| Location: | Washington, D.C. |
| Type: | Presidential nomination with Senate confirmation |
| Authority: | Constitution of the United States, Art. III, §1 |
| Terms: | life tenure, subject to impeachment and removal |
| Positions: | 9 (by statute) |
This is a list of cases reported in volume 239 of United States Reports, decided by the Supreme Court of the United States in 1915 and 1916.
See also: List of justices of the Supreme Court of the United States.
See also: List of United States Supreme Court justices by time in office.
See also: List of justices of the Supreme Court of the United States by court composition.
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 239 were decided the Court comprised the following nine members:
Hadacheck v. Sebastian, 239 U.S. 394 (1915), was an early Supreme Court case on the constitutionality of zoning ordinances. The Court held that an ordinance of Los Angeles, California, prohibiting the manufacturing of bricks within specified limits of the city, did not unconstitutionally deprive the petitioner of his property without due process of law, or deny him equal protection of the laws.
See also: United States district court.
See also: United States court of appeals.
See also: United States federal courts. 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.
See also: White Court.
| Case Name | Page and year | Opinion of the Court | Concurring opinion(s) | Dissenting opinion(s) | Lower Court | Disposition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cerecedo v. United States | 1 (1915) | White | none | none | dismissed | |
| Gegiow v. Uhl | 3 (1915) | Holmes | none | none | 2d Cir. | reversed |
| Central Trust Company of Illinois v. Lueders | 11 (1915) | McReynolds | none | none | 6th Cir. | dismissed |
| Stewart v. City of Kansas City | 14 (1915) | McKenna | none | none | Kan. | dismissed |
| United States Fidelity and Guaranty Company v. Riefler | 17 (1915) | Holmes | none | none | 7th Cir. | certification |
| Steinfeld v. Zeckendorf | 26 (1915) | Holmes | none | none | Ariz. | affirmed |
| Manila Investment Company v. Trammell | 31 (1915) | Day | none | none | affirmed | |
| Truax v. Raich | 33 (1915) | Hughes | none | McReynolds | affirmed | |
| Rio Grande Western Railroad Company v. Stringham | 44 (1915) | VanDevanter | none | none | Utah | multiple |
| Briggs v. United Shoe Machinery Company | 48 (1915) | VanDevanter | none | none | affirmed | |
| Pennsylvania Company v. Donat | 50 (1915) | McReynolds | none | none | 7th Cir. | affirmed |
| Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad Company v. Devine | 52 (1915) | White | none | none | Ill. | affirmed |
| Stratton v. Stratton | 55 (1915) | White | none | none | Ohio Dist. Ct. App. | dismissed |
| City of New York v. Sage | 57 (1915) | Holmes | none | none | 2d Cir. | reversed |
| La Roque v. United States | 62 (1915) | VanDevanter | none | none | 8th Cir. | affirmed |
| Anderson v. The Forty-Two Broadway Company | 69 (1915) | Pitney | none | none | 2d Cir. | reversed |
| United States v. Barnow | 74 (1915) | Pitney | none | none | reversed | |
| National Bank of Athens v. Shackelford | 81 (1915) | McReynolds | none | none | 5th Cir. | affirmed |
| Parker v. Monroig | 83 (1915) | White | none | none | affirmed | |
| United States v. New York and Porto Rico Steamship Company | 88 (1915) | Holmes | none | none | 2d Cir. | reversed |
| Gsell v. Insular Collector of Customs | 93 (1915) | Day | none | none | Phil. | dismissed |
| Southern Railroad Company v. Campbell | 99 (1915) | Hughes | none | none | S.C. | affirmed |
| Provident Savings Life Assurance Society v. Kentucky | 103 (1915) | Hughes | none | none | Ky. | reversed |
| United States v. Freeman | 117 (1915) | VanDevanter | none | none | reversed | |
| Glenwood Light and Water Company v. Mutual Light, Heat and Power Company | 121 (1915) | Pitney | none | none | reversed | |
| Morris Canal and Banking Company v. Baird | 126 (1915) | McReynolds | none | none | N.J. | affirmed |
| Mellon Company v. McCafferty | 134 (1915) | White | none | none | Okla. | dismissed |
| Sui v. McCoy | 139 (1915) | White | none | none | Phil. | affirmed |
| Norton v. Whiteside | 144 (1915) | White | none | none | 8th Cir. | dismissed |
| Fireball Gas Tank and Illuminating Company v. Commercial Acetylene Company | 156 (1915) | McKenna | none | none | 8th Cir. | affirmed |
| Porter v. Wilson | 170 (1915) | McKenna | none | none | Okla. | affirmed |
| Heim v. McCall | 175 (1915) | McKenna | none | none | N.Y. | affirmed |
| Crane v. New York | 195 (1915) | McKenna | none | none | N.Y. Ct. Sp. Sess. | affirmed |
| Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Company v. Burnette | 199 (1915) | Holmes | none | none | N.C. | reversed |
| New Orleans-Belize Royal Mail and Central American Steamship Company, Ltd. v. United States | 202 (1915) | Holmes | none | none | Ct. Cl. | affirmed |
| Phillip Wagner, Inc. v. Leser | 207 (1915) | Day | none | none | Md. | affirmed |
| William Cramp and Sons Ship and Engine Building Company v. United States | 221 (1915) | Day | none | McKenna | Ct. Cl. | affirmed |
| Johnson v. Wells Fargo and Company | 234 (1915) | Day | none | none | 8th Cir. | affirmed |
| O'Neill v. Leamer | 244 (1915) | Hughes | none | none | Neb. | affirmed |
| Houck v. Little River Drainage District | 254 (1915) | Hughes | none | none | Mo. | affirmed |
| Bailey v. Baker Ice Machine Company | 268 (1915) | VanDevanter | none | none | 8th Cir. | affirmed |
| Phoenix Railroad Company v. Geary | 277 (1915) | Pitney | none | none | D. Ariz. | affirmed |
| Elzaburu v. Chaves | 283 (1915) | Pitney | none | none | P.R. | affirmed |
| De Villanueva v. Villanueva | 293 (1915) | White | none | none | Phil. | affirmed |
| Mackenzie v. Hare | 299 (1915) | McKenna | none | none | Cal. | affirmed |
| Town of Essex v. New England Telegraph Company of Massachusetts | 313 (1915) | McReynolds | none | none | D. Mass. | affirmed |
| Provo Bench Canal and Irrigation Company v. Tanner | 323 (1915) | McReynolds | none | none | Utah | affirmed |
| Weber v. Freed | 325 (1915) | White | none | none | D.N.J. | affirmed |
| Texas and Pacific Railroad Company v. Bigger | 330 (1915) | McKenna | none | none | 5th Cir. | affirmed |
| Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Company v. Swearingen | 339 (1915) | Holmes | none | none | 5th Cir. | reversed |
| United States v. Normile | 344 (1915) | Holmes | none | none | Ct. Cl. | reversed |
| Great Northern Railroad Company v. Otos | 349 (1915) | Holmes | none | none | Minn. | affirmed |
| Seaboard Air Line Railroad Company v. Koennecke | 352 (1915) | Holmes | none | none | S.C. | affirmed |
| Christianson v. King County | 356 (1915) | Hughes | none | none | 9th Cir. | affirmed |
| Robert Moody and Son v. Century Savings Bank | 374 (1915) | VanDevanter | none | none | 8th Cir. | affirmed |
| Northern Pacific Railroad Company v. Concannon | 382 (1915) | White | none | none | Wash. | reversed |
| Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Company v. Glenn | 388 (1915) | White | none | none | S.C. | affirmed |
| Hadacheck v. Sebastian | 394 (1915) | McKenna | none | none | Cal. | affirmed |
| Williams v. Johnson | 414 (1915) | McKenna | none | none | Okla. | affirmed |
| Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad Company v. Whiteaker | 421 (1915) | McKenna | none | none | Mo. | affirmed |
| Miller v. Strahl | 426 (1915) | McKenna | none | none | Neb. | affirmed |
| Ex parte Uppercu | 435 (1915) | Holmes | none | none | D. Mass. | mandamus granted |
| Bi-Metallic Investment Company v. State Board of Equalization of Colorado | 441 (1915) | Holmes | none | none | Colo. | affirmed |
| Dayton Coal and Iron Company, Ltd. v. Cincinnati, New Orleans and Texas Pacific Railway Company | 446 (1915) | Day | none | none | Tenn. | affirmed |
| Chicago and Alton Railroad Company v. Wagner | 452 (1916) | Hughes | none | none | Ill. | affirmed |
| Inter-Island Steam Navigation Company v. Byrne | 459 (1916) | McReynolds | none | none | Sup. Ct. Terr. Haw. | affirmed |
| Reese v. Philadelphia and Reading Railroad Company | 463 (1915) | McReynolds | none | none | 3d Cir. | affirmed |
| United States v. Hamburg-Amerikanische Packetfahrt-Actien Gesellschaft | 466 (1916) | White | none | none | S.D.N.Y. | reversed |
| Myles Salt Company, Ltd. v. Iberia and St. Mary Drainage District | 478 (1916) | McKenna | none | none | La. | reversed |
| Northwestern Laundry v. City of Des Moines | 486 (1916) | Day | none | none | S.D. Iowa | affirmed |
| Southern Railroad Company v. Lloyd | 496 (1916) | Day | none | none | N.C. | affirmed |
| Hapai v. Brown | 502 (1916) | Holmes | none | none | Sup. Ct. Terr. Haw. | affirmed |
| Hallowell v. Commons | 506 (1916) | Holmes | none | none | affirmed | |
| Seven Cases of Eckmans Alterative v. United States | 510 (1916) | Hughes | none | none | affirmed | |
| Commercial National Bank of New Orleans v. Canal-Louisiana Bank and Trust Company | 520 (1916) | Hughes | none | none | 5th Cir. | reversed |
| United States v. Ross | 530 (1916) | Hughes | none | none | Ct. Cl. | reversed |
| Moss v. Ramey | 538 (1916) | VanDevanter | none | none | Idaho | affirmed |
| Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad Company v. Wright | 548 (1916) | VanDevanter | none | none | Neb. | affirmed |
| Shanks v. Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad Company | 556 (1916) | VanDevanter | none | none | N.Y. Sup. Ct. | affirmed |
| Interstate Amusement Company v. Albert | 560 (1916) | Pitney | none | none | Tenn. | affirmed |
| Home Bond Company v. McChesney | 568 (1916) | Pitney | none | none | 6th Cir. | affirmed |
| Kanawha and Michigan Railroad Company v. Kerse | 576 (1916) | Pitney | none | none | W. Va. Cir. Ct. | affirmed |
| New York Central Railroad Company v. Gray | 583 (1916) | Pitney | none | none | N.Y. Sup. Ct. | affirmed |
| Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago and St. Louis Railway Company v. Dettlebach | 588 (1916) | Pitney | none | none | Ohio Dist. Ct. App. | reversed |
| Seaboard Air Line Railroad Company v. Horton | 595 (1916) | Pitney | none | none | N.C. | affirmed |
| Basso v. United States | 602 (1916) | McKenna | none | none | Ct. Cl. | affirmed |
| White v. United States | 608 (1916) | Holmes | none | none | Ct. Cl. | affirmed |
| Northern Pacific Railroad Company v. Meese | 614 (1916) | McReynolds | none | none | 9th Cir. | reversed |
| Rogers v. Hennepin County | 621 (1916) | McReynolds | none | none | D. Minn. | affirmed |