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Thursday, December 31, 2009

What were the five worst decisions ever by the US Supreme Court?


Love 'em or hate 'em the US Supreme Court is that the heart of the American legal system. The big referee in the sky without instant replay. So what do you think are their biggest blunders since they opened shop in 1789?

I would love to hear your list but here are five possibilities:
Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857),  the Supreme Court ruled that people of African descent imported into the United States and held as slaves, or their descendants—whether or not they were slaves—were not protected by the Constitution and could never be citizens of the United States.

Plessy v. Ferguson,  (1896),  upheld the constitutionality of racial segregation even in public accommodations , under the doctrine of "seperate but equal".   

Lone Wolf v. Hitchcock, (1903) declared that the US Congress could unilaterally abrogate treaty obligations between the United States and Native American tribes.

Schenck v. United States, (1919), upheld the Espionage Act of 1917 and concluded that a defendant did not have a First Amendment right to free speech against the draft during World War I.

Korematsu v. United States, (1944) , ruled on Executive Order 9066, which ordered Japanese Americans into internment camps during World War II.  The court ruled the order constitutional.

It's a shame that there are so many bad decisions to choose from.


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