COOPER v. AARON
Term:
- 1950-1959
Location:
Arkansas State Capitol
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?
Argument
Cooper v. Aaron - Oral Argument, Day 2, Part 3Cooper v. Aaron - Oral Argument, Day 2, Part 2Cooper v. Aaron - Oral Argument, Day 2, Part 1Cooper v. Aaron - Oral Argument, Day 1, Part 3Cooper v. Aaron - Oral Argument, Day 1, Part 2Cooper v. Aaron - Oral Argument, Day 1, Part 1 Conclusion
Decision: 9 votes for Aaron, 0 vote(s) against
Legal provision: Equal Protection
Legal provision: Equal Protection
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.
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Cite this Page
COOPER v. AARON. The Oyez Project at IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law. 17 May 2012. <http://www.oyez.org/cases/1950-1959/1958/1958_1/>.
COOPER v. AARON, The Oyez Project at IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law, http://www.oyez.org/cases/1950-1959/1958/1958_1/ (last visited May 17, 2012).
"COOPER v. AARON," The Oyez Project at IIT Chicago-Kent College of Law, accessed May 17, 2012, http://www.oyez.org/cases/1950-1959/1958/1958_1/.