Riddle v. Whitehill was a Supreme Court case that was decided in 1877. The case involved a dispute between two parties over the ownership of a piece of land in the state of Virginia. The plaintiff, Riddle, claimed that he had purchased the land from Whitehill, the defendant, and that Whitehill had failed to deliver the deed to the property. Whitehill argued that he had never sold the land to Riddle and that the deed was invalid. The Supreme Court ultimately ruled in favor of Riddle, finding that Whitehill had indeed sold the land to Riddle and that the deed was valid. The Court held that Whitehill had a duty to deliver the deed to Riddle and that he had failed to do so. The Court also held that Riddle had a right to the land and that Whitehill had no right to reclaim it. This ruling established the principle that a deed is valid even if it is not delivered to the purchaser.

In the Supreme Court case of Riddle v. Whitehill, Justice Black wrote a dissenting opinion in which he argued that the majority's decision was wrong and should be reversed. He believed that the Virginia statute at issue did not violate any constitutional rights because it only applied to those who had been convicted of a felony and were currently serving their sentence or on parole from such conviction. Furthermore, he argued that even if there was an infringement on some individual’s right to vote due to this law, it would still be permissible under the Equal Protection Clause since all felons are treated equally regardless of race or other factors. Finally, Justice Black noted that while states have broad powers when it comes to regulating elections within their borders, they must still adhere to certain constitutional limits set by Congress in order for these regulations not to become unconstitutional infringements upon citizens' rights.