Does the case Plessy v. Ferguson ring a bell for some of you? What was that case about? What was the specific constitutional challenge involved? (What does that mean - when someone challenges the constitutionality of a law - is it more than simply alleging that "that law is bad?")

The case between Plessy vs Fergusson was all about violation of constitutional rights that upheld constitutionality of racial segregation but equal doctrine. Plessy who was the plaintiff in error was a citizen of United states and a resident of Louisiana thereby being a mixed descent and argued that he had right for every recognition privilege and immunity thereby securing the citizens of the united states. It arised when Plessy who was an American train passenger refused to sit in a car belonging to black people which was viewed as a violation of separate car act that required equal but separate train car accommodations for both the white and the non-white passengers therefore there was a legal distinction between white and black people which the court ruled as unconstitutional. There was an act called Separate Car Act that was enacted by Louisiana that required the existence of separate railway cars for both the blacks as well as the whites. Due to this Plessy agreed to challenge this act. Due to the belief that the act would impose unnecessary costs via additional railroad cars it led to the railroads operators cooperating with these act.

Challenging the law doesn't necessarily relate to the meaning that it is bad. It is viewed as having a right to give different view pertaining to what it entails which could benefit a segment of a portion of it. The case reviews the constitutionality of the axt that was enacted requiring separate railway carriages for both the white and the public. It requires provision of equal but separate accommodations between the racial segregations withy provisions of two or more passenger coaches by dividing the coaches by partition so as to secure accommodations for the involved passengers. The officers of this trains are delegated powers to assigning each passenger to the coach or compartment based by the different races that they do belong. Penalties for refusal to comply with these rules be it the officers, conductors as well as employees operating on these railways are specifically formulated so as to enhance proper train operations. The constitutionality of this case involves the conflicting with thirteenth amendment of the act, abolishment of slavery and the fourteenth amendment.