Pepperdine University Law School hosted a symposium, exploring the most maligned United States Supreme Court Decisions. Among the cases discussed was Dred Scott v. Sandford. The decisions stated that people of African descent are not and were never intended to be citizens, so they are not and cannot be protected under the U.S. Constitution. The decision also stated that slaves are the private property of their owners, and like other property, could not be taken from the owner without due process