Today in Supreme Court History: February 4

Dice v. Akron, Canton & Youngstown R.R. Co., 342 U.S. 359 (decided February 4, 1952): release of personal injury defendant sued under Federal Employers’ Liability Act is determined by federal, not state, law and issue of whether release was obtained by fraud is to be tried by a jury

Martino v. Michigan Window Cleaning Co., 327 U.S. 173 (decided February 4, 1946): can sue for inadequate overtime under Fair Labor Standards Act even though union contract allowed it (superseded by statute, see 186 Wash. 2d 357)

Canizio v. New York, 327 U.S. 82 (decided February 4, 1946): 19-year-old denied right to counsel after arrest could not show prejudice because represented by counsel at pleading stage and at trial (presumably overruled by later Court decisions)

Estep v. United States, 327 U.S. 114 (decided February 4, 1946): defendants prosecuted for refusing induction into armed services; Congress can provide that findings of local draft boards are final and cannot be judicially reviewed but court can review argument that board acted outside its scope of authority

Jurney v. MacCracken, 294 U.S. 125 (decided February 4, 1935): Congress can punish for contempt even though subpoenaed records had been destroyed, making subpoena moot (witness was suspected of corruption in awarding air mail contracts and Congress had him imprisoned for ten days)