Giles v. Harris
Giles v. Harris, 189 U.S. 475 (1903), was an early 20th-century United States Supreme Court case in which the Court upheld a state constitution's requirements for voter registration and qualifications. Although the plaintiff accused the state of discriminating in practice against black citizens, the Court found that the requirements applied to all citizens and refused to review the results "in practice," which it considered overseeing the state's process. As there was no stated intent in law to disenfranchise blacks, the Court upheld the state law.
| Giles v. Harris | |
|---|---|
Supreme Court of the United States | |
| Submitted February 24, 1903 Decided April 27, 1903 | |
| Full case name | Jackson W. Giles, Appellant v. E. Jeff Harris, William A. Gunter, Jr., and Charles B. Teasley, Board of Registrars of Montgomery County, Alabama |
| Citations | 189 U.S. 475 (more) 23 S. Ct. 639; 47 L. Ed. 909; 1903 U.S. LEXIS 1378 |
| Case history | |
| Prior | Appeal from the Circuit Court of the United States for the Middle District of Alabama |
| Holding | |
| The Court refused to assist African Americans in Alabama who were being systematically denied the right to vote by a scheme set up by the all-white state legislature. | |
| Court membership | |
| |
| Case opinions | |
| Majority | Holmes, joined by Fuller, White, Peckham, McKenna, Day |
| Dissent | Brewer, joined by Brown |
| Dissent | Harlan |
| Laws applied | |
| U.S. Const., Amendments XI & XV | |
The African-American educator Booker T. Washington secretly arranged for funding and representation for Jackson W. Giles in this lawsuit and the ensuing Giles v. Teasley (1904). He worked extensively behind the scenes to direct and raise funds for other lawsuits and segregation challenges as well.