In Plowden Weston and Others v. The City Council of Charleston, the Supreme Court was asked to determine whether a city ordinance that prohibited African Americans from entering the city after sunset violated their constitutional rights. The plaintiffs argued that this ordinance deprived them of their liberty without due process of law in violation of the Fifth Amendment. The defendants argued that it was necessary for public safety and health reasons to restrict travel within the city limits at night. After considering both sides’ arguments, the court ruled in favor of the plaintiffs, finding that such an ordinance could not be justified as a reasonable exercise of police power by any state or municipality under its jurisdiction. This decision established important precedent regarding civil liberties and equal protection under law for all citizens regardless race or ethnicity.

In the case of Plowden Weston and Others v. The City Council of Charleston, the dissenting opinion argued that a city council could not pass an ordinance to prevent African Americans from entering their city limits without violating the Constitution. The dissenters argued that such an ordinance was in direct violation of Article IV, Section 2 which states "the citizens of each state shall be entitled to all privileges and immunities of citizens in the several States." Furthermore, they argued that this violated both natural law as well as common sense since it would deny people access to places where they may have legitimate business or family ties. They also noted how this type of discrimination had been used throughout history to oppress minority groups and should not be allowed under any circumstances. Ultimately, while the majority opinion ruled against them on technical grounds, those who dissented believed strongly that such ordinances were unconstitutional and unjustified by any legal precedent or moral standard.