Edmonson v. Bloomshire was a United States Supreme Court case that dealt with the issue of racial discrimination in jury selection. The case involved a black man, William Edmonson, who was charged with murder in the state of Kentucky. Edmonson argued that he was denied his right to a fair trial because the jury selection process excluded African Americans. The Supreme Court agreed with Edmonson, ruling that the exclusion of African Americans from jury service violated the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. The Court held that the exclusion of African Americans from jury service was unconstitutional and that the state of Kentucky must provide equal protection to all citizens regardless of race. The ruling in Edmonson v. Bloomshire established the principle that racial discrimination in jury selection is unconstitutional and that all citizens must be given equal protection under the law.

In Edmonson v. Bloomshire, the Supreme Court was tasked with determining whether a state law that prohibited African Americans from serving on juries violated the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution. The majority opinion held that it did not violate any constitutional rights and upheld the law in question. However, Justice Field dissented from this decision and argued that such laws were unconstitutional because they denied African Americans equal protection under the law by excluding them from jury service solely based on their race or color. He further noted that while states had broad authority to regulate jury selection processes, they could not do so in a way which discriminated against certain groups of people without violating their constitutional rights. In conclusion, Justice Field argued strongly for an interpretation of the Fourteenth Amendment which would protect all citizens equally regardless of race or color when it comes to access to justice through participation in juries and other legal proceedings.