Loving Vs. Virginia Case Study

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The case Loving v. Virginia arose in the 1960s when Mildred Loving and Richard Loving legally got married in Washington D.C. When going back to their home state, they were arrested under Virginia’s anti-miscegenation laws, a law that prohibited interracial marriage. The Lovings argued that their 14th Amendment was violated when they were arrested. Upon 1967 the Supreme Court had a unanimous decision in favor of the Lovings. The Supreme Court declared anti-miscegenation laws unconstitutional and an overreaching of state power. The court case Loving v. Virginia stands as a turning point in American history, leading to a transformative shift for the Civil Rights Movement, greater equality for all couples, and ruling against state laws limiting …show more content…

Virginia sparked the embrace of marriage which led to the advancement of LGBTQ+ rights. Proving that the Loving case advanced equality for all couples across America and is still impactful to this day. The Loving v. Virginia case redefined the boundaries of state power. The case highlighted limitations that government authority should have on personal relationships between U.S. citizens. When argued in court Cohen and Hirschkop argued, “The Virginia statute was illegal under the 14th Amendment to the constitution.” This validated the Lovings' argument that their 14th Amendment was being violated when they were arrested. As stated by Chief Justice Earl Warren, “Under our Constitution, the freedom to marry or not marry, a person of another race resides with the individual and cannot be infringed by the State.” In other words, states cannot create laws that infringe upon U.S. citizens rights that are stated in the Constitution. A state's interest in regulating marriage cannot justify the violation of someone's rights. Abolishing the right for states to create anti-miscegenation redrew the boundaries of state power. The court case Loving v. Virginia is a monumental turning point in

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