What Is Earl Warren's Role In Criminal Justice

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What traits and qualifications do you think of as requirements for a Supreme Court Justice? Most Americans would think of judicial background, knowledge of the Constitution, and the ability to win others over with their speaking abilities. Earl Warren had none of these things. He earned only a C-average in law school and had no judicial experience prior to becoming the Chief Supreme Court Justice. He wasn’t charismatic, and he was not well versed in Constitutional rights. However, he is widely considered one of the most influential Supreme Court justices in history. Earl Warren was influential because of his work on rights for African Americans, his reform of criminal justice and procedure, and his important role in the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II.

First, as a Supreme Court Justice, Earl Warren reformed the criminal justice system through the court’s rulings. He supported individual rights for the accused because of his background in law enforcement. As a District Attorney, he perceived many flaws in the system, especially in rights for individuals. His decisions as a Supreme Court Justice reflected this. Because of the rulings, the criminal justice system became more regulated, as well as fair to
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Board of Education, a case that had the power to end segregation or strengthen it. During the time of the Warren Court, segregation was in effect. The ruling of Plessy v. Ferguson meant that separate but equal facilities were common, including in schools. However, though the physical areas were usually equal, the intangible aspects were usually neglected in schools for African Americans. This was the case Brown brought before the court. The Supreme Court ruled that segregation in schools violated the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. This was the beginning of the end of segregation. Ten years later, the Civil Rights Act of 1964 ended segregation in all public