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U.S. V. Cruikshank
''United States v. Cruikshank'', 92 U.S. 542 (1876), was a major decision of the United States Supreme Court ruling that the U.S. Bill of Rights did not limit the power of private actors or state governments despite the adoption of the Fourteenth Amendment. It reversed the federal criminal convictions for the civil rights violations committed in aid of anti-Reconstruction murders. Decided during the Reconstruction Era, the case represented a major defeat for federal efforts to protect the civil rights of African Americans. The case developed from the strongly contested 1872 Louisiana gubernatorial election and the subsequent Colfax massacre, in which dozens of black people and three white people were killed. Federal charges were brought against several whites using the Enforcement Act of 1870, which prohibited two or more people from conspiring to deprive anyone of their constitutional rights. Charges included hindering the freedmen's First Amendment right to freely assemble ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
William Tod Otto
William Tod Otto (January 19, 1816 – November 7, 1905) was an American judge and the eighth reporter of decisions of the United States Supreme Court, serving as reporter from 1875 to 1883. Biography Born in Philadelphia, he was the son of noted physician John Conrad Otto. He received his A.B. in 1833 and his A.M. in 1836, both from the University of Pennsylvania, and then read law with Joseph R. Ingersoll. He moved west and practiced law in Brownstown, Indiana and was a judge on the Indiana Second Circuit Court from 1844 to 1852. He taught law at a predecessor school of the now Indiana University Maurer School of Law from 1847 to 1852 and unsuccessfully ran for Attorney General of Indiana in 1858. A personal friend of Abraham Lincoln, Judge Otto headed the Indiana delegation to the 1860 Republican National Convention that nominated Lincoln for the presidency. Subsequently, he was among those instrumental in delivering Indiana, a key swing state, to Lincoln in the presiden ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
