Chandler v. Miller - Significance, Political Nominees Challenged Mandatory Drug Testing, State Cited Three Earlier Decisions Involving Drug Testing

Chandler v. Miller - Significance

Chandler v. Miller - Further Readings

Chandler v. Miller - Political Nominees Challenged Mandatory Drug Testing

In 1990, the state of Georgia enacted a statute that required every candidate for a designated state office to submit to a urinalysis drug test. Thus, Georgia became the first and only state that required drug screening for state office nominees. Test results had to be negative and verified by a state approved laboratory at least 30 days before balloting for nomination or election to state offices…

Chandler v. Miller - State Cited Three Earlier Decisions Involving Drug Testing

When the case was argued before the Supreme Court, the state of Georgia focused on drug testing programs previously upheld by the Supreme Court. These included two cases decided in 1989. The first was Skinner v. Railway Labor Executives' Assn. This case involved drug and alcohol tests performed on railway employees involved in train accidents and for those who violated particular safety rules. The…

Chandler v. Miller - Majority Of Justices Believed Testing Unnecessary

Justices specifically felt there were no "special needs" that permitted violation of Fourth Amendment rights which protect society against unreasonable searches; neither was there a proven, compelling necessity to require drug tests for nominees to the ballot. Writing for the majority, Justice Ginsburg observed that personal rights "diminished for a symbol's sake" did not constitute a valid reason…

Chandler v. Miller - Impact

Although responding to a real, rather than perceived threat--that of illicit drug use--the state of Georgia appeared to the Court as misguided in its attempt to force political nominees to prove their worthiness as candidates by submitting to drug testing. This case demonstrated how personal rights, protected by the Fourth Amendment, could not be infringed upon or overwhelmed even if a state was a…