Hernandez Vs State Of Texas Summary

Discrimination and lack of justice for immigrants is an issue that has faced the United States for many decades with little being done to resolve the problem. The case of Hernandez vs. the State of Texas is one such case which addressed the issue of civil rights of Mexican-Americans during the period after the World War II. Pete Hernandez, one of the immigrant workers, was accused of killing one Joe Espinosa in Edna, the state of Texas, the county of Jackson in the year 1950. There was no Mexican that had been part of the jury for over 25 years. Gustavo Garcia represented the defendant without payment. This case was viewed as a challenge to the jury which did not include Mexicans and the final verdict that Hernandez was guilty did not come

It is noted that Hernandez was a Mexican and a migrant worker yet the person that he was charged to have killed was of a different origin. Furthermore, the issue of racism was extended to the courts whereby there were no Mexicans forming part of the jury. Hernandez did not get a fair judgment because of the perception that was held by the whites who formed the jury. Furthermore, the problem of racism in the Texas courts and the society was something that was quite common with a line being drawn between the whites and those that were no whites. It is noted that for more than 20 years, the jury in Texas was only made of the whites who gave little chance for people of other races to receive fair treatment and justice in case they were charged. Additionally, despite the enactment of the Fourteenth Amendment which allowed freedom and fair treatment for everyone, the other races who were not white did not receive the fair treatment and equality as they deserved.

Board of Education, whereby it was the ruling of the court that there should be no racial discrimination in any if the public schools because this was a violation of the constitution. This implies that in the case of Hernandez, there should have been no discrimination against the Mexican Americans regarding the composition of the jury so that people of different races such as the Mexican Americans could have a fair representation. Moreover, the case was also related to the Civil Rights Movement which routed for equality among the different races and fought against the discrimination of blacks and those of a different race than the