In Snowden v. Hughes et al., 1943, the U.S Supreme Court ruled on a case involving allegations of violation of equal protection rights under the Fourteenth Amendment. The plaintiff, Snowden, had lost a primary election for nomination as Republican candidate for state representative in Illinois and claimed that he was denied his rightful place on the ballot due to fraudulent actions by an electoral board member who favored another candidate. He argued this constituted discrimination violating his Fourteenth Amendment rights. However, the court held that not every denial of a right conferred by state law involves a denial of equal protection under the Fourteenth Amendment; there must be intentional or purposeful discrimination which Snowden failed to prove adequately in this case. Therefore, it concluded that no federal question was presented and affirmed dismissal.

In the dissenting opinion for Snowden v. Hughes et al., Justice Frank Murphy argued that the majority's decision failed to protect an individual's right to equal protection under the law, as guaranteed by the Fourteenth Amendment. He contended that Snowden was denied his rightful place on a ballot due to arbitrary and discriminatory actions of state officials, which constituted a violation of his constitutional rights. In this view, such denial not only harmed Snowden but also deprived voters of their choice in candidates. Murphy believed that federal courts should intervene in cases where state action infringes upon fundamental constitutional rights like equal protection under law and fair representation in government processes.