The Lovings v. The State of Virginia - 913 Words

Richard and Mildred Loving were prosecuted on charges of violating the Virginia state’s ban on interracial marriages, the 1924 Racial Integrity Act. The Loving’s violated Virginia law when the couple got married in Washington D.C., June 1958. The couple returns to their home in Central Point, Virginia. In the early morning hours of July 11, 1958, the Loving’s were awakened by local county sheriff and deputies, acting on an anonymous tip, burst into their bedroom. â€Å"Who is this woman you’re sleeping with?† Mrs. Loving answered â€Å"I’m his wife.† Richard Loving pointed to the marriage certificate on the wall. The sheriff responded, â€Å"That’s no good here.† In the initial proceedings presiding Judge Leon M. Bazile, is credit with saying†¦show more content†¦The Fourteenth Amendment requires that the freedom of choice to marry not be restricted by racial discriminations. Under the United States Consti tution, the freedom to marry, or not marry, a person of another race resides with the individual and cannot be infringed by the state (Lexis 10). On June 12, 1967 the Supreme Court reversed the judgment of the appellate court, which had affirmed the Loving’s convictions and held upheld the constitutionality of the statutes. The Court rejected the notion that the mere equal application of a statute containing racial classifications was enough to remove the classification from the U.S. Constitution Amendment Fourteen. The amendment proscription of all invidious racial discriminations and held there was no legitimate overriding purpose which justified the classification. The Court found that restricting the freedom to marry solely because of racial classifications violated the central meaning of the Equal Protection Clause and deprived appellants of liberty without due process of law in violation of the Due Process Clause of U.S. Constitution Fourteenth Amendment. Chief Justice Warren delivered the opinion of the Court. â€Å"This case presents a constitutional question never addressed by this Court: whether a statutory schemeShow MoreRelatedThe Supreme Court Case Loving V. Virginia1609 Words   |  7 Pages1958 Mildred Jeter and Richard Loving went to Washington D.C. to get married and they went back to Virginia a few days later. But because Mildred was of African-American and Native American decent, and Richard was white they were arrested for violating the state law that prohibits interracial marriage. At the time, Virginia was one of 17 states, including Texas and Alabama, that had laws prohibiting interracial marriage (Wolfe). The Supreme Court Case Loving v. Virginia is an important of part of AmericanRead MoreLoving V. Virginia, Introduction, Facts, Legal Background1567 Words   |  7 PagesLoving v. Virginia Interracial marriage: Respecting the Equal Protection and Due Process Clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment. I. INTRODUCTION This case note will examine the 1967 landmark Supreme Court case of Loving v. Virginia. The Loving v. Virginia case touched on constitutional principles including equality, federalism, and liberty. Just over 30 years ago, it was a crime for interracial couples in Virginia to marry, or to live as husband and wife. Prior to the 1967 case of Loving v. VirginiaRead MoreThe Statutes Pave V. Alabama Loving V. Virginia Essay1364 Words   |  6 PagesAssignment 2: The Statutes- Pace v. Alabama Loving v. Virginia Ashlee R. Hall PAD 525: Constitution Administrative Law Dr. Lee January 29, 2012 Was there ever a period in history where interracial marriages and sex among people of different races was considered illegal? As absurd as this idea sounds, the answer is yes. Astonishingly, less than 40 years ago marrying someone of a different race was considered illegal. Black people could not be with white people- it justRead MoreRichard Loving, A White Man And Mildred Jeter913 Words   |  4 Pages1958, in the District of Columbia, Richard Loving, a white man and Mildred Jeter, a black woman was married. Shortly after the marriage the Loving’s returned to Virginia. Upon returning to Virginia the couple was charged with violating Virginia’s Anti-miscegenation Statue. That bans inter-racial marriages. The Loving’s were found guilty and sentenced to a year in jail but the judge offered to suspend their sentence if the Loving’s were to leave Virginia and not return for 25 years. ï‚› Racial integrityRead MoreLoving vs. The Commonwealth of Virginia: Significance in Marriage Law1174 Words   |  5 PagesLoving v. Virginia Significance in Marriage Law A case is said to be landmark when it produces a precedent that is regarded as law by jurists during other cases. These cases are seen as such, generally, because they change the direction of the people making the laws and sitting on the courts, and forge a new path for justice which is more often than not seen as a perfection of the law. One such case occurred in Loving v. The Commonwealth of Virginia in 1967. The original complaint was made inRead MoreEssay about Should Same-Sex Marriage Be Legalized? 1555 Words   |  7 Pagescountries, Mexico City, seven states in the US, and Washington DC, have made same-sex marriage legal (531). â€Å"Thus, 319 million people, or 5 percent of world population, live in jurisdictions that recognize same-sex marriage† (Chamie and Mirkin 531). In the US, 40 states have rulings prohibiting same-sex marriage where, in 29, the prohibitions are voter-backed blocking judges from overturning the legislation (Chamie and Mirkin 537). The statist ics confirm that â€Å"†¦ in the United States, the country remainsRead MoreThe Supreme Court and Civil Rights Essay991 Words   |  4 Pagesand procedural guarantees in criminal and civil rights,† (Dawood). It was not until 1791, that the Bill of Rights was appended to the constitution, which helped clarify these rights to citizens. â€Å"Rights were eventually applied against actions of the state governments in a series of cases decide by the Supreme Court,† Dawood stated. In previous years (1790-1803), the Supreme Court had little say in decisions being made by government. As time went on the Supreme Court took on more responsibility and startedRead MoreLoving vs. Virgina783 Words   |  4 PagesLOVING v. VIRGINIA Can you imagine not being able to share your life with the person you love because of the color of your skin? Well, this was the case for those who resided in Virginia decades ago. Interracial marriages were not allowed in Virginia and sixteen other states due to the adoption of the Racial Integrity Act of 1924. The sole purpose of this act was to completely prohibit a white person marrying other than another white person. Marriage licenses were not issued until theRead MoreThe Case : Great Promise And Its Impact On The Future1269 Words   |  6 Pagesfrom minimal in the 1960’s to great in the catholic community. As they became a negative spokes voice for those of same-sex marriages. Despite the fact that both cases went in favor of the plaintiff the decision the United States v. Windsor was voted 5-4. While Lovings v. Virginia was voted unanimously in favor of the plaintiff. So, because of the verdict its outcome was present in society. For instance, after the legalization of interracial marriages there was most likely an effect of a conservativeRead MoreCivil Liberties And Civil Rights1500 Words   |  6 PagesAssignment One: Civil Liberties v. Civil Rights Linsey (Lins) Morgan - Student ID: 3104067 GOVT - 2305 - 71063 Northlake College Had I been born a mere 60 years earlier, I would likely be in jail. Before discussing the U.S. Supreme Court decision which has preserved my freedom, I would like to examine the nature of civil rights and civil liberties. Next, we will look at some of the historical context which would have found me jailed. Lastly, we will conclude by looking at the impact of the U.S. Supreme