WEDNESDAY CLASS
LEARNING TARGET: How did the murder of Emmett Till, and its aftermath, raise the question of how far Congress (and the President) could go in enforcing against states the Supreme Court's 14th Amendment equal protection and due process decisions?
* oral arguments in gay marriage cases
* case study #1: From Emmitt Till to Rosa Parks to "the Little Rock Nine" to Rodney King: Congress and Civil Rights
* As you watch "The Murder of Emmett Till" -- and read the law review article later on the case -- consider the following questions for discussion next time:
a. Was the 5th Amendment's double jeopardy protection a constitutional bar to federal steps to deal with state violations of the 14th Amendment?
b. What was the problem with federal intervention under the authority of the 14th Amendment and a federal law passed during Reconstruction which made it a crime for "two or more persons" to "conspire to injure, oppress, threaten, or intimidate any person?"
c. If the federal courts could not intervene on behalf of Emmett Till, do you think that Congress, with new legislation, could create authority for the federal courts (and, for that matter, the President) to act in situations involving rights violations?
* handout: review sheet for exam #3