The Evolution of Supreme Court Unanimous Opinions and their Legal Standing
Over the centuries, the United States Supreme Court (SCOTUS) has laid down numerous unanimous decisions that have had a profound impact on the American legal landscape. However, can a unanimous decision ever be overturned, or deemed incorrect by another court? This article explores the unique nature of Supreme Court decisions and the circumstances under which they may change.
Unanimous Decisions and Their Overruling
It is a common misconception that another court can overrule a Supreme Court decision. In fact, the Supreme Court is the ultimate arbiter in the United States, and its decisions can only be overruled by the Supreme Court itself. However, the Court has not been immune to changes in interpretation over time.
Case Study: Whitney v. California (1927)
The 1927 case, Whitney v. California, provides a poignant example. Charlotte Anita Whitney, the founder of the Communist Labor Party of California, was convicted under a state law that prohibited individuals from maintaining membership in organizations deemed subversive. The Supreme Court (SCOTUS) unanimously upheld the conviction, finding the law constitutional.
Fast forward to 1969, when the same issue was revisited in the case of Brandenburg v. Ohio concerning a Ku Klux Klan leader. The Court once again overruled its previous decision in Whitney v. California, deeming the speech and activities of the KKK leader constitutionally protected. This case illustrates how societal values and cultural shifts can lead to a change in legal interpretation, even for a unanimous decision.
The Question of Morality and Cultural Values
The idea behind whether a unanimous decision by learned justices can be deemed reprehensible later due to cultural shifts is intriguing and socially significant. SCOTUS decisions often address issues of morality and who deserves constitutional protection, with these values changing over time.
Terrible Injustices of the Past
Consider the case of Plessy v. Ferguson (1896), where the Court upheld the constitutionality of racial segregation under the 'separate but equal' doctrine. It wasn't until Brown v. Board of Education (1954) that the conviction was overturned, yet we still grapple with issues of racial inequality and discrimination.
Similarly, in the 1930s, the Court struck down minimum wage protections for women as unconstitutional, a stance that was overturned by 1937 with the ruling that minimum wage laws were permissible.
Horrible Precedents with Lasting Effects
There are some cases in American history that have left a particularly dark legacy. Korematsu v. United States (1944) (previously mentioned as an exception) allowed the incarceration of Japanese-Americans based on ethnicity. This decision has yet to be overruled, with the resulting internment camps and the broader impact of forced sterilization programs, such as Buck v. Bell (1927), still being felt today.
These cases highlight the enduring consequences of constitutional interpretations and the moral obligations of the legal system to continually reassess its foundational principles.
Conclusion
While the United States Supreme Court is the ultimate legal authority, it is not immune to changing societal and cultural values. The evolution of unanimous decisions over time reflects the dynamic nature of legal interpretation and the ongoing struggle to align constitutional protections with contemporary moral standards.