As I mention in my last post, I bought a book on the SCOTUS today. Bernard Schwartz’s A History of the Supreme Court. I skimmed the intro and I see that the various courts are covered and there are chapters on four "watershed cases." Instead of going to the Table of Contents to see the selected cases, I decided what I thought they would be in my head. Then I checked.
Here are the author’s selections as the featured "watershed cases:"
1. Dred Scott v. Sanford
2. Lochner v. New York
3. Brown v. Board of Education
4. Roe v. Wade
I was intrigued by this selection. As I read more, I’m sure that I will understand why these specific cases are featured. I totally get the first three. I agree that they changed the course of things on a very great level. But Roe surprised me.
Everyone who has met me or read anything remotely political that I’ve written knows that I am pro-choice. I am extremely proud to have worked for Planned Parenthood of Delaware. I am also extremely interested in Roe and its progeny. However, I wouldn’t have picked Roe.
To me, much more important that Roe is Griswold v. CT. That is the one that made Roe happen. That’s where the right to privacy was born. Really, I’m not interested in Roe and its progeny – I’m interested in Griswold and its progeny, which includes Roe.
So, for the legal folks, what are your four watershed cases? The Boy included Marbury v. Madison, but perhaps that is simply because we were all killed with that one in Con law. He also said Miranda. There are so many… But I still wouldn’t have gone with Roe.
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Gotta agree with the Boy about Miranda.