Today in Supreme Court History: December 24

Missouri Kansas & Texas Ry. Co. of Texas v. Ferris, 179 U.S. 602 (decided December 24, 1900): no federal question presented by Texas statute providing that refusal to answer at deposition is not an admission as to a corporate party (this was a civil case, wrongful death)

Gatewood v. North Carolina, 203 U.S. 531 (decided December 24, 1906): nominal stock exchange where no stocks were actually bought or sold (instead, members were awarded difference between sale price and market price) was actually a “bucket shop”, i.e., illegal betting (isn’t this perfectly legal now -- it’s called the stock index futures market?)

Noyd v. Bond, 393 U.S. 1048 (decided December 24, 1968): Douglas springs Capt. Noyd from jail in time for Christmas; Noyd was appealing court-martial for protesting the Vietnam War by refusing to instruct an officer how to fly a military airplane (Court later dismissed Noyd’s suit because he had not exhausted his military appeals, 395 U.S. 683, 1969)