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Terry v. Adams, 345 U.S. 461 (1953)
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General SummaryThis case is from a collection containing the full text of over 16,000 Supreme Court cases from 1793 to the present. The body of Supreme Court decisions are, effectively, the final interpretation of the Constitution. Only an amendment to the Constitution can permanently overturn an interpretation and this has happened only four times in American history.
Terry v. Adams, 345 U.S. 461 (1953)
Terry v. Adams No. 52 Argued January 16, 1953 Decided May 4, 1953 345 U.S. 461
CERTIORARI TO THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
FOR THE FIFTH CIRCUIT
Syllabus
Petitioners, qualified Negro voters of a Texas County, sued to determine the legality of their being excluded, solely because of their race and color, from voting in elections held by an Association consisting of all qualified white voters in the County. The Association held an election in each election year to select candidates for county offices to run for nomination in the official Democratic primary. The Association’s elections were not governed by state laws, and did not utilize state elective machinery or funds. Candidates elected by the Association were not certified by the Association as its candidates in the Democratic primary, but filed their own names as candidates. However, for more than 60 years, the Association’s county-wide candidates had invariably been nominated in the Democratic primaries and elected to office. The District Court found that the Association was a political organization or party, and that its chief object had always been to deny Negroes any voice or part in the election of county officials.
Held:
1. The combined election machinery of the Association and the Democratic Party deprives petitioners of their right to vote on account of their race and color, contrary to the Fifteenth Amendment. P. 470.
2. The case is remanded to the District Court to enter such orders and decrees as are necessary and proper under the jurisdiction it has retained under 28 U.S.C. § 2202. P. 470.
3. In exercising this jurisdiction, the District Court is left free to hold hearings to consider and determine what provisions are essential to afford Negro citizens of the County full protection from such future discriminatory election practices which deprive citizens of voting rights because of their color. P. 470.
193 F.2d 600, reversed.
For opinion of MR. JUSTICE BLACK, joined by MR. JUSTICE DOUGLAS and MR. JUSTICE BURTON, see post, p. 462. For opinion of MR. JUSTICE FRANKFURTER, see post, p. 470.
For concurring opinion of MR. JUSTICE CLARK, joined by THE CHIEF JUSTICE, MR. JUSTICE REED and MR. JUSTICE JACKSON, see post, p. 477.
For dissenting opinion of MR. JUSTICE MINTON, see post, p. 484.
The District Court issued a declaratory judgment holding invalid racial discriminations in a pre-primary election in a Texas County, declined to issue an injunction, but retained jurisdiction to grant further appropriate relief. 90 F.Supp. 595. The Court of Appeals reversed. 193 F.2d 600. This Court granted certiorari. 344 U.S. 883. Judgment of the Court of Appeals reversed, and cause remanded to the District Court for further proceedings, p. 470.
Contents:
Chicago: U.S. Supreme Court, "Syllabus," Terry v. Adams, 345 U.S. 461 (1953) in 345 U.S. 461 345 U.S. 462. Original Sources, accessed November 22, 2024, http://originalsources.com/Document.aspx?DocID=KZKCYACCHD1TVI1.
MLA: U.S. Supreme Court. "Syllabus." Terry v. Adams, 345 U.S. 461 (1953), in 345 U.S. 461, page 345 U.S. 462. Original Sources. 22 Nov. 2024. http://originalsources.com/Document.aspx?DocID=KZKCYACCHD1TVI1.
Harvard: U.S. Supreme Court, 'Syllabus' in Terry v. Adams, 345 U.S. 461 (1953). cited in 1953, 345 U.S. 461, pp.345 U.S. 462. Original Sources, retrieved 22 November 2024, from http://originalsources.com/Document.aspx?DocID=KZKCYACCHD1TVI1.
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