List of United States Supreme Court cases, volume 279

Last updated

Supreme Court of the United States
Seal of the United States Supreme Court.svg
EstablishedMarch 4, 1789;234 years ago (1789-03-04)
Location Washington, D.C.
Coordinates 38°53′26″N77°00′16″W / 38.89056°N 77.00444°W / 38.89056; -77.00444 Coordinates: 38°53′26″N77°00′16″W / 38.89056°N 77.00444°W / 38.89056; -77.00444
Composition methodPresidential nomination with Senate confirmation
Authorized by Constitution of the United States, Art. III, § 1
Judge term lengthlife tenure, subject to impeachment and removal
Number of positions9 (by statute)
Website supremecourt.gov

This is a list of cases reported in volume 279 of United States Reports , decided by the Supreme Court of the United States in 1929.

Contents

Justices of the Supreme Court at the time of volume 279 U.S.

The Supreme Court is established by Article III, Section 1 of the Constitution of the United States, which says: "The judicial Power of the United States, shall be vested in one supreme Court . . .". The size of the Court is not specified; the Constitution leaves it to Congress to set the number of justices. Under the Judiciary Act of 1789 Congress originally fixed the number of justices at six (one chief justice and five associate justices). [1] Since 1789 Congress has varied the size of the Court from six to seven, nine, ten, and back to nine justices (always including one chief justice).

When the cases in volume 279 were decided the Court comprised the following nine members:

PortraitJusticeOfficeHome StateSucceededDate confirmed by the Senate
(Vote)
Tenure on Supreme Court
William Howard Taft 1909b.jpg William Howard Taft Chief Justice Connecticut Edward Douglass White June 30, 1921
(Acclamation)
July 11, 1921

February 3, 1930
(Retired)
Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr circa 1930-edit.jpg Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. Associate Justice Massachusetts Horace Gray December 4, 1902
(Acclamation)
December 8, 1902

January 12, 1932
(Retired)
Willis Van Devanter.jpg Willis Van Devanter Associate Justice Wyoming Edward Douglass White (as Associate Justice)December 15, 1910
(Acclamation)
January 3, 1911

June 2, 1937
(Retired)
Jamescmcreynolds.jpg James Clark McReynolds Associate Justice Tennessee Horace Harmon Lurton August 29, 1914
(44–6)
October 12, 1914

January 31, 1941
(Retired)
Brandeisl.jpg Louis Brandeis Associate Justice Massachusetts Joseph Rucker Lamar June 1, 1916
(47–22)
June 5, 1916

February 13, 1939
(Retired)
Justice George Sutherland 5.jpg George Sutherland Associate Justice Utah John Hessin Clarke September 5, 1922
(Acclamation)
October 2, 1922

January 17, 1938
(Retired)
Pierce Butler.jpg Pierce Butler Associate Justice Minnesota William R. Day December 21, 1922
(61–8)
January 2, 1923

November 16, 1939
(Died)
Justice Edward Terry Sanford.jpg Edward Terry Sanford Associate Justice Tennessee Mahlon Pitney January 29, 1923
(Acclamation)
February 19, 1923

March 8, 1930
(Died)
Chief Justice Harlan Fiske Stone photograph circa 1927-1932.jpg Harlan F. Stone Associate Justice New York Joseph McKenna February 5, 1925
(71–6)
March 2, 1925

July 2, 1941
(Continued as chief justice)

Notable Case in 279 U.S.

United States v. Schwimmer

United States v. Schwimmer , 279 U.S. 644 (1929), concerned a pacifist applicant for naturalization who in the interview declared not to be willing to "take up arms personally" in defense of the United States. Originally found unable by the District Court for the Northern District of Illinois to take the prescribed oath of allegiance, a decision reversed on appeal, the case was ultimately argued before the Supreme Court, which ruled against the applicant and so denied her the possibility of becoming a United States citizen.

In his dissenting opinion, Justice O.W. Holmes wrote:

"The views referred to are an extreme opinion in favor of pacifism and a statement that she would not bear arms to defend the Constitution. So far as the adequacy of her oath is concerned, I hardly can see how that is affected by the statement, inasmuch as she is a woman over fifty years of age, and would not be allowed to bear arms if she wanted to. . . . [I]f there is any principle of the Constitution that more imperatively calls for attachment than any other it is the principle of free thought -— not free thought for those who agree with us but freedom for the thought that we hate."

Citation style

Under the Judiciary Act of 1789 the federal court structure at the time comprised District Courts, which had general trial jurisdiction; Circuit Courts, which had mixed trial and appellate (from the US District Courts) jurisdiction; and the United States Supreme Court, which had appellate jurisdiction over the federal District and Circuit courts—and for certain issues over state courts. The Supreme Court also had limited original jurisdiction (i.e., in which cases could be filed directly with the Supreme Court without first having been heard by a lower federal or state court). There were one or more federal District Courts and/or Circuit Courts in each state, territory, or other geographical region.

The Judiciary Act of 1891 created the United States Courts of Appeals and reassigned the jurisdiction of most routine appeals from the district and circuit courts to these appellate courts. The Act created nine new courts that were originally known as the "United States Circuit Courts of Appeals." The new courts had jurisdiction over most appeals of lower court decisions. The Supreme Court could review either legal issues that a court of appeals certified or decisions of court of appeals by writ of certiorari. On January 1, 1912, the effective date of the Judicial Code of 1911, the old Circuit Courts were abolished, with their remaining trial court jurisdiction transferred to the U.S. District Courts.

Bluebook citation style is used for case names, citations, and jurisdictions.

List of cases in volume 279 U.S.

Case NamePage & yearOpinion of the CourtConcurring opinion(s)Dissenting opinion(s)Lower CourtDisposition
Manley v. Georgia 1 (1929) Butlernonenone Ga. reversed
Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad Company v. Koske 7 (1929) Butlernonenone N.J. reversed
McDonald v. United States 12 (1929) Butlernonenone 1st Cir. affirmed
Morimura et al. Company v. Taback 24 (1929) Sanfordnonenone 3d Cir. reversed
Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Company v. Davis 34 (1929) Sanfordnonenone S.C. reversed
Leonard v. United States 40 (1929) Stonenonenone Ct. Cl. affirmed
Nielsen v. Johnson 47 (1929) Stonenonenone Iowa reversed
Flink v. Paladini 59 (1929) Holmesnonenone 9th Cir. affirmed
Lewis v. United States 63 (1929) Sanfordnonenone 8th Cir. affirmed
United States v. New York Central Railroad Company 73 (1929) Holmesnonenone Ct. Cl. affirmed
Spokane County v. United States 80 (1929) Taftnonenone Wash. affirmed
Carson Petroleum Company v. Vial 95 (1929) Taftnonenone La. reversed
London et al. Company v. California Industrial Accident Commission 109 (1929) Taftnonenone Cal. reversed
Sutter Butte Canal Company v. California Railroad Commission 125 (1929) Taftnonenone Cal. affirmed
Alberto v. Nicolas 139 (1929) Taftnonenone Phil. reversed
Ithaca Trust Company v. United States 151 (1929) Holmesnonenone Ct. Cl. reversed
United States Printing Company v. Griggs, C. and Company 156 (1929) Holmesnonenone Ohio reversed
Gilchrist v. Interborough Rapid Transit Company 159 (1929) McReynoldsnonenone S.D.N.Y. reversed
Pampanga Sugar Mills v. Trinidad 211 (1929) Brandeisnonenone Phil. affirmed
Riehle v. Margolies 218 (1929) Brandeisnonenone 2d Cir. affirmed
Alabama v. United States 229 (1929) Sutherlandnonenone N.D. Ala. affirmed
Karnuth v. United States ex rel. Albro 231 (1929) Sutherlandnonenone 2d Cir. reversed
Helson v. Kentucky 245 (1929) SutherlandStonenone Ky. reversed
Highland v. Russell Car Snow Plow Company 253 (1929) Butlernonenone Pa. affirmed
Sinclair v. United States 263 (1929) Butlernonenone D.C. Cir. affirmed
Grayson v. Harris 300 (1929) Sanfordnonenone Okla. reversed
Compañia General v. Collector of Internal Revenue 306 (1929) Stonenonenone Phil. affirmed
New York Central Railroad Company v. Johnson 310 (1929) Stonenonenone 8th Cir. reversed
Louisville and Nashville Railroad Company v. Chatters 320 (1929) Stonenonenone 5th Cir. reversed
Weiss v. Weiner 333 (1929) Holmesnonenone 6th Cir. reversed
Roschen v. Ward 337 (1929) Holmesnonenone S.D.N.Y. affirmed
Posados v. Warner, Barnes and Company 340 (1929) Butlernonenone Phil. reversed
Ex parte Worcester County National Bank 347 (1929) Taftnonenone Worcester Cnty. Prob. Ct. affirmed
United States v. Fruit Growers Express Company 363 (1929) Taftnonenone W.D. Pa. affirmed
United States v. J. Barth Company 370 (1929) Taftnonenone 7th Cir. reversed
Douglas v. New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad Company 377 (1929) Holmesnonenone N.Y. Sup. Ct. affirmed
Becher v. Contoure Laboratories, Inc. 388 (1929) Holmesnonenone 2d Cir. affirmed
Leonard v. Earle 392 (1929) McReynoldsnonenone Md. affirmed
United States ex rel. Claussen v. Day 398 (1929) Butlernonenone 2d Cir. affirmed
United States v. Galveston et al. Railroad Company 401 (1929) Butlernonenone Ct. Cl. affirmed
Morris and Company v. Skandinavia Insurance Company 405 (1929) Butlernonenone 5th Cir. affirmed
Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railroad Company v. Rock 410 (1929) Butlernonenone Ill. App. Ct. reversed
Central New England Railway Company v. Boston and Albany Railroad Company 415 (1929) Stonenonenone Suffolk Cnty. Super. Ct. affirmed
New York v. Latrobe 421 (1929) Stonenonenone 3d Cir. reversed
International Shoe Company v. Shartel 429 (1929) Stonenonenone W.D. Mo. affirmed
United States v. American et al. Company 435 (1929) Holmesnonenone W.D. Okla. reversed
Ex parte Bakelite Corporation 438 (1929) VanDevanternonenone Ct. Cust. App. prohibition denied
St. Louis & O.R.R. Co. v. United States 461 (1929) McReynoldsnoneBrandeis; Stone E.D. Mo. reversed
United States v. California C.C. 553 (1929) Brandeisnonenone D.C. Cir. reversed
St. Louis–San Francisco Railway Company v. Alabama Public Service Commission 560 (1929) Brandeisnonenone M.D. Ala. vacated
W.A. Marshall and Company v. The President Arthur 564 (1929) Sanfordnonenone 2d Cir. affirmed
Lucas v. Alexander 573 (1929) Stonenonenone 6th Cir. affirmed
Standard Oil Company v. City of Marysville 582 (1929) Stonenonenone 8th Cir. affirmed
Chesapeake and Ohio Railway Company v. Stapleton 587 (1929) Taftnonenone Ky. reversed
Barry v. United States ex rel. Cunningham 597 (1929) Sutherlandnonenone 3d Cir. reversed
Macallen Company v. Massachusetts 620 (1929) Sutherlandnonenone Mass. reversed
Western and Atlantic Railroad Company v. Henderson 639 (1929) Butlernonenone Ga. reversed
United States v. Schwimmer 644 (1929) ButlernoneHolmes 7th Cir. reversed
The Pocket Veto Case 655 (1929) Sanfordnonenone Ct. Cl. affirmed
White River Lumber Company v. Arkansas ex rel. Applegate 692 (1929) SanfordnoneButler Ark. affirmed
Gulf Refining Company v. Atlantic Mutual Insurance Company 708 (1929) Stonenonenone 2d Cir. affirmed
Old Colony Trust Company v. Commissioner 716 (1929) TaftnoneMcReynolds 1st Cir. certification
United States v. Boston and Maine Railroad Company 732 (1929) Taftnonenone 1st Cir. certification
AAONMS v. Michaux 737 (1929) VanDevanternonenone Tex. reversed
Sinclair v. United States 749 (1929) McReynoldsnonenone D.C. Cir. multiple
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Company v. United States 768 (1929) Brandeisnonenone N.D. Ill. affirmed
Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company v. United States 781 (1929) Butlernonenone N.D. Ill. reversed
Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Company v. Driggers 787 (1929) Sanfordnonenone S.C. reversed
Maryland Casualty Company v. Jones 792 (1929) Sanfordnonenone 9th Cir. reversed
Kirk v. Maumee Valley Electric Company 797 (1929) Stonenonenone S.D. Ohio reversed
Kirk v. Providence Mill Company 807 (1929) Stonenonenone S.D. Ohio reversed
Ohio Oil Company v. Conway 813 (1929) per curiam nonenone E.D. La. vacated

Notes and references

    1. "Supreme Court Research Guide". Georgetown Law Library. Retrieved April 7, 2021.