loving v virginia
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Loving v. VirginiaSupreme Court Case
1967
Julie Sohnen
Virginia’s “Anti-Miscegenation Statute” was passed in 1924
It is a ban on interracial marriage for residents of Virginia
Mildred Jeter, an African-American woman was married to Richard Loving, a Caucasian man, in June 1958, violating this state law
Even though they were married in Washington D.C., by living in Virginia they broke this law
Jeter
Loving
• October 1958—Grand jury indicted the Lovings for violating Virginia’s ban on marriages between different races
• They were found guilty and sentenced to 1 year in prison
• However, the judge postponed their sentence for 25 years on the condition that the couple leaves and does not return to Virginia.
Richard and Mildred moved to Washington D.C. They claimed that Virginia’s rule violates the Equal
Protection Clause of the Constitution, hoping to completely eliminate the sentence
They hired a lawyer, Bernard Cohen, in 1963, to try and cancel their jail sentence of one year
The Court allows the Lovings to present their case (against constitutionality of Virginia’s ban on intermarriage) to the Supreme Court of Virginia
It’s denied In 1966, the Lovings appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court At first it is denied Later though, in 1967, a trial was held on April 10 A unanimous vote in the Lovings’ favor demolished
Virginia’s law for good Today, gay rights activists try to use Loving v. Virginia to
help their case, but (most) courts only apply this to racial issues
The End