Rice v. Sioux City Memorial Park Cemetery, Inc.
United States Supreme Court
349 U.S. 70 (1955)
- Written by Jennifer Flinn, JD
Facts
Rice (plaintiff), the widow of a Native American, challenged an Iowa cemetery’s contractual policy allowing only Caucasians to be buried in the cemetery. An Iowa trial court ruled in favor of the cemetery, and the Iowa Supreme Court affirmed. At some point during the litigation, the Iowa legislature enacted a statute that would prevent this type of case from arising again. The United States Supreme Court granted certiorari, and a divided Court affirmed the Iowa Supreme Court’s decision with a per curiam opinion. Rice filed a petition for rehearing
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning (Frankfurter, J.)
Dissent (Black, J.)
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