Are There Major Court Cases Regarding The 19Th Amendment?

The 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution has emerged as a central focal point for legal interpretation and litigation. Its multifaceted nature has led to an extensive array of Supreme Court cases, making it the constitutional provision with the highest number of legal disputes. As of May 31, 2022, the 14th Amendment remains at the forefront of judicial scrutiny, with its complex wording and wide-ranging implications continually generating significant legal challenges and debates.

Oscar Leser, a notable lawyer from Baltimore, initiated a legal case known as Leser v. Garnett. In this landmark lawsuit, Oscar Leser sued to challenge the inclusion of women in voting roles. His argument was based on the contention that a provision in Maryland’s constitution restricting suffrage to men was still valid. He asserted that this provision remained in force due to the state’s legislature declining to ratify the 19th Amendment, which granted women the right to vote. The case of Leser v. Garnett took place on February 27, 2020, and it sheds light on the complex legal debate surrounding gender-based suffrage restrictions.

In the landmark Supreme Court case of United States v. Louisiana, decided in 1960, the Court ruled that through the Submerged Lands Act of 1953, the United States had officially relinquished its claims to the submerged lands located in the Gulf of Mexico within a three-mile distance from Louisiana’s coastline. As a result of this decision, Louisiana was affirmed as the rightful owner of these submerged lands up to the three-mile limit, while the United States retained ownership of lands beyond that distance, extending further into the sea. This case clarified the distribution of submerged lands and jurisdiction in the Gulf of Mexico, setting a crucial precedent for coastal states’ rights and federal jurisdiction in similar cases.