Lee v. Washington facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lee v. Washington |
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| Argued November 7, 1967 Decided March 11, 1968 |
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| Full case name | Lee, Commissioner of Corrections of Alabama, et al. v. Washington, et al. |
| Citations | 390 U.S. 333 (more)
88 S. Ct. 994; 19 L. Ed. 2d 1212; 1968 U.S. LEXIS 2223
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| Prior history | Washington v. Lee, 263 F. Supp. 327 (N.D. Ala. 1966) |
| Holding | |
| State jails and prisons may not segregate prisoners based on race. | |
| Court membership | |
| Case opinions | |
| Per curiam. | |
| Concurrence | Black, Harlan, and Stewart |
| Laws applied | |
| 14th Amendment, 1st Amendment | |
Lee v. Washington was a very important decision by the Supreme Court of the United States. It happened in 1968. The Court decided that prisons and jails could not separate people based on their race. This ruling helped make sure everyone was treated fairly.
Contents
About Segregation in Prisons
Before this case, the state of Alabama kept people in jails and prisons separate by race. White prisoners were in different areas from African-American prisoners. This practice is called segregation. It means keeping groups of people apart.
The Lawsuit Begins
In 1966, a lawyer named Charles Morgan Jr. filed a lawsuit. He worked with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). The ACLU is a group that works to protect everyone's rights. Morgan asked the court to stop Alabama's segregation in prisons.
This lawsuit happened 12 years after another famous Supreme Court case. That case was Brown v. Board of Education. Brown v. Board of Education made it illegal to separate students by race in public schools.
The First Court's Decision
A court in Alabama, called the United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama, heard the case. This court decided that Alabama's prisons must stop segregating people. The state of Alabama had argued that segregation was needed. They said it helped keep prisons safe and prevent violence.
However, the court disagreed. They said that separating people by race was against the law. They explained that while sometimes a very short separation might be needed for safety, it could not be a general rule. The court made it clear that keeping people apart just because of their race was unconstitutional.
The Supreme Court's Ruling
Alabama did not agree with the District Court's decision. So, they asked the Supreme Court to review the case. The Supreme Court agreed with the first court's decision. They said that prisons could not segregate people based on race.
What is a Per Curiam Opinion?
The Supreme Court's decision was a very short one. It was called a per curiam opinion. This means the decision came from the whole Court, not just one specific judge. It is like a quick statement from all the judges together.
Judges' Additional Thoughts
Three judges, Justice Black, Justice Harlan, and Justice Stewart, wrote an additional opinion. This is called a concurring opinion. It means they agreed with the final decision. But they wanted to add a point or explain their reasons a bit more.
They said that prison leaders could consider racial tensions. This might be needed in certain situations. It could help them keep order and safety in prisons. However, this did not change the main rule. The main rule was that prisons could not separate people by race all the time.
