Court Cases: The Plessy Vs. Ferguson Case

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During a time of civil rights conflict, many of the court cases taken place questioned the morals of biased courts and racism of the Jim Crow laws. Throughout these difficult times, there were also people who stood up against the unfair society. These court cases include Brown vs. Board of Education, Plessy vs. Ferguson, the Scottsboro boys, and Moore vs. Dempsey. All of these cases are examples of how African Americans did not have fair representation in court as well as the consequences given for speaking out against the unjust court systems. The Brown vs. Board of Education court case took place to desegregate schools due to its violation of the fourteenth amendment. The case started as five separate court cases that were lost in lower …show more content…
Ferguson case was the spark into the enforcement of segregation in the Jim crow period in 1896. It started off in Louisiana with Homer Plessy trying to board an all white bus when the colored bus was full. When he couldn't, he was forcely removed from the bus and taken to jail, where he said, “they had violated my thirteenth and fourteenth amendment rights” (PBS, “Plessy v. Ferguson 1896”). In his trial, the jury ruled seven to one, not in his favor, saying that different races should not be mixed together. This court case showed that punishment can be given to those who disobey the segregation law. The Plessy vs. Ferguson case also showed that the thirteenth and fourteenth rights couldn’t protect them from injustice. While this case had a negative outcome it showed how Homer Plessy was willing to stand up for what he thought was right. This court case established the racial segregation …show more content…
Dempsey case. In 1922, during a riot in Elaine, Arkansas, five white men were shot and killed. Twelve black farmers were to blame for, and were arrested. During the trial, a large mob surrounded the courthouse. They threatened to attack and murder the black men if they were not sentenced to death. The twelve farmers were tortured repeatedly to confess or testify against the other men. The jury debated charges in less than eight minutes per person, where each man was deemed guilty, sentenced to death, and lynched. A year later, Walter White of the NAACP argued that due to the mob presence outside the courthouse, it was impossible for the black men to have a fair trial. This decision was a major step towards the defence of black defendants in
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