Homer Plessy was arrested for sitting in the white section of a train despite being 1/8 black, which was illegal under Louisiana law at the time. The case went to the Supreme Court after lower courts, including Judge Ferguson, ruled that the state law mandating racial segregation on railroads was constitutional. The Supreme Court ultimately agreed in a decision upholding the "separate but equal" doctrine, finding that mandated racial segregation did not violate the 13th or 14th Amendments.

1. Plessy vs. Ferguson Armand Magardician & Anthony Parrillo

2. Case Homer Adolph Plessy was accused of sitting in the white section of a train when he was 1/8 black, which was not legal Judge John Howard Ferguson was named in the case because he had been named in the petition to the Louisiana State Supreme Court, not because he was a party to the initial lawsuit. Case went to the Supreme Court

3. Arguments PLESSY FERGUSON Ferguson was the judge. He decided that the state could choose to regulate railroad companies that operated solely within the state of Louisiana. Therefore, Ferguson found Plessy guilty and declared the Separate Car Act constitutional. Plessy argued in court that the Separate Car Act violated the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Amendments to the Constitution .

4. Supreme Court Decision Plessy appealed the case to the Louisiana State Supreme Court, which affirmed the decision that the Louisiana law as constitutional. Plessy petitioned for a writ of error from the Supreme Court of the United States. Supreme Court named the case Plessy v. Ferguson because of the petition that Plessy made.