WhenU.S.SupremeCourtChiefJusticeEarlWarrenwasaskedattheendofhiscareer,“Whatwasthemostimportantcaseofyourtenure?”,therewerealotofanswershecouldhavegiven.Hehadpresidedoversomeofthemostimportantdecisionsinthecourt’shistory—casesthatdealtwithsegregationinschools,therighttoanattorney,therighttoremainsilent,justtonameafew.Buthisanswerwasasurprise:hesaid“Bakerv.Carr,”a1962redistrictingcase. 

Onthis2016episode,partofourseriesMorePerfect,wetalkaboutwhythiscasewassoimportant.ImportantenoughthatitpushedoneSupremeCourtjusticetoanervousbreakdown,broughtaboilingfeudtoahead,gaveanotherjusticeastroke,andchangedthecourseoftheSupremeCourt—andthenation—forever.ThisepisodeistheoneofthefewtimesyoucanhearthevoiceofourExecutiveProducerSuzieLechtenberg.Afteryearsofleadingtheteam,SuziewillleaveWNYCtostarthernewadventure. Suzie:re-publishingthisepisodeisourwayofsayingthankyouforallyou’vedone—fortheshowandforeachofus.TeamRadiolabwishesyounothingbutsuccessandsomuchhappinessinthenextstageofyourcareer.

EpisodeCredits:ReportedbySuzieLechtenbergProducedbySuzieLechtenberg

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