Watch the full 20/20 special on hulu.

ALT A gray background with a white text box at the top. The text box reads: “158 years since Juneteenth, lawyers and judges continue citing to slave cases for good legal precedent.” Below the text box, there is a vertical line with three dates, to represent a timeline. At the top of the vertical line, it reads: “2017: Wade v. Wade.” Below, in the middle of the vertical line, it reads, “1865: Juneteenth marks the end of slavery in the United States.” Below, at the bottom, it reads “1856: Saufley v. Jackson (slave case).” To the right of the picture, there is a black arrow, starting next to the 2017 date, and pointing to the 1856 case, bypassing the 1865 Juneteenth date. To the right of the arrow, a text box reads: “2017 case cites to a 1856 slave case for good legal precedent.” The timeline and arrow are intended to show how courts use pre-Juneteenth slave cases as good legal precedent today.



























