McLaughlin v. Florida - 379 U.S. 184 (1964)

U.S. Supreme Court

McLaughlin v. Florida, 379 U.S. 184 (1964)

McLaughlin v. Florida

No. 11

Argued October 13-14, 1964

Decided December 7, 1964

379 U.S. 184

Syllabus

A Florida criminal statute prohibits an unmarried interracial couple from habitually living in and occupying the same room in the night-time. No other Florida statute penalizes precisely the same conduct when engaged in by members of the same race.

Held: The Florida statute denies the equal protection of the laws guaranteed by the Fourteenth Amendment, and is invalid. Pp. 379 U. S. 184-196.

153 So. 2d 1, reversed.