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  • 21 Aug, 2019

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List Of United States Supreme Court Cases, Volume 290

This is a list of cases reported in volume 290 of United States Reports, decided by the Supreme Court of the United States in 1933 and 1934.

Justices of the Supreme Court at the time of volume 290 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). 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 290 were decided the Court comprised the following nine members:

Portrait Justice Office Home State Succeeded Date confirmed by the Senate
(Vote)
Tenure on Supreme Court
Charles Evans Hughes Chief Justice New York William Howard Taft February 13, 1930
(52–26)
February 24, 1930

June 30, 1941
(Retired)
Willis Van Devanter Associate Justice Wyoming Edward Douglass White (as Associate Justice) December 15, 1910
(Acclamation)
January 3, 1911

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

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

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

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

November 16, 1939
(Died)
Harlan F. Stone Associate Justice New York Joseph McKenna February 5, 1925
(71–6)
March 2, 1925

July 2, 1941
(Continued as chief justice)
Owen Roberts Associate Justice Pennsylvania Edward Terry Sanford May 20, 1930
(Acclamation)
June 2, 1930

July 31, 1945
(Resigned)
Benjamin N. Cardozo Associate Justice New York Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. February 24, 1932
(Acclamation)
March 14, 1932

July 9, 1938
(Died)

Notable Cases in 290 U.S.

Welch v. Helvering

In Welch v. Helvering, 290 U.S. 111 (1933), the Supreme Court ruled on the difference between business and personal expenses and the difference between ordinary business deductions and capital expenses. It is one of the most important income tax law cases.

Home Building and Loan Association v. Blaisdell

In Home Building and Loan Association v. Blaisdell, 290 U.S. 398 (1934), the Supreme Court held that Minnesota's suspension of creditors' remedies was not in violation of the Contract Clause of the United States Constitution. Blaisdell was decided during the depth of the Great Depression and has been criticized by modern conservative and libertarian commentators. In 1933, in response to a large number of home foreclosures, Minnesota, like many other states at the time, extended the time available for mortgagors to redeem their mortgages from foreclosure. The appellee owned a lot in Minneapolis that was in the foreclosure process. The extension had the effect of enlarging the mortgagor's estate contrary to the terms of the contract. The Supreme Court upheld the statute, reasoning that the emergency conditions created by the Great Depression "may justify the exercise of [the State's] continuing and dominant protective power notwithstanding interference with contracts." Blaisdell was the first time the court extended the emergency exception to purely economic emergencies. While Blaisdell itself might have been held to apply only in limited instances of economic emergency, by the late 1930s the emergency exception doctrine had expanded dramatically.

Federal court system

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 290 U.S.

Case name Citation Opinion of the Court Vote Concurring opinion or statement Dissenting opinion or statement Procedural jurisdiction Result
Minnesota v. Blasius 290 U.S. 1 (1933) Hughes 9-0 none none certiorari to the Minnesota Supreme Court (Minn.) judgment reversed
Jacobs v. United States 290 U.S. 13 (1933) Hughes 9-0 none none certiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit (5th Cir.) judgment reversed, and cause remanded
Missouri v. Fiske 290 U.S. 18 (1933) Hughes 9-0 none none certiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit (8th Cir.) judgment reversed, and cause remanded
Ex parte Poresky 290 U.S. 30 (1933) per curiam 9-0 none none motion for leave to file petition for writ of mandamus to the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts (D. Mass.) leave to file petition for writ of mandamus denied
United States v. Reily 290 U.S. 33 (1933) VanDevanter 9-0 none none certiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit (10th Cir.) decree reversed
Nathanson v. United States 290 U.S. 41 (1933) McReynolds 9-0 none none certiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit (3d Cir.) judgment reversed
Trainor Company v. Aetna Casualty and Surety Company 290 U.S. 47 (1933) Sutherland 9-0 none none certiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit (3d Cir.) judgments of the courts below reversed, and cause remanded
Griswold v. Helvering, Commissioner of Internal Revenue 290 U.S. 56 (1933) Sutherland 9-0 none none certiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit (7th Cir.) judgment affirmed
Oakes v. Lake 290 U.S. 59 (1933) Sutherland 9-0 none none certiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (9th Cir.) judgment reversed, and cause remanded
Fidelity and Deposit Company of Maryland v. Arenz 290 U.S. 66 (1933) Butler 9-0 none none certiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (9th Cir.) judgment reversed
United States v. Louisiana 290 U.S. 70 (1933) Stone 9-0 none none appeal from the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana (E.D. La.) judgment reversed
Cullen Fuel Company v. W.E. Hedger, Inc. 290 U.S. 82 (1933) Roberts 9-0 none none certiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit (2d Cir.) judgment affirmed
John K. and Catherine S. Mullen Benevolent Corporation v. United States 290 U.S. 89 (1933) Roberts 9-0 none none certiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (9th Cir.) judgment affirmed
Shepard v. United States 290 U.S. 96 (1933) Cardozo 9-0 none none certiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit (10th Cir.) judgment reversed, and cause remanded
Cooper v. Dasher 290 U.S. 106 (1933) Cardozo 9-0 none none certiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit (5th Cir.) judgment reversed, and cause remanded
Welch v. Helvering, Commissioner of Internal Revenue 290 U.S. 111 (1933) Cardozo 9-0 none none certiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit (8th Cir.) decree affirmed
Krauss Brothers Lumber Company v. Dimon Steamship Corporation 290 U.S. 117 (1933) Stone 5-4 none McReynolds, Sutherland, Butler, and Roberts (joint short statement) certiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (9th Cir.) judgment reversed
Butte, Anaconda and Pacific Railway Company v. United States 290 U.S. 127 (1933) Brandeis 9-0 none none certiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (9th Cir.) judgment reversed
Dakin v. Bayly 290 U.S. 143 (1933) Roberts 8-1 none Stone (opinion) certiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit (5th Cir.) judgment reversed
Johnson Oil Refining Company v. Oklahoma ex rel. Mitchell, County Attorney 290 U.S. 158 (1933) Hughes 9-0 none none appeals from the Oklahoma Supreme Court (Okla.) judgments reversed, and causes remanded
Funkhouser v. J.B. Preston Company 290 U.S. 163 (1933) Hughes 9-0 none none appeal from the New York Supreme Court (N.Y. Sup. Ct.) judgment affirmed
Hicklin v. Coney 290 U.S. 169 (1933) Hughes 9-0 none none appeal from the South Carolina Supreme Court (S.C.) judgment affirmed
Glenn v. Field Packing Company 290 U.S. 177 (1933) per curiam 9-0 none none appeal from the United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky (W.D. Ky.) judgment affirmed as modified
Bullard v. City of Cisco 290 U.S. 179 (1933) VanDevanter 9-0 none none certiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit (5th Cir.) judgments reversed, and causes remanded
Southern Railroad Company v. Virginia 290 U.S. 190 (1933) McReynolds 6-3 none Hughes, Stone, and Cardozo (joint short statement) appeal from the Virginia Supreme Court (Va.) judgment reversed, and cause remanded
Missouri State Life Insurance Company v. Jones 290 U.S. 199 (1933) McReynolds 9-0 none none certiorari to the Arkansas Supreme Court (Ark.) judgment reversed
Yarborough v. Yarborough 290 U.S. 202 (1933) Brandeis 7-2 none Stone (opinion; with which Cardozo concurred) certiorari to the South Carolina Supreme Court (S.C.) judgment reversed
Miller v. Union Pacific Railroad Company 290 U.S. 227 (1933) Sutherland 9-0 none none certiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit (8th Cir.) judgment reversed, and cause remanded
Keystone Driller Company v. General Excavator Company 290 U.S. 240 (1933) Butler 9-0 none none certiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit (6th Cir.) judgment affirmed
Federal Land Bank of Columbia v. Gaines 290 U.S. 247 (1933) Stone 9-0 none none certiorari to the North Carolina Supreme Court (N.C.) judgment reversed
Alaska Steamship Company v. United States 290 U.S. 256 (1933) Stone 9-0 none none certiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (9th Cir.) judgment reversed
Central Kentucky Natural Gas Company v. Railroad Commission of Kentucky 290 U.S. 264 (1933) Stone 8-0[a] none none appeal from the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky (E.D. Ky.) judgment reversed
Factor v. Laubenheimer, U.S. Marshal 290 U.S. 276 (1933) Stone 6-3 none Butler (opinion; joined by Brandeis and Roberts) certiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit (7th Cir.) judgment affirmed
Stringfellow v. Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Company 290 U.S. 322 (1933) Roberts 9-0 none none certiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit (5th Cir.) judgment reversed
Gibbes v. Zimmerman 290 U.S. 326 (1933) Roberts 9-0 none none appeal from the South Carolina Supreme Court (S.C.) judgment affirmed
May v. Hamburg-Amerikanische Packetfahrt A.G. 290 U.S. 333 (1933) Cardozo 7-2 none MvReynolds and Butler (without opinions) certiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit (2d Cir.) judgment reversed, and cause remanded
Trotter v. Tennessee 290 U.S. 354 (1933) Cardozo 9-0 none none certiorari to the Tennessee Supreme Court (Tenn.) judgment affirmed
United States v. Chavez 290 U.S. 357 (1933) VanDevanter 9-0 none none appeal from the United States District Court for the District of New Mexico (D.N.M.) judgment reversed
Helvering, Commissioner of Internal Revenue v. Butterworth 290 U.S. 365 (1933) McReynolds 8-1 none Hughes (opinion) certiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit (3d Cir.) judgment reversed
Funk v. United States 290 U.S. 371 (1933) Sutherland 7-2 Cardozo (without opinion) McReynolds and Butler (without opinions) certiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit (4th Cir.) judgment reversed
Ormsby v. Executors 290 U.S. 387 (1933) Butler 8-0[b] none none certiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit (3d Cir.) judgment reversed
United States v. Murdock 290 U.S. 389 (1933) Roberts 7-2 none Stone and Cardozo (without opinions) certiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit (7th Cir.) judgment affirmed
Home Building and Loan Association v. Blaisdell 290 U.S. 398 (1934) Hughes 5-4 none Sutherland (opinion; with which VanDevanter, McReynolds, and Butler concurred) appeal from the Minnesota Supreme Court (Minn.) judgment affirmed
Alexander, Collector of Internal Revenue v. Cosden Pipe Line Company 290 U.S. 484 (1934) VanDevanter 9-0 none none certiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit (10th Cir.) judgment reversed, and cause remanded
Northwestern Pacific Railroad Company v. Bobo 290 U.S. 499 (1934) McReynolds 9-0 none none certiorari to the California Court of Appeal (Cal. Dist. Ct. App.) judgment reversed
First National Bank of Cincinnati v. Flershem 290 U.S. 504 (1934) Brandeis 9-0 none none certiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit (3d Cir.) decree reversed in three cases; decree affirmed as modified in one case
Fix, Collector of Internal Revenue v. Philadelphia Barge Company 290 U.S. 530 (1934) Sutherland 9-0 none none certiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit (3d Cir.) judgment reversed
Burroughs and Cannon v. United States 290 U.S. 534 (1934) Sutherland 8-1 none McReynolds (opinion) certiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia (D.C. Cir.) judgment affirmed in part
Lumbra v. United States 290 U.S. 551 (1934) Butler 9-0 none none certiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit (2d Cir.) judgment affirmed
State Corporation Commission of Kansas v. Wichita Gas Company 290 U.S. 561 (1934) Butler 9-0 none none appeal from the United States District Court for the District of Kansas (D. Kan.) judgment affirmed as modified
P.F. Petersen Baking Company v. Bryan 290 U.S. 570 (1934) Butler 9-0 none none appeal from the Nebraska Supreme Court (Neb.) judgment affirmed
Missouri Pacific Railroad Company v. Hartley Brothers 290 U.S. 576 (1934) Butler 9-0 none none certiorari to the Oklahoma Supreme Court (Okla.) judgment affirmed
[a] Sutherland took no part in the case
[b] Roberts took no part in the case

Notes and references

  1. ^ "Supreme Court Research Guide". Georgetown Law Library. Retrieved April 7, 2021.
  2. ^ Epstein, Richard A. (1984). "Toward a Revitalization of the Contract Clause". University of Chicago Law Review. 51 (3). The University of Chicago Law Review, Vol. 51, No. 3: 703–751. doi:10.2307/1599484. JSTOR 1599484.
  3. ^ Burch, Alan R. (1999). "Purchasing the Right to Govern: Winstar and the Need to Reconceptualize the Law of Regulatory Agreements". Kentucky Law Journal. 88: 245, 279. ISSN 0023-026X.
  4. ^ Arkes, Hadley (1999). "On the Novelties of an Old Constitution: Settled Principles and Unsettling Surprises". American Journal of Jurisprudence. 44: 15–42. doi:10.1093/ajj/44.1.15. ISSN 0065-8995.
  5. ^ Wright, Fred (2005). "The Effect of New Deal Real Estate Residential Finance and Foreclosure Policies Made in Response to the Real Estate Conditions of the Great Depression". Alabama Law Review. 57: 231, 240–241. ISSN 0002-4279.
  6. ^ Blaisdell, 290 U.S. 398, at 437.
  7. ^ Butler, Henry N.; Ribstein, Larry E. (1999). "Regulating Corporate Takeovers: State Anti-takeover Statutes and the Contract Clause". University of Cincinnati Law Review. 57: 611, 627. ISSN 0009-6881.