Cooper v. Aaron

Media Items

Oral Argument

Expanded View

Download MP3

Advocates

Richard C. Butler (Argued the cause for the petitioners)

J. Lee Rankin (Argued the cause for the United States, as amicus curiae, in support of the respondents)

Case Basics

Docket No.:

Petitioner:

Cooper et al., Members of the Board of Directors of the Little Rock, Arkansas, Independent School District, et al.

Respondent:

Aaron et al.

Consolidation:

Aaron et al. v. Cooper et al., Members of the Board of Directors of the Little Rock, Arkansas, Independent School District, et al., No. 1 MISC

Decided By:

Warren Court (1957-1958)

Opinion:

358 U.S. 1 (1958)

Argued:

August 28-September 11, 1958

Decided:

Friday, September 12, 1958

Issues:

Civil Rights, Desegregation, Schools

Cite this page

The Oyez Project, Cooper v. Aaron , 358 U.S. 1 (1958)
available at: (http://oyez.org/cases/1950-1959/1958/1958_1)

Facts of the Case:

The Governor and the Legislature of Arkansas openly resisted the Supreme Court's decision in Brown v. Board of Education. They refused to obey court orders designed to implement school desegregation. Local officials delayed plans to do away with segregated public facilities.

Question:

Were Arkansas officials bound by federal court orders mandating desegregation?

Conclusion:

In a signed, unanimous per curiam opinion, the Court held that the Arkansas officials were bound by federal court orders that rested on the Supreme Court's decision in Brown v. Board of Education. The Court noted that its interpretation of the Fourteenth Amendment in Brown was the supreme law of the land and that it had a "binding effect" on the states. The Court reaffirmed its commitment to desegregation and reiterated that legislatures are not at liberty to annul judgments of the Court.

Decisions

Decision: 9 votes for Aaron, 0 vote(s) against
Legal provision: Equal Protection

Sort by Ideology