Top 10 Worst Supreme Court Decisions in United States History

The Supreme Court has handed down decisions that have shaped the course of American history in ways both profound and controversial. Some rulings have upheld justice and expanded rights, but others have been viewed as grave missteps, sparking outrage and leaving lasting scars on the nation. These decisions often reflect the social and political tensions of their times, offering a window into how legal interpretations can both support and undermine the principles of liberty and equality.

This list focuses on the rulings that many believe to be among the most troubling in U.S. history. Some of these cases represent failures to protect basic human rights, while others reveal the dangers of unchecked governmental or judicial power. The consequences of these decisions have ranged from the reinforcement of systemic oppression to severe restrictions on individual freedoms.

1. Dred Scott v. Sandford

   

   Dred Scott v. Sandford was a controversial 1857 Supreme Court decision that declared African Americans were not U.S. citizens and could not sue in federal courts, as well as denying Congress the power to prohibit slavery in U.S. territories.

2. Korematsu v. United States

   

   Korematsu v. United States was a 1944 Supreme Court decision that upheld the constitutionality of the forced internment of Japanese Americans during World War II, a decision that has been widely criticized as a violation of civil liberties.

3. Plessy v. Ferguson

   

   Plessy v. Ferguson was a landmark case in which the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of racial segregation laws under the "separate but equal" doctrine.

4. Buck v. Bell

   

   Buck v. Bell was a Supreme Court case that upheld a Virginia law that allowed for the compulsory sterilization of individuals deemed "unfit" by the state.

5. Roe v. Wade

   

   Roe v. Wade was a landmark 1973 Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion in the United States, establishing the right to privacy as protected by the Fourteenth Amendment.

6. Wickard vs. Filburn

   

   Wickard vs. Filburn was a 1942 Supreme Court decision that expanded the power of the federal government to regulate economic activities by upholding a New Deal-era law that limited the amount of wheat that farmers could grow for personal consumption.

7. Bowers v. Hardwick

   Bowers v. Hardwick was a controversial 1986 Supreme Court decision that upheld the constitutionality of a Georgia law criminalizing consensual sodomy, a decision that was later overturned by Lawrence v. Texas.

8. Citizens United v. FEC

   Citizens United v. FEC was a landmark case in which the U.S. Supreme Court held that corporations and unions have the right to spend unlimited amounts of money on political campaigns under the First Amendment.

   Even the plaintiff's name was a lie. Was there ever a groundswell of citizens demanding more insider influence, more access for special interests, and more dark money in politics?

   Shameless and disgusting. The Supreme Court's capacity for embarrassment ended with Citizens United.

9. Bush v. Gore

   Bush v. Gore was a landmark case in which the U.S. Supreme Court stopped the Florida recount in the 2000 presidential election, effectively declaring George W. Bush the winner.

10. Holder v. Humanitarian Law Project

The Newcomers
11. ?

    Browning-Ferris Industries v. Kelco Disposal

12. ?

    Broadrick v. Oklahoma

The Contenders

13. Lochner v. New York

    Lochner v. New York was a landmark case in which the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a New York state law that regulated the hours of bakers, holding that it violated the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.

14. Prigg v. Pennsylvania

    Prigg v. Pennsylvania was a Supreme Court case that addressed the constitutionality of the Fugitive Slave Act of 1793 and established that the federal government had exclusive authority over the return of fugitive slaves.

15. Trump v. Hawaii

16. McCulloch v. Maryland

    McCulloch v. Maryland was a landmark 1819 Supreme Court decision that established the principle of federal supremacy by upholding the constitutionality of the Second Bank of the United States and preventing states from taxing federal institutions.

17. Gonzales v. Raich

    Gonzales v. Raich was a 2005 Supreme Court decision that affirmed the federal government's power to prohibit the use of medical marijuana, even in states that had legalized it, on the grounds that it fell under the Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitution.

18. Elk v. Wilkins

    Elk v. Wilkins was a landmark case in which the U.S. Supreme Court held that Native Americans were not U.S. citizens and could not claim the protections of the Fourteenth Amendment.

19. United States v. O'Brien

    United States v. O'Brien was a 1968 Supreme Court decision that upheld a federal law prohibiting the destruction of draft cards, ruling that the law did not violate the First Amendment.

20. New York State Rifle & Pistol Association, Inc. v. Bruen

    New York State Rifle & Pistol Association, Inc. v. Bruen was a Supreme Court case that addressed the constitutionality of a New York law that required individuals to show proper cause to obtain a concealed carry permit.

21. Ward v. Rock Against Racism

    Ward v. Rock Against Racism was a 1989 Supreme Court decision that upheld a New York City regulation requiring the use of city-provided sound equipment and technicians for concerts in Central Park, ruling it did not violate the First Amendment.

22. Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton

    Free Speech Coalition v. Paxton was a 2025 Supreme Court decision in which the Court upheld Texas' law requiring age verification for websites with sexually explicit content that is obscene to minors, finding it only incidentally burdens adults and therefore subject to intermediate scrutiny under the First Amendment.

23. TikTok v. Garland

    TikTok v. Garland was a January 17, 2025 Supreme Court case upholding the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act, finding that Congress's ban on TikTok absent divestiture did not violate the First Amendment because it met intermediate scrutiny based on national security concerns related to Chinese ownership.

24. Williams-Yulee v. Florida Bar

25. AT&T Mobility LLC v. Concepcion

26. Buckley v. Valeo

27. First National Bank of Boston v. Bellotti