Wisconsin Supreme Court Candidate Misinterprets Historical Court Decision
Maria Lazar, who is currently serving on the Wisconsin Court of Appeals and is campaigning for a position on the Wisconsin Supreme Court, has been noted for her comments regarding the Dred Scott decision, a landmark case in U.S. history. During a recent interview, her understanding of the case’s outcome came into question.
In the April 17 election, Lazar is vying to take the place of the retiring conservative Supreme Court Justice Rebecca Bradley. During an interview on October 1, Lazar cited the Dred Scott decision as an example of a flawed Supreme Court ruling that was overturned.
She stated, “Precedent doesn’t mean that you never overturn a case,” referring to Dred Scott and other significant cases, suggesting they should have been overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court.
However, the Dred Scott decision, which in 1857 declared that Black people were not entitled to full citizenship rights under the Constitution, was never officially overturned by the court. Instead, constitutional amendments effectively nullified the decision: the 13th Amendment abolished slavery, the 14th Amendment granted citizenship rights to Black individuals, and the 15th Amendment protected citizens’ voting rights.
The composition of the Wisconsin Supreme Court currently stands with four liberal justices and three conservatives. The outcome of the April 7 election is poised to either solidify or maintain the existing liberal majority. One of the anticipated cases for the court involves congressional redistricting, which will be addressed by the newly seated judge.
Maria Lazar’s opponent in this election is Judge Chris Taylor, also of the Wisconsin Court of Appeals. Taylor has received endorsements from Sen. Tammy Baldwin and the AFL-CIO.
The post Maria Lazar misstates history of Dred Scott decision in interview appeared first on American Journal News.
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