Bernard S. Cohen facts for kids

Bernard S. Cohen (born January 17, 1934 – died October 12, 2020) was a lawyer who worked to protect civil liberties (basic rights and freedoms). He was also a member of the Democratic Party. He served in the Virginia House of Delegates, which is like a state parliament.

On April 10, 1967, Cohen argued a very important case called Loving v. Virginia before the U.S. Supreme Court. He worked with another lawyer, Philip Hirschkop, for the ACLU. On June 12, 1967, the Supreme Court decided in favor of Cohen's clients. They ruled that laws banning marriage between people of different races were against the U.S. Constitution. This decision made such laws illegal in 15 states.

Bernard Cohen's Early Life and Career

Bernard Cohen was born in Brooklyn, New York. His father was an immigrant who worked with fur and was active in a labor union. Cohen said his father's union work taught him to respect working people. He also felt that being part of a minority group made him want to fight for equal rights for everyone.

He studied at City College of New York. Then he went to law school at Georgetown University. In the 1960s, he helped start the Virginia branch of the American Civil Liberties Union. This group works to protect people's rights. Bernard Cohen passed away at age 86 on October 12, 2020.

The Important Loving v. Virginia Case

In 1967, just a few years after finishing law school, Bernard Cohen took on a big case. He volunteered for the ACLU. He represented a couple named Richard and Mildred Loving in the case of Loving v. Virginia. This case went all the way to the Supreme Court of the United States. Cohen's co-counsel (another lawyer working on the case) was Philip Hirschkop.

Richard Loving was a white construction worker. Mildred Loving had both African American and Native American heritage. They got married in Washington, D.C., in 1958. When they returned to their home in Caroline County, Virginia, they were arrested. They were charged with breaking Virginia's laws against marriage between different races. At that time, 24 states had such laws. The Lovings were sentenced to one year in prison. But the sentence was put on hold if they left Virginia for 25 years.

After the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was passed, Mildred wrote to U.S. Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy. She asked if the new law would let her and Richard live in Virginia again. Kennedy sent her letter to the ACLU, and that's how Bernard Cohen got involved.

Supreme Court's Decision in Loving v. Virginia

U.S states, by the date of repeal of anti-miscegenation laws:      No laws passed      1780 to 1887      1948 to 1967      After 1967

On June 12, 1967, the Supreme Court made a unanimous decision. They overturned a ruling by the Virginia Supreme Court. The Virginia court had said the Lovings were guilty of breaking the state's Racial Integrity Act of 1924. This act had made marriage between different races illegal.

The Supreme Court's decision said that laws banning interracial marriage were unconstitutional. They said these laws took away "equal protection" under the law. This protection is guaranteed by the Fourteenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. The Court ruled that no state could make a law limiting the right to marry based on race.

This ruling immediately made existing interracial marriage laws illegal in 15 states. Most of these states were in the Southern U.S. Some states, like Alabama, did not officially remove their old laws right away. But they could no longer enforce them. Alabama finally removed its ban on interracial marriage from its state constitution in 2000. Mildred Loving passed away on May 2, 2008, at age 68.

Bernard Cohen's Work in the Virginia House of Delegates

Bernard Cohen served as a representative in the Virginia House of Delegates from 1980 to 1996.

Work with the Virginia House of Delegates 21st District

When he first became a delegate in 1980, Cohen supported a bill to change certain laws in Virginia. This bill aimed to protect individual freedoms. However, it did not pass at that time.

Work with the Virginia House of Delegates 56th District

From January 12, 1983, to January 10, 1996, Cohen represented the 56th district. This district included much of the city of Alexandria. Many of Cohen's bills aimed to improve the rights of people involved in legal cases. For example, some of his bills helped people who filed personal injury lawsuits in Virginia courts.

Nuclear Freeze and "Death with Dignity" Resolutions

In early 1983, Cohen supported a "nuclear freeze" resolution. This resolution called for the U.S. and the Soviet Union to stop making nuclear weapons. It also said that the large amount of money spent on these weapons was a burden on the federal budget. The resolution did not pass.

Also in early 1983, the Virginia House passed Cohen's "Death with Dignity" bill. This law allowed patients who were terminally ill (meaning they had a disease that would cause them to die) to decide if they wanted to continue life support. It meant they could choose not to use "heroic artificial means" to keep them alive if there was no hope of recovery. The Virginia Senate also passed a similar law. It protected doctors from legal trouble if they followed a patient's or family's wishes to disconnect life support. The patient had to be terminally ill with no hope of recovery. Doctors who disagreed could transfer the patient's care to another doctor.

Other Important Views

In February 1984, Cohen strongly opposed a bill that would prevent young men from attending state colleges or getting financial aid if they had not registered with the Selective Service. This system is for potential military drafts. The bill passed the Virginia House but did not become law.

Portrayal in Television and Movies

Bernard Cohen has been shown as a character in movies and TV shows about the Loving case.

• In the 1996 TV movie Mr. & Mrs. Loving, he was played by Corey Parker.
• In the 2016 film Loving, he was played by Nick Kroll.