The Wolford v. Lopez case is being heard by the Supreme Court today. The case examines whether Hawaii may prohibit the carry of handguns on private property that is open to the public, such as restaurants and stores. Justice Jackson defended the Black Codes to justify her views on Bruen and guns. Carrie Severino said she didn’t have this on her Bingo card today.
Racist Black Codes were laws enacted in the Southern United States after the Civil War, specifically in 1865 and 1866. They were aimed at maintaining white supremacy and controlling the newly freed African American population. These laws sought to restrict the freedoms of African Americans. This was to ensure their availability as a cheap labor force. They were also meant to curtail their economic, political, and social rights. The Black Codes were a direct response to the abolition of slavery and were designed to replace the social controls previously exerted by slavery.
That’s what Justice Jackson was willing to defend to corrupt the gun case.
Things I didn’t have on my bingo card today: Justice Jackson defending the racist Black Codes as precedent for what we should consider constitutional. pic.twitter.com/I9yxcMsDrf
— Carrie Severino (@JCNSeverino) January 20, 2026
Maybe she would like to bring back slavery since the Black Codes were allegedly legal once.
Justice Gorsuch sounded sane.
Principal Deputy Solicitor General Sarah Harris’s response to Justice Gorsuch’s question on the relevance of the Black Codes was spot on:
“It is 2026, and it is somewhat astonishing that Black Codes, which are unconstitutional, are being offered as evidence of what our tradition… pic.twitter.com/Xt9Bg7HY0K
— Carrie Severino (@JCNSeverino) January 20, 2026
