Supreme Court decisions are a big part of our lives, but bad SCOTUS opinions can lead to more nightmares than a John Carpenter film. A mask wearing maniac is frightening, but decades of havoc from a single choice is even more horrifying.
Here are some real life Supreme Court decisions that are so awful, they are scary:
5. Berghuis v. Thompkins (2010): The Supreme Court ruled that a suspect must break his silence to affirmatively invoke his right to silence.
4. Kelo v. City of New London (2005): Taking land from one private party to give it to another is a valid public use under the Takings Clause, the Supreme Court ruled.
3. Bowers v. Hardwick (1986): This decision upheld a discriminatory Georgia sodomy statute that criminalized sexually active gay and lesbian relationships.
2. Korematsu v. United States (1944): Here, the Supreme Court upheld the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II, finding that the need to protect against espionage outweighed the individual rights of American citizens.
1. Dred Scott v. Sanford (1857): Dred Scott held that African Americans, whether freemen or slaves, could not be considered American citizens. The ruling undid the Missouri Compromise, barred laws that would free slaves, and all but guaranteed that there would be no political solution to slavery.
Are there any other SCOTUS opinions that should have made the list?