Understanding the Court SystemA landmark case occurred in the United States of America. The case was heard at Supreme Court. The petition was brought forth by a Michigan resident who claimed a violation of her rights to be enrolled in the Michigan law school on the ground that the school had admitted other students of a different race who had scored lower than her. In this case, therefore, she presumed to have been treated differently about race and thus becoming a victim of racial discrimination. In this case, Fourteenth Amendment, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 was contravened. Regarding the Michigan law school, the institution was acting on affirmative action in which it sought to enhance diversity and thus creating room for the attainment of education among the other marginalized races. The institution was forced to base their selection criteria on other qualities other than the academic qualification that may in equally manner help in the positive progress of the system. This essay seeks to discuss a detailed account of this civil case outlining its significance in American history and the Criminal Justice System.
Before this situation, the white dominance in the education sector was seen to discriminate against the African-American, and it was so rampant that it necessitated a solution to the situation and in this case, the Michigan Law School was working towards the amendment of the situation. The affirmative action had the sole purpose of ensuring that that more African-Americans attain the higher education. In so doing they have slotted some position to be taken by those African-Americans who had talents and showed some potential regarding academic achievement even though their present score did not meet the institution’s threshold. The whites at that time felt they were superior, and thus there was no way in which they could have competed with the blacks for the same opportunities especially when it involved the education matters. At that time, the blacks were underrepresented and in ensuring that they compete favorably with the other members of the society, the government advocated for the affirmative action. The effort is the reason why in this case the Michigan Law School had come up with this noble to boost the educational access among the minority and those with the disadvantaged socioeconomic background.
The law that was violated according to the complainant a Michigan resident by the name Barbara Grutter is the racial discrimination that had violated, Fourteen Amendment, 42 U.S.C. § 1981, as well as Title VI of the Rights Act of 1964. All these laws give the provisions that all the citizens are equal and thus violation in treating other in a way that suggests discrimination of any kind. Her argument is that she was denied access on the basis that there was predominant factors giving members of a particular group greater significance chance of securing admission than her, and they were citizens under the same constitution and thus ought to have a fair treatment. She felt that the members of the other races who were discriminated upon had the higher qualification, and thus the institution had a basis in justifying their action.
Regarding Marcella a possible penalty, if indeed the Michigan Law School had been found guilty of violating the Fourteen Amendment, it would have been ordered to compensate Barbara Grutter and compelled to admit her without any conditions. Also, on the other hand, the school would have been temporarily closed to ensure that it meets the laws of the land before its operations. The justification is that the constitution does not allow operation of any entity in the United States of America that does not advance the agendas stipulated. Another penalty regarding would have been to ensure that all the students admitted through the same procedure have their admission revoked, and thus the school starts the admission of the new students in a lawful manner.
The case between Barbara Grutter the resident of Michigan and the Bollinger; the Michigan Law School, was heard in the State court because the case first occurred in the U.S. District Court but Judge Bernard ruled in the favor of the petitioner. Consequently, an appeal in a higher tribunal was inevitable, and it landed in Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals in the following year. The verdict was that the school showed no violation of the law by the use of the affirmative action to enhance diversity, and thus this court reversed the ruling made in the U.S. District Court. The petitioner was not satisfied with the outcome of the verdict and hence had to appeal to the Supreme Court, and it is in this court that the final decision was made leaning towards the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals and reversing a decision by U.S. District Court.
The case was required a great justice to receive the deserving judgment. A proper ruling was crucial since this was a case of its own that no other like it had occurred in the country and thus a lot of wisdom and a clear interpretation of the Constitution was required. It was not only going to deal with the case itself in the outcome arrived at, but it was to set a course of action and reference upon which other related cases drew their foundation. In the verdict issued by the court, the institution carried the day since its affirmative action was tailor made regarding the original constitution with the aim of achieving the greater benefits to the university. The court argued that the institution only used the affirmative action to advance the provision of the Equal Protection Clause, Title VI which sought to enhance diversity. The university was on the right course since the incumbent government was ready to remedy all the injustices suffered under the previous authorities by the minority groups. Justice Powell who presided over the case stated that the university had not gone against the Constitution since the nation had sought to embrace diversity and in including race in their admission as an affirmative action was welcome. Powell’s view lived to become a cornerstone upon which the country’s’ institutions based their admission criteria as the courts were also required to use his rationale in the ruling of a similar nature. He also argued that the decision will enhance the interaction between the whites and other races in the country and it is only in that manner that they could stop basing their judgment upon one another merely on the unfounded assumptions and myths.
In my opinion, this was the best decision that could fit this case. In his wisdom, Justice Powell was very visionary and could act in the best of the country not only at that time but could understand the importance of diversity, and thus he did not know what to discourage it but instead encourage it to thrive. At the moment we can comfortably say that he foresaw globalization and thus diversity would form a crucial aspect of helping the United States of America become a dominant economic superpower and therefore need to strengthen the minority groups. Now it is vivid that without those specials spot created to accommodate the minorities we would not be celebrating personalities such as Baby Face, Oprah, Obama and others who have been significant contributors of the American dream. Also, the ruling is important to the war against insecurity in the country. The diversity has played a greater role in helping to curb the terrorism menace since the different races give various methods and ways of achieving a more stable and relatively peaceful country. It has also promoted leadership since we have seen the first African-American rising into power as the holder of the highest office in the land and all this shows that the blacks were justified to access those particular spots, and thus the verdict awarded by Justice Powell was justified.
Conclusion
Conclusively, this was a landmark case that determined not only that particular situation but also becomes a blueprint upon which other laws of the country of similar matter drew their foundation. The Petitioner Barbara Grutter was right to stand her ground and fight for the rights of other citizens who might have gone through the same kind of discrimination since it is unlawful to discriminate against a group. The case was carried out in the Supreme Court after an appeal in Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals, and thus the sole reason for it to find its way to this state court was the nature of its complexity. Nevertheless, Justice Powell was equal to the task and ensured that he used not only the better version of the constitution but also wisdom in giving the verdict. He sided with the decision of the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals and reversed the decision made by the U.S. District Court. It finally becomes a significant judgment in the American history, and one can confess that the verdict given was the best.
