[1] On January 24, 1946, Scarlett was nominated by President Harry S. Truman to a seat on the United States District Court for the Southern District of Georgia vacated by Judge Archibald Battle Lovett.
Scarlett was among the most staunchly segregationist district court judges during the Civil Rights movement.
After Brown v. Board of Education, Scarlett attempted to relitigate because he believed that black people were inherently inferior,[2] so that separate schools was a fair classification of students.
[3] In Scarlett's view, separate school systems were thus fair because both races would be harmed by lumping together coherent groups having distinguishable educability characteristics[4]His persistent efforts to thwart black plaintiffs in Chatham, Glynn and Richmond Counties would ensure that no integration took place there until long after it had occurred in most of the Deep South.
Scarlett assumed senior status on August 2, 1968, serving in that capacity until his death on November 18, 1971.