Disenfranchising convicted felons beyond their sentence and parole does not violate the Equal Protection Clause. Decided June 24, 1974 (argued January 15, 1974). Opinion of the Court: William Rehnquist → go there Dissenting: Marshall. Applied: the Fourteenth Amendment → go there Topic: Fourteenth Amendment rights. Richardson v. Ramirez, 418 U.S. 24 (1974), is a landmark decision by the Supreme Court of the United States in which the Court held, 6–3, that convicted felons could be barred from voting beyond their sentence and parole without violating the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution. Such felony disenfranchisement is practiced in a number of states. Wiki link