what did earl warren fight for

What is Earl Warren best known for?

Earl Warren. Earl Warren, (born March 19, 1891, Los Angeles, Calif., U.S.—died July 9, 1974, Washington, D.C.), American jurist, the 14th chief justice of the United States (1953–69), who presided over the Supreme Court during a period of sweeping changes in U.S. constitutional law, especially in the areas of race relations,...

Why was Earl Warren appointed to the Supreme Court?

Supreme Court Chief Justice During Earl Warren's third term as governor, in 1953 President Dwight D. Eisenhower, a moderate conservative, nominated Warren to be chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court stating, "He represents the kind of political, economic, and social thinking that I believe we need on the Supreme Court."

What did Earl Warren do after JFK?

After John F. Kennedy 's assassination, Warren headed the investigating commission. He retired from the bench in 1969 and died in 1974 in Washington, D.C. Born on March 19, 1891, in Los Angeles, California, Earl Warren went on to become an influential politician and chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court.

How did Earl Warren change the Civil Rights Movement?

As chief justice, Warren spearheaded radical changes in areas of equal protection, law enforcement, and representative apportionment. Earl Warren helped end school segregation with the court's decision in Brown v. Board of Education(1954).

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What was Earl Warren known for?

He is the only person to have been elected to the governorship of California for three successive terms (in 1942, 1946, and 1950). In 1946, he was the only governor in our history to win an election unopposed, when he won the Democratic, Republican, and Progressive primaries.

What was Earl Warren impact on civil rights?

Throughout the South, billboards proclaimed "Impeach Earl Warren." Tough-minded, amiable, and persuasive, Warren led the Court to landmark decisions throughout the 1960s that extended individual rights and the rights of the accused and forced the government to justify any attempts to infringe such rights.

Why was the Warren Court significant?

The Warren Court expanded civil rights, civil liberties, judicial power, and the federal power in dramatic ways. It has been widely recognized that the court, led by the liberal bloc, has created a major "Constitutional Revolution" in the history of United States.

How did the Warren Court protect the rights of the accused?

Gideon v. Wainwright ruled that states must provide attorneys at state expense for accused persons unable to procure their own legal defense. Similarly, Miranda v. Arizona expanded the rights of the accused by mandating that they must be informed of their rights upon arrest.

What was the impact of the Warren Court?

The Warren Court effectively ended racial segregation in U.S. public schools, expanded the constitutional rights of defendants, ensured equal representation in state legislatures, outlawed state-sponsored prayer in public schools, and paved the way for the legalization of abortion.

How did the Cold War shape civil rights?

The Cold War influenced desegregation because it brought international attention to the failings of the United States government. The negative perceptions combined with the race against communism pushed the government to end de jure segregation.

What role did the Supreme Court play during the civil rights movement?

1964: The Supreme Court upheld the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibited racial discrimination in public accommodations such as hotel rooms and restaurants.

What did Warren say about separate schools?

Ferguson in 1896, Warren, speaking for the court, stated that “separate educational facilities are inherently unequal,” and the court subsequently called for the desegregation of public schools with “all deliberate speed.”. In Watkins v. United States (1957), Warren led the court in upholding the right of a witness to refuse to testify ...

What is the Supreme Court ruling in Reynolds v. Sims?

In Reynolds v. Sims (1964), using the Supreme Court’s precedent set in Baker v. Carr (1962), Warren held that representation in state legislatures must be apportioned equally on the basis of population rather than geographical areas, remarking that “legislators represent people, not acres or trees.” In Miranda v. Arizona (1966)—a landmark decision of the Warren court’s rulings on criminal justice—he ruled that the police, before questioning a criminal suspect, must inform him of his rights to remain silent and to have counsel present (appointed for him if he is indigent) and that a confession obtained in defiance of these requirements is inadmissible in court.

How many heart attacks did Warren have?

In 1974 Warren suffered three heart attacks, and on the day of his death he prodded the Supreme Court to order the release to the U.S. Congress of the secret Watergate tapes (which would hasten Nixon’s resignation from the presidency).

What did Warren do in the 1920s?

He also earned support within the Republican Party for prosecuting radicals under the state syndicalism laws during the 1920s and for securing the convictions of labour-union leftists in the 1930s. Enjoying an excellent reputation throughout the state and country, Warren was elected state attorney general in 1938.

What was Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka?

Board of Education of Topeka (1954), declaring unconstitutional the separation of public-school children according to race. Rejecting the “separate but equal” doctrine that had prevailed since Plessy v.

Was Warren a Republican?

He was nominated as the Republican candidate for vice president of the United States in 1948, losing on a ticket with Thomas Dewey (it was his only defeat in an election). Despite the 1948 loss, his national reputation continued to grow, and he gained a strong following as a potential presidential candidate in 1952. As the campaign drew near, divisions within the Republican Party began to emerge. His moderate position in the campaign against communism (led in California by fellow Republican Richard M. Nixon)—e.g., he opposed loyalty oaths for professors at the University of California—and his less-than-committed primary campaign left Warren a distant third, behind Robert A. Taft and General Dwight D. Eisenhower, by the time of the Republican National Convention. Nevertheless, Warren hoped to secure the Republican nomination as a compromise candidate. However, a pair of strategic moves—one by Nixon to secretly campaign for Eisenhower despite his pledge of support for Warren, and one by Warren to support the Fair Play Act that effectively assured delegate support for Eisenhower for president—ultimately sank his nomination, and he campaigned vigorously for Eisenhower in the general election. In gratitude for his loyalty, Eisenhower considered Warren for several cabinet offices and later promised Warren the first vacant seat on the court. In July 1953 Eisenhower offered Warren the post of solicitor general, but when Chief Justice Fred Vinson died suddenly on Sept. 8, 1953, Eisenhower, honouring his commitment, appointed Warren interim chief justice; on March 1, 1954, Warren’s appointment was confirmed by the U.S. Senate.

Where did Warren go to law school?

Warren attended the University of California, Berkeley, where he received bachelor’s (1912) and law (1914) degrees. His political appetite was whetted by his work on the successful campaign of Progressive Party gubernatorial candidate Hiram Johnson. After graduation he was admitted to the bar and spent three years in private practice. In 1917 he enlisted in the U.S. Army, serving stateside during World War I and rising to the rank of first lieutenant before his discharge in 1918. Thereafter he briefly worked with the California State Assembly before becoming deputy city attorney for Oakland; in 1920 he took up the post of deputy district attorney for Alameda county. In 1925–26 he served out the remaining year of the district attorney’s term of office, and in 1926 he won a full term as Alameda county district attorney.

Who Was Earl Warren?

Earl Warren served in the military during World War I and later became a county district attorney. He won election to his home state's governorship, holding that position from 1943 until 1953, and was then appointed chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. Warren led the Court through many landmark cases dealing with race, justice, and representation. After John F. Kennedy 's assassination, Warren headed the investigating commission. He retired from the bench in 1969 and died in 1974 in Washington, D.C.

What did Warren say about the Plessy decision?

However, the Plessy decision pertained to transportation, not education. In his written opinion, Warren stated that "in the field of public education, the doctrine of 'separate but equal' has no place. Separate educational facilities are inherently unequal.".

How did Warren help end school segregation?

Warren helped end school segregation with the court's decision in Brown v. Board of Education ( 1954). The Fourteenth Amendment didn’t clearly disallow segregation and the doctrine of separate but equal was deemed constitutional in the 1896 case of Plessy v. Ferguson.

What was the Warren Court ruling?

During its tenure, the Warren Court generated a seismic shift in the area of criminal justice procedure. Beginning in 1961, the case of Mapp v. Ohio questioned whether credible evidence obtained through an illegal search could be admissible in court. In 1914, the Supreme Court ruled in Weeks v. United States that evidence illegally obtained could not be used in federal court. However, that ruling did not extend to the states. In 1961, the Warren Court ruled that illegally obtained evidence is not admissible in state courts due to the Fourteenth Amendment’s due process clause. Subsequent court rulings have placed some exceptions to this ruling, but its main intent remains in force.

How did Warren die?

After 16 years on the bench, Warren retired from the Supreme Court in 1969. After suffering from a series of heart problems in his final years, Warren died on July 9, 1974, of congestive heart failure.

What did Warren do in 1948?

In 1948, Warren moved into national politics as the Republican vice presidential candidate and running mate of Thomas Dewey, who was defeated in his presidential bid by Harry S. Truman .

Why is illegal evidence not admissible in federal courts?

In 1961, the Warren Court ruled that illegally obtained evidence is not admissible in state courts due to the Fourteenth Amendment’s due process clause.

Why did Warren overturn Plessy?

By the early 1950s, Warren had become personally convinced that segregation was morally wrong and legally indefensible. Warren sought not only to overturn Plessy but also to have a unanimous verdict. Warren, Black, Douglas, Burton, and Minton supported overturning the precedent, but for different reasons, Robert H. Jackson, Felix Frankfurter, Tom C. Clark, and Stanley Forman Reed were reluctant to overturn Plessy. Nonetheless, Warren won over Jackson, Frankfurter, and Clark, in part by allowing states and federal courts the flexibility to pursue desegregation of schools at different speeds. Warren extensively courted the last holdout, Reed, who finally agreed to join a unanimous verdict because he feared that a dissent would encourage resistance to the Court's holding. After the Supreme Court formally voted to hold that the segregation of public schools was unconstitutional, Warren drafted an eight-page outline from which his law clerks drafted an opinion, and the Court handed down its decision in May 1954.

How many delegates did Warren have?

After the primaries, Warren had the support of 80 delegates, while Eisenhower and Taft each had about 450 delegates. Though the California delegation was pledged to support Warren, many of the delegates personally favored Eisenhower or Taft.

What was the Warren Court ruling in the 1960s?

In the 1960s, the Warren Court handed down several landmark rulings that significantly transformed criminal procedure, redistricting, and other areas of the law. Many of the Court's decisions incorporated the Bill of Rights, making the protections of the Bill of Rights apply to state and local governments. Gideon v.

How did Warren die?

Five years into retirement, Warren died due to cardiac arrest at Georgetown University Hospital in Washington, D.C., at 8:10 p.m. on July 9, 1974. He had been hospitalized since July 2 due to congestive heart failure and coronary insufficiency. On that same day, he was visited by Justices Brennan and Douglas, until 5:30 p.m. Warren could not resist asking his friends whether the Court would order President Nixon to release the sixty-four tapes demanded by the Watergate investigation. Both justices assured him that the court had voted unanimously in United States v. Nixon for the release of the tapes. Relieved, Warren died just a few hours later, safe in the knowledge that the Court he had so loved would force justice on the man who had been his most bitter foe.

What was the Warren Court?

The " Warren Court " presided over a major shift in American constitutional jurisprudence, which has been recognized by many as a " Constitutional Revolution " in the liberal direction, with Warren writing the majority opinions in landmark cases such as Brown v. Board of Education (1954), Reynolds v.

Why did Warren and Olson clash?

Warren frequently clashed with Governor Culbert Olson over various issues, partly because they belonged to different parties. As early as 1939, supporters of Warren began making plans for his candidacy in California's 1942 gubernatorial election. Though initially reluctant to run, Warren announced his gubernatorial candidacy in April 1942. He cross-filed in the Democratic and Republican primaries, ran without a party label, and refused to endorse candidates running for other offices. He sought to voters regardless of party, and stated "I can and will support President Roosevelt better than Olson ever has or ever will." Many Democrats, including Olson, criticized Warren for "put [ting] on a cloak of nonpartisanship," but Warren's attempts to appear above parties resonated with many voters. In August, Warren easily won the Republican primary, and surprised many observers by nearly defeating Olson in the Democratic primary. In November, he decisively defeated Olson in the general election, taking just under 57 percent of the vote. Warren's victory immediately made him a figure with national stature, and he enjoyed good relations with both the conservative wing of the Republican Party, led by Robert A. Taft, and the moderate wing of the Republican Party, led by Thomas E. Dewey.

What division was Earl Warren?

Rank. First Lieutenant. Unit. 91st Division . Earl Warren (March 19, 1891 – July 9, 1974) was an American politician and jurist who served as 30th governor of California from 1943 to 1953 and as the 14th Chief Justice of the United States from 1953 to 1969.

What did Warren do to help the civil rights movement?

Warren demonstrated his leadership skills from the start. He persuaded his fellow justices to follow his lead in the unanimous Brown v. Board of Education (1954), which overturned Plessy v. Ferguson (1896), signaled the end of segregation in American society, and gave impetus to the civil rights movement and other contemporary movements for change.

What did Warren do at Berkeley?

Determined to become a lawyer like Lincoln, Warren majored in political science at Berkeley while at the same time becoming involved in Theodore Roosevelt’s progressive politics. After three years he entered the university’s Department of Jurisprudence, ultimately receiving a Bachelor of Law degree in 1914, the same year he was admitted to the California bar.

What did Lincoln and Warren believe?

Both Lincoln and Warren were Republicans who believed in promoting democratic values. Warren implemented the Great Emancipator’s belief in equality, fairness, and individual dignity through a human rights due-process revolution, fair-trial procedures, and fairer representation in state legislatures.

What was Warren's personal standard for deciding cases?

His personal standard for deciding cases was, “But is it fair?”

When did Warren join the Republican ticket?

In 1944 he twice turned down Thomas E. Dewey’s offer to serve as his running mate on the Republican ticket for president, but he did agree to join the ticket in 1948. As a result of his vice presidential race in 1948, Warren became a contender for the 1952 Republican presidential nomination.

Where was Warren born?

Born in Los Angeles, Warren was raised in the frontier town of Bakersfield, California. Warren skipped two grades in elementary school, which led to his being somewhat of an outsider in high school. After graduating in 1908, he moved to Berkeley to attend the University of California — the first youth from East Bakersfield to do so.

Which court case established the principle of academic freedom for college professors?

Warren wrote the Court’s opinion in Sweezy v. New Hampshire (1957) that established the principle of academic freedom for college professors and the opinion in Bond v. Floyd (1966), which prohibited the Georgia legislature from expelling Julian Bond for comments criticizing the federal government.

What is Earl Warren College?

Earl Warren College, the fourth of UC San Diego's undergraduate colleges, was founded in 1974, and named after the former Chief Justice in a ceremony attended by Thurgood Marshall, a member of the Warren Court and a jurist destined eventually to bequeath his name to another UCSD college. Warren College commemorates the groundbreaking achievements of the popular California governor and Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court.

How long did Warren serve as a prosecutor?

During his fourteen years as district attorney, Warren developed a reputation as a crime fighter. As a prosecutor Warren was sometimes accused of high-handedness in his methods, but in thirteen years and in thousands of cases ranging from murder to window-breaking, he never had a conviction reversed by a higher court.

What was the impact of the one man one vote ruling?

Another was the "one-man one-vote" ruling that caused a major shift in legislative power from rural areas to cities. Besides his work on the court, Warren headed the commission that investigated the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Earl Warren retired in 1969, and died on July 9, 1974, in Washington, D.C.

When was Earl Warren College founded?

Earl Warren College, the fourth of UC San Diego's undergraduate colleges, was founded in 1974, and named after the former Chief Justice in a ceremony attended by Thurgood Marshall, a member of the Warren Court and a jurist destined eventually to bequeath his name to another UCSD college.

When did Warren retire?

On May 14, 1915, he was admitted to the California bar. After graduation, Warren worked in law offices in San Francisco and Oakland, the only time in his career when he was engaged in private practice. From 1920 until his retirement from the Supreme Court in 1969, he served without interruption in public office.

Where did Warren go to law school?

Warren attended the University of California, Berkeley, where he majored in political science for three years before entering UCB's School of Law. He received his B.A. degree in 1912 and his J.D. degree in 1914. On May 14, 1915, he was admitted to the California bar.

Was Warren a crime fighter?

During his fourteen years as district attorney, Warren developed a reputation as a crime fighter. As a prosecutor Warren was sometimes accused of high-handedness in his methods, but in thirteen years and in thousands of cases ranging from murder to window-breaking, he never had a conviction reversed by a higher court. Warren was a member of the Board of Regents of the University of California. Although a Republican, Warren had broad bipartisan support because of his centrist to liberal views. He is the only person to have been elected to the governorship of California for three successive terms (in 1942, 1946, and 1950). In 1946, he was the only governor in our history to win an election unopposed, when he won the Democratic, Republican, and Progressive primaries.

Why did Nixon raked Haynsworth?

Stealing a page from the Fortas fight, the Democrats raked Haynsworth for financial improprieties. Nixon squealed about the “vicious character assassination” that Haynsworth underwent, but the president was being hoisted by his own petard.

What did the Supreme Court decide in the case of Warren v. Nixon?

The Supreme Court had met that very day to confer on the case, they told him. They assured him they would rule against Nixon . Warren died that night. Two weeks later, a unanimous Supreme Court ruled, in United States v. Nixon, that the president had to surrender his White House tapes to the prosecutors.

How much was Fortas' retainer?

Their wrath grew downright broiling when reports from the Nixon Justice Department confirmed that Fortas was on a $20,000-a-year retainer from a convicted financier. Fortas resigned in May, and Warren, not getting any younger, finally stepped down from his seat in June. Nixon would now have two seats to fill.

What did Nixon do to the Plumbers?

And after ending up on the losing end of a Supreme Court ruling when trying to halt publication of leaked secrets in the Pentagon Papers case, Nixon installed an in-house gang of stooges, nicknamed the Plumbers, to investigate, intimidate and defame leakers. It eventually led him to Watergate.

How many justices did Nixon name?

But Nixon, who lived another two decades, may have had the last laugh. All in all, he named four justices to the court.

What was the Great Train Robbery?

The episode became known in state political lore as “The Great Train Robbery.”. At the convention, Nixon was tireless, securing the delegation for Ike on the key procedural votes that determined the nomination. Warren, fuming, sent an envoy to Eisenhower. “We have a traitor in our delegation,” he charged.

What brought Nixon's dark side out?

The clash over Fortas’ seat was one of several vicious quarrels —like those over the invasion of Cambodia, and the publication of the Pentagon Papers —that brought out Nixon’s dark side.

What was Eisenhower's view on Eisenhower vs Warren?

Warren also forces readers to consider whether and when a public figure should go all in and decisively back a major policy shift. Eisenhower believed in incremental change, driven by social progress rather than law. He demanded intolerable levels of patience from African Americans, who had already waited centuries for equality. Warren, by contrast, recognized that America’s formative pathology—its racism—was a terminal cancer that must be dealt with urgently. He engineered the boldest stroke against segregation since Reconstruction.

What did Eisenhower ask Warren to consider?

Over coffee, Eisenhower took Warren by the arm and asked him to consider the perspective of white parents in the Deep South. “These are not bad people,” the president said. “All they are concerned about is to see that their sweet little girls are not required to sit in school alongside some big black bucks.”.

What did the Brown decision say about segregation?

The Court decided the case on May 17, 1954, declaring that segregation in public schools was unconstitutional. It was the seminal Supreme Court decision of the 20th century, and one of the most important cases in the nation’s history. But Eisenhower pointedly refused to endorse it. Instead he delivered this bafflingly terse answer to a reporter’s question: “The Supreme Court has spoken, and I am sworn to uphold the constitutional process in the country. And I will obey.” There endeth the statement. Eisenhower offered no comment in support of racial equality, no expression of solidarity with African Americans, and no sign of agreement with the Court’s opinion.

What was Eisenhower's response to Brown's comments?

One scholar has called Eisenhower’s response to Brown “morally obtuse.”. Hitchcock writes that while the president “did not obstruct progress on civil rights,” he “refused to lead,” proceeding with “caution and wariness.”. Warren resented this for the rest of his life. The Court, it seemed, was on its own.

Why did Warren decline to speak up for the decision?

The president later claimed that he had declined to speak up for the decision not out of disagreement but because he had felt he shouldn’t opine on any ruling of the Supreme Court.

What was Warren's role in the Brown decision?

And little wonder: Warren’s role in the Brown decision is one of the great acts of American statesmanship. The popular California governor joined the Supreme Court at a moment of crisis. Brown had been argued once already, in 1952, but the justices had been divided and uncertain how to proceed.

Did Eisenhower run for reelection?

Before Eisenhower committed to run for reelection in 1956, party elders had frequently mentioned Warren as a replacement candidate. But he never posed a serious threat to the revered general, and indeed stumped for him on the campaign trail in 1952.

Overview

Citations

1. ^ Cray 1997, pp. 16–18.
2. ^ Cray 1997, pp. 19–21.
3. ^ Cray 1997, pp. 23–28, 31.
4. ^ Cray 1997, pp. 28–32.

Early life, family, and education

City and district attorney

Family and social life

Attorney General of California

Governor of California

Chief Justice of the United States