Reed v. Reed

1971

Venue: SCOTUS

Facts: Idaho statute provides that when you're picking who should administer an estate, preference between equally entitled candidates should go to males.

Posture: Court appoints the father of a deceased child rather than the mother. Appeal.

Issue: Does the dofference in sex of competing applicants bear a rational relationship to a state objective?

Holding: No.

Rule: A classification must be reasonable, not arbitrary, and must rest upon some ground of difference having a fair and substantial relation to the object of the legislation, so that all persons similarly circumstances shall be treated alike.

Reasoning: Well, making decisions easier on the courts might be a legitimate objective, but it's not so legitimate that it justifies the very sorty of arbitrary choice prohibited by the Equal Protection clause.

Dicta: