Monday, April 29, 2013

Shelley v. Kraemer case brief

Shelley v. Kraemer case brief summary
334 U.S. 1

CASE SYNOPSIS: On writs of certiorari to the Supreme Courts of Missouri and Michigan, petitioners challenged decisions that enforced restrictive covenants in deeds of residential property whereby the owner agreed that it should not be used or occupied by any person except a Caucasian.

FACTS: The cases involved suits in state courts to enforce restrictive covenants in deeds of residential property whereby the owners agreed that the property should not be used or occupied by any person except a Caucasian. The court reversed the state courts' decisions upholding the covenants because, in granting judicial enforcement of the covenants, the states denied petitioners the equal protection of the laws.

ANALYSIS:

  • Although there was no state statute regulating the matter, there was nonetheless state action within the meaning of U.S. Constitutional amendment XIV. 
  • The action of the state courts in imposing penalties or depriving parties of substantive rights without providing adequate notice and an opportunity to defend themselves was a denial of due process of law guaranteed by U.S. Constitutional amendment XIV. 
  • The court concluded that because of petitioners' race or color, they were denied rights of ownership or occupancy enjoyed as a matter of course by other citizens of different race or color.

CONCLUSION: The court reversed the lower state court decisions because the states denied petitioners the equal protection of the law in granting judicial enforcement of the restrictive agreements.

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