In the 1910 case of Brodnax v. State of Missouri, the U.S Supreme Court upheld a decision by lower courts that convicted William Brodnax for murder in the first degree and sentenced him to death. The defense argued that there was an error in admitting certain evidence during trial, specifically letters written by Brodnax which were allegedly obtained illegally. However, it was found that these letters were voluntarily handed over to authorities by his wife who had discovered them hidden within their shared home. Therefore, they did not violate any constitutional rights regarding illegal search and seizure as claimed by the defense team. Furthermore, other arguments made on behalf of Mr.Brodnax such as claims about jury instructions and allegations against witnesses' credibility were also dismissed due to lack of substantial proof or relevance towards proving his innocence.

In the dissenting opinion for Brodnax v. State of Missouri, it was argued that the defendant's constitutional rights were violated due to an unfair trial process. The justice believed that Brodnax was denied his right to a fair and impartial jury as guaranteed by the Fourteenth Amendment. This belief stemmed from the fact that one juror had expressed prejudice against African Americans, which could have influenced their decision-making during deliberation given that Brodnax was African American himself. Furthermore, this bias wasn't discovered until after conviction because defense counsel hadn't been allowed sufficient time or opportunity to thoroughly question potential jurors about possible racial prejudices before they were selected for service on the jury panel. Therefore, in light of these circumstances, it was concluded by those dissenting justices that there should be a reversal of judgment and remandment for a new trial where proper procedures are followed ensuring all defendants' constitutional rights are respected regardless of race or ethnicity.