Case brief

Parties: Homer Adolph Plessy v. The State Louisiana

Fact: On June 7, 1892, Mr. Plessy boarded to the part of train of East Louisiana Railroad which was
determinated for „white“. However, under Louisiana law (Louisiana´s separate law), he was
classified as „black“ although he was one-eighth African Americans and therefore required to sit in
the part for „colored“. When Plessy refused to leave this wagon he was arrested and imprisoned.

Legal issue: The state law which required East Louisiana Railroad to segregate trains had denied
Plessy´s rights of the Thirteenth and Fourthteenth Amendments of the United States Constitution.

Procedural history: In the first instance, the judge presiding this case, John Howard Ferguson,
ruled that state has the right to regulate railroad companies as far as they worked in the range of
state boundaries. Plessy was convicted and sentenced to pay a penalty $25. Plessy invoked and the
case went to Supreme Court of Louisiana which Ferguson´s decision supported. Then he appealed to
the Supreme Court of United States. The court confirmed constitutionality of the Louisiana law.

Reasoning of the court: The court refused an opinion that the Louisiana law applied any inferiority
of African Americans as breaking of Fourteenth Amendment. By the court the segregation was only the
matter of social politics. The court upheld the constitutionality of state laws requiring racial
segregation in public facilities under the doctrine of separate but equal. He stated that the 13th
Amendment applied only to slavery, and the 14th amendment was not intended to give African
Americans social equality but only political and civil equality with white people.