and women in America are still enjoying the rights they rightfully gained from it to this day. This is what makes this particular trial one that is most discussed during each election season.
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District of Columbia v. Heller (2008)
This is yet another important and controversial Supreme Court case in (more recent) American history because it has to do with the second amendment, namely the right to bear arms. The second amendment of the American Constitution is a highly controversial one because it offers a sort of freedom in gun-bearing that no other country in the world has.
This particular case ruled that it’s legal for any citizen of legal gun bearing age to have a gun at home for self-defense. Although the US has gun laws and regulations that vary from state to state, this particular Supreme Court case made this ruling legal in 50 states.
