The case of Carter, Public Vehicle License Commissioner of Chicago v. Miller in 1977 revolved around the issue of whether a city ordinance that required taxi drivers to be "of good character" and not have been convicted of a felony was constitutional. The plaintiff, Miller, had his application for a public chauffeur's license denied by the defendant, Carter, because he had previously been convicted of two felonies. He argued that this denial violated his rights under the Equal Protection Clause and Due Process Clause as it was arbitrary and discriminatory against ex-felons who were rehabilitated. However, the U.S Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of such an ordinance stating that it served legitimate government interests in ensuring safe transportation services for its citizens. It ruled that there is no absolute right to any given type or level employment; rather governments can impose reasonable restrictions on certain occupations based on criminal history if they are related to job performance or public safety concerns.

In the dissenting opinion for Carter, Public Vehicle License Commissioner of Chicago v. Miller, 1977 case, it was argued that the majority's decision to uphold a city ordinance requiring taxi drivers to be proficient in spoken English violated equal protection rights. The dissent contended that this requirement unfairly discriminated against non-English speakers and immigrants who were otherwise qualified to drive taxis. They believed there was no compelling state interest justifying such discrimination as proficiency in English is not an essential skill for safe driving or basic customer service. Furthermore, they pointed out that other cities with large immigrant populations did not have similar requirements and yet their taxi services functioned effectively without any significant issues related to language barriers.