Ben Carson Invokes Dred Scott Decision as Precedent for Ignoring Supreme Court Rulings
Ben Carson, Republican 2016 U.S. presidential candidate, gestures while speaking during the South Carolina Freedom Summit hosted by Citizens United and Congressman Jeff Duncan in Greenville, South Carolina, U.S., on Saturday, May 9, 2015. The Freedom Summit brings grassroots activists from across South Carolina and the surrounding area to hear from conservative leaders and presidential hopefuls.
Photographer: Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg *** Local Caption *** Ben CarsonRepublican presidential candidate Ben Carson raised eyebrows last week when he told Newsmax that a potential Supreme Court ruling to legalize same-sex marriage across the country would not have to be implemented, because "the laws of the land come from the legislative branch."
It's not a commonly held opinion, given that the high court has long asserted the right to invalidate laws it deems unconstitutional, and no other presidential candidate has suggested that the court's ultimate ruling on same-sex marriage could be ignored.