List of United States Supreme Court cases, volume 271 explained

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 271 of United States Reports, decided by the Supreme Court of the United States in 1926.

Justices of the Supreme Court at the time of volume 271 U.S.

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 271 were decided the Court comprised the following nine members:

PortraitJusticeOfficeHome StateSucceededDate confirmed by the Senate
(Vote)
Tenure on Supreme Court
William Howard TaftChief JusticeConnecticutEdward Douglass White
(Acclamation)


February 3, 1930
(Retired)
Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr.Associate JusticeMassachusettsHorace Gray
(Acclamation)


January 12, 1932
(Retired)
Willis Van DevanterAssociate JusticeWyomingEdward Douglass White (as Associate Justice)
(Acclamation)


June 2, 1937
(Retired)
James Clark McReynoldsAssociate JusticeTennesseeHorace Harmon Lurton
(44–6)


January 31, 1941
(Retired)
Louis BrandeisAssociate JusticeMassachusettsJoseph Rucker Lamar
(47–22)


February 13, 1939
(Retired)
George SutherlandAssociate JusticeUtahJohn Hessin Clarke
(Acclamation)


January 17, 1938
(Retired)
Pierce ButlerAssociate JusticeMinnesotaWilliam R. Day
(61–8)


November 16, 1939
(Died)
Edward Terry SanfordAssociate JusticeTennesseeMahlon Pitney
(Acclamation)


March 8, 1930
(Died)
Harlan F. StoneAssociate JusticeNew YorkJoseph McKenna
(71–6)


July 2, 1941
(Continued as chief justice)

Notable Case in 271 U.S.

Corrigan v. Buckley

In Corrigan v. Buckley, 271 U.S. 323 (1926), the Supreme Court ruled that the racially restrictive covenant of multiple residents on S Street NW, between 18th Street and New Hampshire Avenue, in Washington, DC, was a legally-binding document that made the selling of a house to a black family a void contract. This ruling set a precedent upholding such covenants in Washington; racially restrictive covenants then flourished around the nation.[2] It was only with Shelley v. Kraemer (1948) that the Supreme Court determined it unconstitutional for the legal system to enforce racially-restrictive covenants.

Citation style

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.

List of cases in volume 271 U.S.

See also: Taft Court.

Case NamePage and yearOpinion of the CourtConcurring opinion(s)Dissenting opinion(s)Lower CourtDisposition
Keith v. Johnson1 (1926)Butlernone none2d Cir.affirmed
United States v. Mitchell9 (1926) Butler none none reversed
Mottram v. United States15 (1926) Butler none none affirmed
Evansville and Bowling Green Packet Company v. Chero Cola Bottling Company19 (1926) Butler none none affirmed
Board of Public Utility Commissioners of New Jersey v. New York Telephone Company23 (1926) Butler none none affirmed
Engel v. Davenport33 (1926)Sanfordnone noneCal.reversed
Missouri ex rel. Hurwitz v. North40 (1926)Stonenone noneMo.affirmed
Hartsville Oil Mill v. United States43 (1926) Stone none none affirmed
Roberts and Schaefer Company v. Emmerson50 (1926)Stonenone noneIll.affirmed
Reading Company v. Koons58 (1926)Stonenone nonePa.reversed
Massachusetts v. New York65 (1926)Stonenone noneoriginaldecree for N.Y.
Sun Ship Building Company v. United States96 (1926)Taftnone noneCt. Cl.multiple
Great Northern Railroad Company v. Galbreath Cattle Company99 (1926)VanDevanternone noneMont.reversed
Boyd v. United States104 (1926)VanDevanternone none6th Cir.affirmed
New York Life Insurance Company v. Edwards109 (1926)McReynoldsnone none2d Cir.reversed
Union Insulating and Construction Company v. United States121 (1926)Taftnone noneCt. Cl.affirmed
New York Central Railroad Company v. New York and Pennsylvania Company124 (1926)Holmesnone nonePa.reversed
Venner v. Michigan Central Railroad Company127 (1926)VanDevanternone noneN.D. Ohioaffirmed
Patterson v. Mobile Gas Company131 (1926)McReynoldsnone noneM.D. Ala.affirmed
Iselin v. United States136 (1926)Taftnone noneCt. Cl.affirmed
Early and Daniel Company v. United States140 (1926)Taftnone noneCt. Cl.affirmed
United States ex rel. Hughes v. Gault142 (1926)Holmesnone BrandeisS.D. Iowaaffirmed
Colorado v. United States153 (1926)Brandeisnone noneD. Colo.affirmed
Bowers v. Kerbaugh-Empire Company170 (1926)Butlernone noneS.D.N.Y.affirmed
Taylor v. Voss176 (1926)Sanfordnone none7th Cir.reversed
Harrison v. Chamberlin191 (1926)Sanfordnone none8th Cir.affirmed
Hassler, Inc. v. Shaw195 (1926)Holmesnone noneE.D.S.C.reversed
United States v. Noveck201 (1926)Butlernone noneS.D.N.Y.affirmed
Leiter v. United States204 (1926)Sanfordnone noneCt. Cl.affirmed
Booth Fisheries Company v. Industrial Relations Commission of Wisconsin208 (1926)Taftnone noneWis.affirmed
United States v. Minnesota Mutual Investment Company212 (1926)Taftnone noneD. Colo.reversed
Chesapeake and Ohio Railway Company v. Nixon218 (1926)Holmesnone noneVa.reversed
Virginian Railroad Company v. Mullens220 (1926)VanDevanternone noneWyoming County Cir. Ct.reversed
General Investment Company v. New York Central Railroad Company228 (1926)VanDevanternone noneN.D. Ohioreversed
Sperry Gyroscope Company v. Arma Engineering Company232 (1926)McReynoldsnone noneE.D.N.Y.reversed
Mellon v. Michigan Trust Company236 (1926)McReynoldsnone none6th Cir.affirmed
Fenner v. Boykin240 (1926)McReynoldsnone noneN.D. Ga.affirmed
Alabama and Vicksburg Railway Company v. Jackson and Eastern Railway Company244 (1926)Brandeisnone noneMiss.reversed
Chicago and Northwestern Railway Company v. Alvin R. Durham Company251 (1926)Brandeisnone noneMich.reversed
Turner, Dennis and Lowry Lumber Company v. Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railway Company259 (1926)Brandeisnone noneW.D. Mo.affirmed
United States v. Wyckoff Pipe and Creosoting Company, Inc.263 (1926)Brandeisnone noneCt. Cl.reversed
Western Paper Makers' Chemical Company v. United States268 (1926)Brandeisnone noneW.D. Mich.affirmed
Sutherland, Alien Property Custodian v. Mayer272 (1926)Sutherlandnone none1st Cir.reversed
Henkels v. Sutherland, Alien Property Custodian298 (1926)Sutherlandnone none2d Cir.reversed
Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railway Company v. Oklahoma303 (1926)Butlernone noneOkla.reversed
United States v. Pittsburgh and West Virginia Railway Company310 (1926)Butlernone noneCt. Cl.reversed
Culver v. United States315 (1926)Butlernone noneCt. Cl.reversed
Hay v. The May Department Stores Company318 (1926)Sanfordnone noneE.D. Mo.reversed
Corrigan v. Buckley323 (1926)Sanfordnone noneD.C. Cir.dismissed
United States v. Zerbey332 (1926)Sanfordnone none3d Cir.certification
Lederer v. McGarvey342 (1926)Sanfordnone none3d Cir.dismissed
St. Louis–San Francisco Railway Company v. Mills344 (1926)Stonenone none5th Cir.reversed
Blair v. United States ex rel. Birkenstock348 (1926)Stonenone noneD.C. Cir.reversed
United States v. Katz354 (1926)Stonenone noneE.D. Pa.affirmed
Appleby v. City of New York364 (1926)Taftnone noneN.Y. Sup. Ct.reversed
Appleby v. Delaney403 (1926)Taftnone noneN.Y. Sup. Ct.reversed
Thornton v. United States414 (1926)Taftnone none5th Cir.affirmed
Old Colony Trust Company v. City of Seattle426 (1926)VanDevanternone noneW.D. Wash.reversed
United States v. Candelaria432 (1926)VanDevanternone none8th Cir.certification
Kansas City Terminal Railway Company v. Central Union Trust Company of New York445 (1926)McReynoldsnone none8th Cir.certification
Home Furniture Company v. United States456 (1926)McReynoldsnone noneW.D. Texasaffirmed
Ex parte Buder461 (1926)Brandeisnone noneMo. Dist. Ct.mandamus denied
United States v. Ramsey467 (1926)Sutherlandnone noneW.D. Okla.reversed
Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railway Company v. Coogan472 (1926)Butlernone noneMinn.reversed
Ma-King Products Company v. Blair479 (1926)Sanfordnone none3d Cir.affirmed
Davis v. Williford484 (1926)Sanfordnone noneOkla.affirmed
City of Douglas v. Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas489 (1926)Stonenone none5th Cir.affirmed
Raffel v. United States494 (1926)Stonenone none6th Cir.certification
Yu Cong Eng v. Trinidad500 (1926)Taftnone nonePhil.reversed
Alejandrino v. Quezon528 (1926)Taftnone nonePhil.dismissed
Goltra v. Weeks536 (1926)Taftnone McReynolds8th Cir.affirmed
Steamship Northern Star552 (1926)Holmesnone McReynolds2d Cir.reversed
Panama Railroad Company v. Vasquez557 (1926)VanDevanternone noneN.Y. Sup. Ct.affirmed
Steamship Pesaro562 (1926)VanDevanternone noneS.D.N.Y.affirmed
Lake Superior Consolidated Iron Mines v. Lord577 (1926)McReynoldsnone noneD. Minnaffirmed
Frost and Frost Trucking Company v. Railroad Commission of California583 (1926)Sutherlandnone Holmes; McReynoldsCal.reversed
Missouri Pacific Railroad Company v. United States603 (1926)Sutherlandnone noneCt. Cl.affirmed
Jaybird Mining Company v. Weir609 (1926)Butlernone BrandeisOkla.reversed
Hammer v. United States620 (1926)Butlernone none2d Cir.reversed
Arkansas v. Tennessee629 (1926)Butlernone noneoriginalboundary set
Scott v. Paisley632 (1926)Sanfordnone noneGa.affirmed
Massachusetts v. New York636 (1926)Holmesnone noneoriginaldismissed

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Supreme Court Research Guide . 7 April 2021 . Georgetown Law Library.
  2. Book: Asch . Chris Myers . Musgrove . George Derek . Chocolate City: A History of Race and Democracy in the Nation's Capital . 2017 . University of North Carolina Press . 978-1-4696-3586-6.