Wisconsin Supreme Court Candidate Maria Lazar Faces Historical Misstep
The race for a seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court has taken an unexpected turn, as a historical misunderstanding by conservative candidate Maria Lazar has come to light. The incident draws attention to the importance of accurate historical knowledge in the judiciary.
Maria Lazar, who is currently a judge on the Wisconsin Court of Appeals, is campaigning to fill the vacancy left by the retiring Justice Rebecca Bradley. During an interview on October 1, Lazar made remarks about the Dred Scott decision, a landmark 1857 U.S. Supreme Court ruling, which exposed a gap in her understanding of its historical resolution.
Lazar mentioned the Dred Scott case as an example of a Supreme Court decision that was wrongly decided and later overturned. She stated, “Precedent doesn’t mean that you never overturn a case. I mean, there are cases, for example, Dred Scott and some other appalling cases that the U.S. Supreme Court issued that deservedly should have been overturned.”
However, the Dred Scott decision, which declared that Black people could not be American citizens, was not overturned by the Supreme Court. Instead, its effects were nullified through constitutional amendments. The 13th Amendment abolished slavery, the 14th Amendment granted full citizenship rights to Black people, and the 15th Amendment ensured voting rights could not be denied based on race.
This judicial election could significantly impact the ideological balance of the Wisconsin Supreme Court, which currently consists of four liberal justices and three conservatives. The outcome on April 7 could solidify the liberal majority or maintain the status quo, influencing future rulings on critical issues like congressional redistricting.
Lazar’s opponent in the race, Judge Chris Taylor of the Wisconsin Court of Appeals, has secured endorsements from prominent figures such as Senator Tammy Baldwin and the AFL-CIO.
For further details on the interview and election coverage, visit the full article on the American Journal News website.
