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Skinner v. Oklahoma Ex Rel. Williamson
Supreme Court of the United States (1942) | 316 U.S. 535; 62 S. Ct. 1110; 86 L. Ed. 1655; 1942 U.S. LEXIS 493
TL;DR: The Supreme Court struck down an Oklahoma law requiring compulsory sterilization for certain three-time felons. The law violated the Equal Protection Clause by arbitrarily targeting crimes like larceny while exempting similar white-collar crimes, such as embezzlement, without a rational basis.
Legal Significance: This case established procreation as a fundamental right, triggering strict scrutiny under the Equal Protection Clause for classifications infringing upon it. It is a landmark decision in the development of modern fundamental rights jurisprudence.