List of United States Supreme Court cases, volume 283 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 283 of United States Reports, decided by the Supreme Court of the United States in 1931.

Justices of the Supreme Court at the time of volume 283 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 283 were decided the Court comprised the following nine members:

PortraitJusticeOfficeHome StateSucceededDate confirmed by the Senate
(Vote)
Tenure on Supreme Court
Charles Evans HughesChief JusticeNew YorkWilliam Howard Taft
(52–26)


June 30, 1941
(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)
Harlan F. StoneAssociate JusticeNew YorkJoseph McKenna
(71–6)


July 2, 1941
(Continued as chief justice)
Owen RobertsAssociate JusticePennsylvaniaEdward Terry Sanford
(Acclamation)


July 31, 1945
(Resigned)

Notable Cases in 283 U.S.

Stromberg v. California

Stromberg v. California, 283 U.S. 359 (1931), is a landmark decision of the Supreme Court in which the Court held that a California statute banning red flags was unconstitutional because it violated the First and Fourteenth Amendments to the United States Constitution. In the case, Yetta Stromberg was convicted for displaying a red flag daily in the youth camp for children at which she worked, and was charged under the California law. Chief Justice Charles Evans Hughes wrote for the seven-justice majority that the California statute was unconstitutional, and therefore Stromberg's conviction could not stand. This decision is considered a landmark in the history of First Amendment constitutional law, as it was one of the first cases in which the Court extended the Fourteenth Amendment to include a protection of the substance of the First Amendment, in this case symbolic speech or "expressive conduct", from state infringement.[2]

Near v. Minnesota ex rel. Olson

Near v. Minnesota ex rel. Olson, 283 U.S. 697 (1931), is a landmark decision of the Supreme Court under which prior restraint on publication was found to violate freedom of the press as protected under the First Amendment. This principle was applied to free speech generally in later jurisprudence. The Court ruled that a Minnesota law that targeted publishers of "malicious" or "scandalous" newspapers violated the First Amendment to the United States Constitution (as applied through the Fourteenth Amendment). Legal scholar and columnist Anthony Lewis called Near the Court's "first great press case".[3] It was later a key precedent in New York Times Co. v. United States (1971), in which the Court ruled against the Nixon administration's attempt to enjoin publication of the Pentagon Papers.[4]

Federal court system

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.

List of cases in volume 283 U.S.

See also: Hughes Court.

Case nameCitationOpinion of the CourtVoteConcurring opinion or statementDissenting opinion or statementProcedural jurisdictionResult
American Fruit Growers, Inc. v. Brogdex Company283 U.S. 1 (1931)McReynolds9-0nonenonecertiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit (3d Cir.)judgment reversed
Milliken v. United States283 U.S. 15 (1931)Stone9-0nonenonecertiorari to the United States Court of Claims (Ct. Cl.)judgment affirmed
McBoyle v. United States283 U.S. 25 (1931)Holmes9-0nonenonecertiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit (10th Cir.)judgment reversed
Carbice Corporation of America v. American Patents Development Corporation I283 U.S. 27 (1931)Brandeis9-0nonenonecertiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit (2d Cir.)judgment reversed
Chesapeake and Ohio Railway Company v. United States283 U.S. 35 (1931)Butler9-0nonenoneappeal from the United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia (S.D.W. Va.)judgment affirmed
United States v. Munson Steamship Line283 U.S. 43 (1931)Hughes9-0nonenonecertiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit (4th Cir.)judgment affirmed
Phillippides v. Day, Commissioner of Immigration283 U.S. 48 (1931)Holmes9-0nonenonecertiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit (2d Cir.)judgment affirmed
United States ex rel. Cateches v. Day, Commissioner of Immigration283 U.S. 51 (1931)Holmes9-0nonenonecertiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit (2d Cir.)judgment affirmed
Carr, Director of Immigration v. Zaja283 U.S. 52 (1931)Holmes9-0nonenonecertiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (9th Cir.)judgment reversed
Flynn v. New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad Company283 U.S. 53 (1931)Holmes9-0nonenonecertiorari to the Supreme Court of Errors of Connecticut (Conn.)judgment affirmed
Storaasli v. Minnesota283 U.S. 57 (1931)Roberts8-0[a]nonenoneappeal from the Minnesota Supreme Court (Minn.)judgment affirmed
United States v. Utah283 U.S. 64 (1931)Hughes9-0nonenoneoriginaldecree dismissing complaint of the United States so far as it relates to the beds of the portions of the Green, Grand, and Colorado Rivers found to be navigable
Herron v. Southern Pacific Company283 U.S. 91 (1931)Hughes9-0nonenonecertified questions from the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (9th Cir.)certified questions answered
Columbus and Greenville Railway Company v. Miller, State Tax Collector ex rel. Mississippi Levee District283 U.S. 96 (1931)Hughes9-0nonenoneappeal from, and certiorari to, the Mississippi Supreme Court (Miss.)judgment reversed
United States v. Wells283 U.S. 102 (1931)Hughes8-0[b]nonenonecertiorari to the United States Court of Claims (Ct. Cl.)judgment affirmed
Smith v. Springdale Amusement Park, Ltd.283 U.S. 121 (1931)Hughes9-0nonenonecertiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit (6th Cir.)decree affirmed
Hans Rees' Sons, Inc. v. North Carolina ex rel. Maxwell, Commissioner of Revenue283 U.S. 123 (1931)Hughes9-0nonenoneappeal from the North Carolina Supreme Court (N.C.)judgment reversed, and cause remanded
Southern Railroad Company v. Hussey283 U.S. 136 (1931)Holmes9-0nonenonecertiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit (8th Cir.)judgment affirmed
Eckert v. Burnet, Commissioner of Internal Revenue283 U.S. 140 (1931)Holmes9-0nonenonecertiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit (2d Cir.)judgment affirmed
First National Bank of Chicago v. United States283 U.S. 142 (1931)McReynolds9-0nonenonecertiorari to the United States Court of Claims (Ct. Cl.)judgment affirmed
Burnet, Commissioner of Internal Revenue v. Whitehouse283 U.S. 148 (1931)McReynolds9-0nonenonecertiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit (1st Cir.)judgment affirmed
Farbwerke Vormals Meister Lucius und Bruning v. Chemical Foundation, Inc.283 U.S. 152 (1931)McReynolds7-0[c] [d]nonenonecertiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit (3d Cir.)decree affirmed
Standard Oil Company (Indiana) v. United States I283 U.S. 163 (1931)Brandeis8-0[d]nonenoneappeal from the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois (N.D. Ill.)decree reversed
Interstate Transit, Inc. v. Lindsey283 U.S. 183 (1931)Brandeis8-1noneMcReynolds (without opinion)appeal from the Tennessee Supreme Court (Tenn.)judgment reversed
Buck v. Jewell-LaSalle Realty Co.283 U.S. 191 (1931)Brandeis9-0nonenonecertified question from the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit (8th Cir.)certified question answered
Jewell-LaSalle Realty Company v. Buck283 U.S. 202 (1931)Brandeis9-0nonenonecertified questions from the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit (8th Cir.)certified questions answered
Chesapeake and Ohio Railway Company v. Martin283 U.S. 209 (1931)Sutherland9-0nonenonecertiorari to the Supreme Court of Appeals of Virginia (Va.)judgment reversed
Burnet, Commissioner of Internal Revenue v. Houston283 U.S. 223 (1931)Sutherland9-0nonenonecertiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit (3d Cir.)judgment reversed
Burnet, Commissioner of Internal Revenue v. Henry283 U.S. 229 (1931)Sutherland9-0nonenonecertiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit (3d Cir.)judgment reversed
Burnet, Commissioner of Internal Revenue v. Porter283 U.S. 230 (1931)Sutherland9-0nonenonecertiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit (3d Cir.)judgment reversed
Klein v. United States283 U.S. 231 (1931)Sutherland9-0nonenonecertiorari to the United States Court of Claims (Ct. Cl.)judgment affirmed
Standard Oil Company (Indiana) v. United States II283 U.S. 235 (1931)Sutherland9-0nonenoneappeal from the United States District Court for the Northern District of Indiana (N.D. Ind.)order of dismissal affirmed
New York Life Insurance Company v. Bowers283 U.S. 242 (1931)Butler9-0nonenonecertiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit (2d Cir.)judgments affirmed
Missouri Pacific Railroad Company v. Norwood, Attorney General of Arkansas283 U.S. 249 (1931)Butler9-0nonenoneappeal from the United States District Court for the Western District of Arkansas (W.D. Ark.)decree affirmed
Bonwit Teller and Company v. United States283 U.S. 258 (1931)Butler9-0nonenonecertiorari to the United States Court of Claims (Ct. Cl.)judgment reversed
Pagel v. MacLean283 U.S. 266 (1931)Stone9-0nonenonecertiorari to the Minnesota Supreme Court (Minn.)judgment vacated, and cause remanded
United States v. Felt and Tarrant Manufacturing Company283 U.S. 269 (1931)Stone9-0nonenonecertiorari to the United States Court of Claims (Ct. Cl.)judgment reversed
Maynard v. Elliott, Trustee in Bankruptcy283 U.S.273 (1931)Stone9-0nonenonecertiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit (6th Cir.)judgment reversed, and cause remanded
Group No. 1 Oil Corporation v. Bass283 U.S. 279 (1931)Stone8-0[b]nonenonecertiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit (5th Cir.)judgment affirmed
Standard Marine Insurance Company v. Scottish Metropolitan Assurance Company283 U.S. 284 (1931)Stone9-0nonenonecertiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit (6th Cir.)judgment affirmed
Susquehanna Power Company v. State Tax Commission of Maryland I283 U.S. 291 (1931)Stone9-0nonenoneappeal from the Maryland Court of Appeals (Md.)judgment affirmed
Susquehanna Power Company v. State Tax Commission of Maryland II283 U.S. 297 (1931)Stone9-0nonenoneappeal from the Maryland Court of Appeals (Md.)dismissed
Burnet, Commissioner of Internal Revenue v. Thompson Oil and Gas Company283 U.S. 301 (1931)Roberts9-0nonenonecertiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit (10th Cir.)judgment reversed
Aldridge v. United States283 U.S. 308 (1931)Hughes8-1noneMcReynolds (opinion)certiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia (D.C. Cir.)judgment reversed
Straton v. New283 U.S. 318 (1931)Roberts9-0nonenonecertified question from the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit (4th Cir.)certified question answered
State-Planters Bank and Trust Company v. Parker283 U.S. 332 (1931)Roberts9-0nonenonecertified question from the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit (4th Cir.)certificate dismissed
New Jersey v. New York283 U.S. 336 (1931)Holmes7-0[b] [e]nonenoneoriginalvarious decrees regarding New York state diverting waters from the Delaware River
Smoot Sand and Gravel Corporation v. Washington Airport, Inc.283 U.S. 348 (1931)Holmes8-1noneMcReynolds (opinion)certiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit (4th Cir.)decree reversed
Twin City Pipe Line Company v. Harding Glass Company283 U.S. 353 (1931)Butler9-0nonenonecertiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit (8th Cir.)decree reversed
Stromberg v. California283 U.S. 359 (1931)Hughes7-2noneMcReynolds (opinion); Butler (opinion)appeal from the California District Court of Appeal (Cal. D. Ct. App.)judgment reversed
Graniteville Manufacturing Company v. Query283 U.S. 376 (1931)Hughes9-0nonenoneappeal from the United States District Court for the Eastern District of South Carolina (E.D.S.C.)order affirmed
Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway Company v. Railroad Commission of California283 U.S. 380 (1931)Hughes8-1noneMcReynolds (brief statement)appeals from the California Supreme Court (Cal.)judgments affirmed
Frank L. Young Company v. McNeal-Edwards Company283 U.S. 398 (1931)Holmes9-0nonenonecertiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit (1st Cir.)judgment reversed
Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Company v. Powe283 U.S. 401 (1931)Holmes9-0nonenonecertiorari to the South Carolina Supreme Court (S.C.)judgment reversed
Burnet, Commissioner of Internal Revenue v. Logan283 U.S. 404 (1931)McReynolds9-0nonenonecertiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit (2d Cir.)judgments affirmed
United States ex rel. McLennan v. Wilbur, Secretary of the Interior283 U.S. 414 (1931)McReynolds9-0nonenonecertiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia (D.C. Cir.)judgments affirmed
Carbice Corporation of America v. American Patents Development Company II283 U.S. 420 (1931)Brandeis9-0nonenonecertiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit (2d Cir.)judgment affirmed
Arizona v. California283 U.S. 423 (1931)Brandeis8-1noneMcReynolds (without opinion)originalbill dismissed
East Ohio Gas Company v. Tax Commission of Ohio283 U.S. 465 (1931)Butler9-0nonenoneappeal from the United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio (S.D. Ohio)decree affirmed
New Jersey v. City of New York283 U.S. 473 (1931)Butler9-0nonenoneoriginalNew Jersey entitled to injunction
Nash-Breyer Motor Company v. Burnet, Commissioner of Internal Revenue283 U.S. 483 (1931)Stone9-0nonenonecertiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit (2d Cir.)judgment affirmed
McCaughn, Collector of Internal Revenue v. Hershey Chocolate Company283 U.S. 488 (1931)Stone9-0nonenonecertiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit (3d Cir.)judgment reversed
Gasoline Products Company v. Champlin Refining Company283 U.S. 494 (1931)Stone9-0nonenonecertiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit (1st Cir.)judgment reversed
Merchants Warehouse Company v. United States283 U.S. 501 (1931)Stone8-0[b]nonenoneappeals from the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania (E.D. Pa.)judgment affirmed
Custer v. McCutcheon283 U.S. 514 (1931)Roberts9-0nonenonecertiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (9th Cir.)judgment reversed
Minneapolis, St. Paul and Sault Ste. Marie Railroad Company v. Moquin283 U.S. 520 (1931)Roberts9-0nonenonecertiorari to the Minnesota Supreme Court (Minn.)judgment reversed, and cause remanded
Baldwin v. Iowa State Traveling Men's Association283 U.S. 522 (1931)Roberts9-0nonenonecertiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit (8th Cir.)judgment reversed, and cause remanded
State Board of Tax Commissioners of Indiana v. Jackson283 U.S. 527 (1931)Roberts5-4noneSutherland (opinion; with which VanDevanter, McReynolds, and Butler concurred)appeal from the United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana (S.D. Ind.)judgment of the district court reversed, and cause remanded with instructions to dismiss the bill
Smith v. Cahoon283 U.S. 553 (1931)Hughes9-0nonenoneappeal from the Florida Supreme Court (Fla.)judgment reversed, and cause remanded
Northport Power and Light Company v. Hartley, Governor of Washington283 U.S. 568 (1931)Holmes9-0nonenoneappeal from the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington (W.D. Wash.)decree affirmed
Indian Motocycle Company v. United States283 U.S. 570 (1931)VanDevanter7-2Holmes ("acquiesces in this decision")Stone (opinion; with which Brandeis concurred)certified question from the United States Court of Claims (Ct. Cl.)certified question answered
Maas and Waldstein Company v. United States283 U.S. 583 (1931)McReynolds9-0nonenonecertiorari to the United States Court of Claims (Ct. Cl.)judgment affirmed
Phillips v. Commissioner of Internal Revenue283 U.S. 589 (1931)Brandeis9-0nonenonecertiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit (2d Cir.)judgment affirmed
United States v. Macintosh283 U.S. 605 (1931)Sutherland5-4noneHughes (opinion; with which Holmes, Brandeis, and Stone concurred)certiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit (2d Cir.)decree reversed
United States v. Bland283 U.S. 636 (1931)Sutherland5-4noneHughes (opinion; with which Holmes, Brandeis, and Stone concurred)certiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit (2d Cir.)decree reversed
Fetters, U.S. Marshal v. United States ex rel. Cunningham283 U.S. 638 (1931)Sutherland9-0nonenonecertiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit (3d Cir.)judgment reversed, and cause remanded
Federal Trade Commission v. Raladam Company283 U.S. 643 (1931)Sutherland9-0nonenonecertiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit (6th Cir.)decree affirmed
Lewis-Simas-Jones Company v. Southern Pacific Company283 U.S. 654 (1931)Butler9-0nonenonecertiorari to the California Courts of Appeal (Cal. Dist. Ct. App.)judgment reversed
DeForest Radio Company v. General Electric Company283 U.S. 664 (1931)Stone9-0McReynolds (without opinion)nonecertiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit (3d Cir.)judgment reversed
Great Northern Railroad Company v. Delmar Company283 U.S. 686 (1931)Roberts9-0nonenonecertiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit (8th Cir.)judgment reversed, and cause remanded
Choteau v. Burnet, Commissioner of Internal Revenue283 U.S. 691 (1931)Roberts9-0nonenonecertiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit (10th Cir.)judgment affirmed
Near v. Minnesota ex rel. Olson283 U.S. 697 (1931)Hughes5-4noneButler (opinion; with which VanDevanter, McReynolds, and Sutherland concurred)appeal from the Minnesota Supreme Court (Minn.)judgment reversed
United States v. Equitable Trust Company of New York283 U.S. 738 (1931)VanDevanter8-0[d]nonenonecertiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit (2d Cir.)decree modified and affirmed
Mott v. United States283 U.S. 747 (1931)VanDevanter8-0[d]nonenonecertiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit (10th Cir.)decree affirmed
Halbert v. United States283 U.S. 753 (1931)VanDevanter9-0nonenonecertiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (9th Cir.)decrees reversed
Georgia Public Service Commission v. United States283 U.S. 765 (1931)Brandeis9-0nonenoneappeal from the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia (N.D. Ga.)judgment affirmed
Alabama v. United States283 U.S. 776 (1931)Brandeis9-0nonenoneappeal from the United States District Court for the Northern District of Alabama (N.D. Ala.)decree affirmed

[a] Butler took no part in the case

[b] Roberts took no part in the case

[c] Sutherland took no part in the case

[d] Stone took no part in the case

[e] Hughes took no part in the case

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Supreme Court Research Guide . 7 April 2021 . Georgetown Law Library.
  2. Book: Eastland, Terry. Freedom of Expression in the Supreme Court. 2000. 24. Rowman & Littlefield. 978-0-8476-9711-3.
  3. Book: Lewis, Anthony . Make No Law: The Sullivan Case and the First Amendment . 1991 . Random House . New York . 0-394-58774-X . 90 .
  4. .