Hoke v. United States explained

Litigants:Hoke v. United States
Arguedatea:January 7
Arguedateb:8
Argueyear:1913
Decidedate:February 24
Decideyear:1913
Fullname:Effie Hoke and Basile Economides, Plaintiffs in Error, v. United States
Usvol:227
Uspage:308
Parallelcitations:33 S. Ct. 281; 57 L. Ed. 523; 1913 U.S. LEXIS 2301
Holding:Congress cannot regulate prostitution per se, which is strictly the province of the states, but it can regulate interstate travel for the purposes of prostitution or other "immoral purposes."
Majority:McKenna
Joinmajority:unanimous
Lawsapplied:U.S. Const. art. I, sec. 8, cl. 3

Hoke v. United States, 227 U.S. 308 (1913), was a decision by the United States Supreme Court that held that the United States Congress could not regulate prostitution per se, which was strictly the province of the states. Congress could, however, regulate interstate travel for purposes of prostitution or other "immoral purposes."

The case revolved around an offer to transport women from New Orleans to Beaumont, Texas for the purpose of prostitution. The Supreme Court upheld prosecution under the Mann Act.

See also

Further reading