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Constitutional Law in 1949–1950

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2013

Robert J. Harris
Robert J. Harris
Affiliation:
Louisiana State University
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Extract

There were two changes in the personnel of the Supreme Court during the 1949 term. Attorney General Tom C. Clark was sworn in as an Associate Justice to succeed the late Justice Frank Murphy on August 24, 1949, after his nomination by President Truman had been approved on August 19 by a vote of 73 to 8. Judge Sherman Minton of the United States Circuit Court of Appeals was nominated to be an Associate Justice on September 15, 1949, to succeed Justice Wiley Rutledge. His nomination was approved by the Senate on October 4 by a vote of 48 to 16, and he was sworn in on October 12. During much of the term Justice Douglas was absent as the result of an accident incurred during the preceding summer recess. The loss of Justices Murphy and Rutledge greatly weakened the liberal alignment of the Court and very positively influenced the decision of a number of doubtful cases contrary to precedents of a recent date.

Type
Research Article
Information
American Political Science Review , Volume 45 , Issue 1 , March 1951 , pp. 86 - 109
Copyright
Copyright © American Political Science Association 1951

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References

1 339 U. S. 382 (1950).

2 339 U. S. 846 (1950).

3 338 U. S. 604 (1950).

4 338 U. S. 286 (1949).

5 338 U. S. 464 (1950).

6 339 U. S. 103 (1950).

7 339 U. S. 763 (1950).

8 336 U. S. 695 (1949).

9 327 U. S. 1, 8 (1946).

10 Ibid.

11 339 U. S. 323 (1950).

12 338 U. S. 84 (1949).

13 339 U. S. 349 (1950).

14 McDougall v. Green, 335 U. S. 281 (1948), Colegrove v. Green, 328 U. S. 549 (1946), and Wood v. Broom, 287 U. S. 1 (1932).

15 339 U. S. 276 (1950).

16 338 U. S. 327 (1949).

17 339 U. S. 239 (1950).

18 339 U. S. 200 (1950).

19 334 U. S. 672 (1948). This case was decided by a five to four vote and was contrary to the earlier rule of Ex parte Hawk, 321 U. S. 114, 116–117 (1944), which had identified appeals and certiorari to the Supreme Court with state remedies.

20 338 U. S. 294 (1949).

21 The holding in Erie R. Co. v. Tompkins, 304 U. S. 64 (1938), and cases following it, to the effect that federal courts in applying state law in diversity of citizenship cases are bound by state law as reflected by decisions of state courts.

22 339 U. S. 382 (1950).

23 249 U. S. 47, 52 (1919).

24 Citing North American Co. v. Securities Exchange Commission, 327 U. S. 686, 711 (1946).

25 See Wickard v. Filburn, 317 U. S. 111, 131 (1942).

26 339 U. S. 846 (1950).

27 339 U. S. 56 (1950).

28 334 U. S. 699 (1948).

29 See, for example, Davis v. United States, 328 U. S. 582 (1946); Harris v. United States, 331 U. S. 145 (1947); and Trupiano v. United States, 334 U. S. 699 (1948). Justice Black dissented in the last of these cases, and joined in the opinions of the Court by Justice Douglas in the Davis case and Chief Justice Vinson in the Harris case.

30 232 U. S. 383, 392 (1914).

31 267 U. S. 132 (1925).

32 Marron v. United States, 275 U. S. 192 (1927); Agnello v. United States, 269 U. S. 20, 30 (1925); Carroll v. United States, 267 U. S. 132, 158 (1925); Boyd v. United States, 116 U. S. 616, 623–624 (1886).

33 Brinegar v. United States, 338 U. S. 160, 180 (1949). See also Reynard, Charles A., “Freedom from Unreasonable Search and Seizure—A Second Class Constitutional Right?” Indiana Law Journal, Vol. 25, pp. 259–313 (1950)Google Scholar.

34 339 U. S. 1 (1950).

35 338 U. S. 632 (1950).

36 298 U. S. 1 (1936).

37 307 U. S. 183, 193 (1939).

38 Federal Trade Commission v. American Tobacco Co., 264 U. S. 298, 306 (1924).

39 338 U. S. 537 (1950).

40 149 U. S. 698 (1893).

41 299 U. S. 304 (1936).

42 Citing Nishimura Ekin v. United States, 142 U. S. 641 (1892), and Ludecke v. Watkins, 335 U. S. 160 (1948).

43 Citing In re Oliver, 333 U. S. 257 (1948), as a comparison.

44 339 U. S. 33 (1950).

45 339 U. S. 594 (1950).

46 339 U. S. 121 (1950).

47 338 U. S. 396 (1949).

48 339 U. S. 261 (1950).

49 327 U. S. 372 (1946).

50 339 U. S. 799 (1950).

51 243 U. S. 316 (1917).

52 339 U. S. 725 (1950).

53 338 U. S. 553 (1950).

54 339 U. S. 162 (1950).

55 299 U. S. 123 (1936).

56 335 U. S. 497 (1949).

57 339 U. S. 258 (1950).

58 339 U. S. 460 (1950).

59 336 U. S. 490 (1949).

60 339 U. S. 532 (1950).

61 339 U. S. 470 (1950).

62 Citing Freund, Paul A., On Understanding the Supreme Court (Boston, 1949), p. 18Google Scholar; and Jaffe, Louis L., “In Defense of the Supreme Court's Picketing Doctrine,” Michigan Law Review, Vol. 41, p. 1037 (1943)CrossRefGoogle Scholar.

63 301 U. S. 468, 481 (1937).

64 310 U. S. 88 (1940).

65 American Federation of Labor v. Swing, 312 U. S. 321 (1941); Bakery & Pastry Drivers and Helpers Local v. Wohl, 315 U. S. 769 (1942); and Cafeteria Employees Union v. Angelos, 320 U. S. 293 (1943). None of these cases, as Justice Frankfurter indicated, involved state policy in favor of self-employers.

66 315 U. S. 722, 729–732 (1942). This case sustained a Texas court injunction restraining picketing of a restaurant because its owner employed a non-union contractor to build his house some distance from the restaurant.

67 In addition to the Ritter's Cafe case, these are Milk Wagon Drivers' Union v. Meadowmoor Dairies, Inc., 312 U. S. 287 (1941); and Hotel and Restaurant Employees International Alliance v. Wisconsin Employment Relations Board, 315 U. S. 437 (1942).

68 338 U. S. 345 (1949).

69 339 U. S. 306 (1950).

70 337 U. S. 241 (1949).

71 339 U. S. 9 (1950).

72 316 U. S. 455, 462 (1942).

73 339 U. S. 660 (1950).

74 339 U. S. 643 (1950).

75 318 U. S. 313, 316 (1943).

76 268 U. S. 477 (1925).

77 338 U. S. 251 (1949).

78 339 U. S. 629 (1950).

79 339 U. S. 637 (1950).

80 163 U. S. 537 (1896).

81 339 U. S. 816 (1950).

82 339 U. S. 282 (1950).

83 339 U. S. 699 (1950).

84 At least one precedent exists for trial by jury of common law cases in the Supreme Court. In Georgia v. Brailsford, 3 Dall. 1 (1794), a special jury was impaneled to try a case brought by the State of Georgia to recover a debt from a private person. The jury returned a verdict in favor of Brailsford.

85 332 U. S. 19 (1947).

86 339 U. S. 707 (1950).

87 339 U. S. 454 (1950).

88 339 U. S. 542 (1950).

89 Citing and quoting International Harvester Co. v. Evatt, 329 U. S. 416, 422–423 (1947).

90 Interstate Transit Co. v. Lindsey, 283 U. S. 183 (1931); and McCarroll v. Dixie Greyhound Lines, 309 U. S. 176 (1940).

91 338 U. S. 411 (1949).

92 338 U. S. 665 (1950).

93 339 U. S. 87 (1950).

94 338 U. S. 226 (1949).

95 338 U. S. 655 (1950).

96 These were a New York statute governing notice in Mullane v. Central Hanover Bank & Trust Co., 339 U. S. 306 (1950); a Wisconsin inheritance tax as applied to tangible property in other states in Treichler v. Wisconsin, 338 U. S. 251 (1949); segregation practices of the University of Texas and the University of Oklahoma in Sweatt v. Painter, 339 U. S. 629 (1950), and McLaurin v. Oklahoma Board of Regents, 339 U. S. 637 (1950); statutory claims to the Tidelands by Louisiana and Texas in United States v. Louisiana, 339 U. S. 699 (1950), and United States v. Texas, 339 U. S. 707 (1950); a New Jersey tax as applied to a federal instrumentality in New Jersey Realty Title Ins. Co. v. Division of Tax Appeals, 338 U. S. 665 (1950); the application of the California community property law to a national service insurance policy in Wissner v. Wissner, 338 U. S. 655 (1950); and the Michigan statute in conflict with an act of Congress in International Union, etc. v. O'Brien, 339 U. S. 454 (1950).

97 Hiatt v. Brown, 339 U. S. 103 (1950); Parker v. Los Angeles County, 338 U. S. 327 (1949); United States v. Morton Salt Co., 338 U. S. 632 (1950); U. S. v. Toronto, H. B. N. Co., 338 U. S. 396 (1949); Morford v. United States, 339 U. S. 258 (1950); Building Service Employees Union v. Gazzam, 339 U. S. 532 (1950); Hughes v. Superior Court, 339 U. S. 460 (1950); Cole v. Arkansas, 338 U. S. 345 (1949); Sweatt v. Painter, 339 U. S. 629 (1950); McLaurin v. Oklahoma Bd. of Regents, 339 U. S. 637 (1950); Henderson v. United States, 339 U. S. 816 (1950); International Union v. O'Brien, 339 U. S. 454 (1950); Wilmette Park Dist. v. Campbell, 338 U. S. 411 (1949); and Roth v. Delano, 338 U. S. 226 (1949).

98 Secretary of Agriculture v. Central Roig Ref. Co., 338 U. S. 604 (1950); Slocum v. Delaware, L & W. R. Co., 339 U. S. 239 (1950); Wong Yang Sung v. McGrath, 339 U. S. 33 (1950); United States v. Westinghouse Elec. Co., 339 U. S. 261 (1950); Solesbee v. Balkcom, 339 U. S. 9 (1950); Quicksall v. Michigan, 339 U. S. 660 (1950); Treichler v. Wisconsin, 338 U. S. 251 (1949); Cassell v. Texas, 339 U. S. 282 (1950); United States v. Louisiana, 339 U. S. 699 (1950); New Jersey Realty Title Ins. Co. v. Division of Tax Appeals, 338 U. S. 665 (1950); United States v. Burnison, 339 U. S. 87 (1950); and Mullane v. Central Hanover Bank, 339 U. S. 306 (1950).

99 Federal Power Commission v. East Ohio Gas Co., 338 U. S. 464 (1950); United States v. Bryan, 339 U. S. 323 (1950); United States v. Fleischman, 339 U. S. 349 (1950); South v. Peters, 339 U. S. 276 (1950); Brown v. Western Ry. Co., 338 U. S. 294 (1949); District of Columbia v. Little, 339 U. S. 1 (1950); Ewing v. Mytinger and Casselberry, 339 U. S. 594 (1950); United States v. Commodities Trading Corp., 339 U. S. 121 (1950); United States v. Gerlach Live Stock Co., 339 U. S. 725 (1950); Dennis v. United States, 339 U. S. 162 (1950); and Capitol Greyhound Lines v. Brice, 339 U. S. 542 (1950).

100 United States v. Capitol Transit Co., 338 U. S. 286 (1949); Johnson v. Eisentrager, 339 U. S. 763 (1950); Darr v. Burford, 339 U. S. 200 (1950); American Communications Assoc. v. Douds, 339 U. S. 382 (1950); United States v. Rabinowitz, 339 U. S. 56 (1950); United States ex rel. Knauff v. Shaughnessy, 338 U. S. 537 (1950); International Brother-hood v. Hanke, 339 U. S. 470 (1950); United Stales v. Texas, 339 U. S. 707 (1950); and Wissner v. Wissner, 338 U. S. 655 (1950).

101 Osman v. Douds, 339 U. S. 846 (1950); United States v. Kansas City Life Ins. Co., 339 U. S. 799 (1950); and Travellers Health Assoc. v. Virginia, 339 U. S. 643 (1950).

102 Christoffel v. United States, 338 U. S. 84 (1949), in United States v. Bryan, 339 U. S. 323 (1950).

103 Wade v. Mayo, 334 U. S. 672 (1948), in Darr v. Burford, 339 U. S. 200 (1950); and Trupiano v. United States, 334 U. S. 699 (1948), in United States v. Rabinowitz, 339 U. S. 56 (1950).

104 Jones v. Securities Exchange Commission, 298 U. S. 1 (1936), and Federal Trade Commission v. American Tobacco Co., 264 U. S. 298 (1924), in United States v. Morton Salt Co., 338 U. S. 632 (1950).