Norris v. Alabama facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Norris v. Alabama |
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| Argued February 15, 18, 1935 Decided April 1, 1935 |
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| Full case name | Norris v. Alabama |
| Citations | 294 U.S. 587 (more)
55 S. Ct. 579; 79 L. Ed. 1074
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| Holding | |
| It's against the law to keep Black people off juries just because of their race. This goes against the Fourteenth Amendment's promise of equal protection. | |
| Court membership | |
| Case opinions | |
| Majority | Hughes, joined by Van Devanter, Cardozo, Brandeis, Butler, Sutherland, Roberts, Stone |
| McReynolds took no part in the consideration or decision of the case. | |
| Laws applied | |
| U.S. Const. amend. XIV | |
Norris v. Alabama was an important case decided by the Supreme Court of the United States in 1935. This case was part of a series of trials involving a group of young Black men known as the Scottsboro Boys. The main question was whether it was fair to have juries made up only of white people, especially when a Black person was on trial.
Clarence Norris, one of the Scottsboro Boys, argued that Black people were unfairly kept off juries. He believed this happened because of racial prejudice. The Supreme Court looked closely at his claim.
What Was the Court's Decision?
On April 1, 1935, the Supreme Court made a big decision. All eight judges agreed that Clarence Norris's conviction should be overturned. Chief Justice Charles Evans Hughes wrote the Court's opinion.
The Court found that there was clear evidence. This evidence showed that Black Americans were illegally kept from serving on juries. Even though Alabama did not have laws that directly said Black people couldn't be on juries, the way things were done still led to this unfair practice.
Why Was This Decision Important?
The Supreme Court said that keeping Black Americans off juries was against the Fourteenth Amendment. This part of the Constitution includes the Equal Protection Clause. This clause means that everyone should be treated equally under the law.
This case built on an earlier decision called Strauder v. West Virginia (1880). The Court explained that if many Black people lived in an area, but none were on juries, it looked like discrimination. This was called prima facie evidence, meaning it was accepted as true unless proven otherwise. In this case, the numbers clearly showed that Black people were not fairly represented on juries.
How Did This Case Change Things?
The Norris v. Alabama case had a major impact on how racial discrimination was seen in the legal system. Before this decision, it was common to have all-white juries. Many people did not think this was against the Constitution.
This Supreme Court ruling changed that idea. It made it clear that juries should reflect the diversity of the community. It also showed that the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment truly meant that all Americans should be protected equally by the law. This was a step forward for civil rights in the United States.
