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John Harlan II (1899–1971) was an Associate Justice of the [[U.S. Supreme Court]] from 1955 to 1971, and the grandson of another Supreme Court Justice, John Harlan, who served from 1877 to 1911.
John Harlan II<ref>The "II" is rarely used because there is no confusion between this John Harlan and his grandfather, who participated on the court over 40 years earlier.<ref/> was a very intelligent jurist who expressed [[consevative]] dissents on some issues during the [[Warren Court]]. Most notably, Justice Harlan dissented from the numerous [[Warren Court]] opinions in favor of pornography. He also dissented from the expansion of the [[incorporation doctrine]], particularly on issues of criminal procedure.
Justice Harlan sided with the [[liberal]] wing of the court in its growing hostility to religion. For example, Justice Harlan joined the decision banning school prayer in ''[[Engel v. Vitale]]''.
Justice Harlan also joined the [[liberal]] decision in ''[[Griswold v. Connecticut]]'', but felt it should be based on an expansive view of the [[Fourteenth Amendment]] rather than a penumbra in the [[Bill of Rights]].
Justice Harlan generally opposed the judicial activism that characterized the [[Warren Court]] on which he served:<ref>Reynolds v. Sims (1964) (Harlan, J., dissenting)</ref>
:"The [[Constitution]] is not a panacea for every blot upon the public welfare nor should this court, ordained as a judicial body, be thought of as a general haven of reform movements."
Justice Harlan's tenure on the Court was almost identical to that of his opposite, Chief Justice [[Earl Warren]], shifted by about two years. Justice Harlan died a few months after he retired.
== References ==
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