1. Hannah Conwell
Supreme Court case
1967
Loving v. Virginia

2. Richard Loving and Mildred Jeter Loving
DEFENDANT:
Richard Loving and Mildred Jeter Loving

3. Virginia’s Circuit Court
PLAINTIFF:
Virginia’s Circuit Court
Original Jurisdiction

4. Their story… Details of the case Mildred pregnant at 17
Went to Washington, D.C. to marry
Richard stayed one night, out on $1,000 bond
Returned to hometown (Caroline County, VA)
Mildred released a few days later
Arrested on July 14th for the first time for “unlawful cohabitation”
Sentence would be suspended if couple left Virginia for 25 years
Sentenced to one year in prison

5. Family… Details of the case
They could do this as long as they traveled separately
Agreed, went back to D.C. to live
Had first child, Sidney
Returned to Caroline 5 years later
Hated D.C. They were unhappy
Arrested a second time for traveling together
Traveled to VA to have second and third children, Donald and Peggy, and to visit family

6. Victory… Details of the case
Mildred wrote to Attorney General Robert Kennedy for help
She couldn’t afford a lawyer, so he referred her to 2 lawyers who agreed to help free of charge
June 12, 1967 – Supreme Court overruled VA’s law
Went to the US supreme court
The couple was free to go home together

7. Opinion of the court… Chief Justice Earl Warren
“marriage is a basic civil right and to deny this right on the basis of race is directly subversive of the principle of equality at the heart of the 14th Amendment and deprives all citizen’s liberty without due process of law.”

8. Happily Ever After
(Almost)……

9. After the case…
Couple happily raised their children together in their Virginian home for many years…until…
1975 – a drunk driver struck Richard and Mildred’s vehicle
Robert killed on impact
Mildred lost sight in her right eye
In Mildred died of pneumonia

10. My opinion… I agree with the majority decision in this case
People should not be defined by who they were created to be or judged because of who they chose to love
I am happy that there is marriage equality in Virginia
I liked this case because I could relate to it

11. How times have changed…