Question about the Loving vs. Virginia case. When the Lovings appealed and accused the State of Virgina of violating their federally protected constitutional rights under the 14th amendment, Virginia could have invoked an earlier decision of the US Supreme Court itself authorizing the States to prohibit interracial marriages. Was Virgina able to invoke such a Supreme Court precedent?

Question

Question about the Loving vs. Virginia case.  When the Lovings appealed and accused the State of Virgina of violating their federally protected constitutional rights under the 14th amendment, Virginia could have invoked an earlier decision of the US Supreme Court itself authorizing the States to prohibit interracial marriages.  Was Virgina able to invoke such a Supreme Court precedent?

Anonymous · Answer

Thanks. I ended up figuring it out before. But I do have another question:

Brown v. Board appears to have been influenced by Cold War political considerations. Explain. Does that point help to explain why appellate court decision-making sometimes evolves in surprising or unpredictable ways?

I've tried looking online for information but I can't really seem to find anything that is helpful.