Individual Project: Plessy Vs. Ferguson and Miranda Vs. Arizona

Ashlee Williams

August 4, 2016

Individual Project 3

Individual Project: Plessy vs. Ferguson and Miranda vs. Arizona

The number one duty of the judiciary is to interpret laws. This indicates that already known law can be interpreted differently by each judge at different time periods in history. The indication is influenced by a multiple number of factors in which they include the socio-political climate in the country at the time of indication.

The Plessy vs. Ferguson case occurred in 1896 and the Miranda vs. Arizona case occurred in 1966. Both cases were very outstanding cases that warranted the mode of interpretation of the constitutional law and the benefits taken by the majority ruling opinion, as well as the disagreement opinion in making a judgement.

 The first case, Plessy vs. Ferguson, consist of discrimination towards race and segregation involving wrongful treatment towards the people of color. The second case, Miranda vs. Arizona, involves the Supreme Court Judges defending an accused suspect of crime against his right to an attorney.

Plessy vs Ferguson case was the most memorable and remarkable in United States history regarding the decisions of the Supreme Court. The case was supported by the constitutional laws of the state in that it required and regulated racial division in public places. The ruling was made on basis of the “Separate but equal” principle that had come into existence during that time in the United States (Davis).

The “Separate but equal” principle is a main factor that had influence on the court’s ruling during the Plessy vs Ferguson case. The decision of the judges of the Supreme Court was influence by the segregation laws that was, at the time, present. Homer Plessy, who was the applicant happened to be 1/8 African American and 7/8 caucasian (Davis).

The ruling judge of the court, John H. Ferguson, had faith that Plessy had purposely broken the law in order to experiment with the constitutionality of the laws of segregation. This is also kept as a factor that swayed the ruling to serve as a penalty towards those who against the laws that were constitutionally ratified.

Division among races had become shared in every public place in the United States. The courts knew that the accused suspect had purposely did something wrong so that he could challenge the law in the court of law. The over-all notion for those who made accusations against Plessy didn’t support the accused in a case where the white race was being challenged.

During that time, the country was controlled by white supremacy in that other small races were taken as low-grade and non-influential. The blacks, along with other small races of people, weren’t permitted entrance to facilities that would put them to be equal to the white race of people. This included being recruited for high paying jobs, especially in the judiciary.