For those not familiar, it’s the ruling that established that the equal protection clause in the 14th Amendment applies to corporations, so that they are persons under the law. Fun fact: Technically, the court didn’t even decide that, the Reporter of Decisions (who was a former railroad company president) wrote that in the headnote and the Court rolled with it.
ETA: This precedent is how corporations could even have 1st Amendment rights in Citizens United.
Runner up: Village of Euclid v. Ambler Realty Co.
This decision allowed zoning laws as a valid exercise of police power, and has let the United States FUBAR most of its landscape.
Santa Clara County v. Southern Pacific Railroad
For those not familiar, it’s the ruling that established that the equal protection clause in the 14th Amendment applies to corporations, so that they are persons under the law. Fun fact: Technically, the court didn’t even decide that, the Reporter of Decisions (who was a former railroad company president) wrote that in the headnote and the Court rolled with it.
ETA: This precedent is how corporations could even have 1st Amendment rights in Citizens United.
Runner up: Village of Euclid v. Ambler Realty Co.
This decision allowed zoning laws as a valid exercise of police power, and has let the United States FUBAR most of its landscape.