Heart of Atlanta Motel v. U.S.: Supreme Court Case on Civil Rights and Discrimination, Study Guides, Projects, Research of Law

Download Heart of Atlanta Motel v. U.S.: Supreme Court Case on Civil Rights and Discrimination and more Study Guides, Projects, Research Law in PDF only on Docsity! Heart of Atlanta Motel v. U.S. Docket: 515 Citation: 379 U.S. 241 (1964) Appellant: Heart of Atlanta Motel Appellee: U.S. Case Media • Oral Argument • Written Opinion Abstract Oral Argument: Monday, October 5, 1964 Decision: Monday, December 14, 1964 Issues: Civil Rights, Desegregation Categories: commerce clause, discrimination, property, race, race discrimination Advocates Archibald Cox (Argued the cause for the United States) Moreton Rolleston, Jr. (Argued the cause for the appellant) Facts of the Case Title II of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 forbade racial discrimination by places of public accommodation if their operations affected commerce. The Heart of Atlanta Motel in Atlanta, Georgia, refused to accept Black Americans and was charged with violating Title II. Question Did Congress, in passing Title II of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, exceed its Commerce Clause powers by depriving motels, such as the Heart of Atlanta, of the right to choose their own customers? Conclusion The Court held that the Commerce Clause allowed Congress to regulate local incidents of commerce, and that the Civil Right Act of 1964 passed constitutional muster. The Court noted that the applicability of Title II was "carefully limited to enterprises having a direct and substantial relation to the interstate flow of goods and people. . ." The Court thus concluded that places of public accommodation had no "right" to select guests as they saw fit, free from governmental regulation. Supreme Court Justice Opinions and Votes (by Seniority) Sort by Ideology (More information here) Full Opinion: 9 - 0 Warren Black Douglas Clark Harlan Brennan Stewart White Goldberg Cite this page The Oyez Project, Heart of Atlanta Motel v. U.S., 379 U.S. 241 (1964), available at: <http://www.oyez.org/cases/1960-1969/1964/1964_515/> (last visited Monday, February 4, 2008).