Today in Supreme Court History: June 5

Coleman v. Miller, 307 U.S. 433 (decided June 5, 1939): there is no time limit on states ratifying proposed Constitutional Amendments (here, a Child Labor Amendment) unless Congress has set a deadline Henderson v. United States, 339 U.S. 816 (decided June 5, 1950): segregated dining cars in trains (different tables, with partition) violated Interstate Commerce Act (plaintiff had been told to take dinner in his cabin because the “reserved for blacks” tables were partly occupied by whites) Hernandez v. Commissoner, 490 U.S. 680 (decided June 5, 1989): payments to Church of Scientology for training sessions are not deductible “charitable contributions” because services were received (“quid pro quo”) Honeycutt v. United States, 581 U.S. 443 (decided June 5, 2017): brother who was co-conspirator in selling huge quantities of iodine crystals which they should have known were used to make meth not jointly liable for forfeiture of profits gained from sales because he had no ownership interest in the hardware store and received no direct income from them ​ Castillo v. United States, 530 U.S. 120 (decided June 5, 2000): additional “machinegun” language in statute criminalizing use of firearm while committing violent crime was an element of the crime and not a sentencing factor United States v. Jin Fuey Moy, 241 U.S. 394 (decided June 5, 1916): statute imposing registration and tax requirement on prescription of opium did not apply to defendant who was not among class of persons required to register Cubbins v. Mississippi River Comm’n, 241 U.S. 351 (decided June 5, 1916): suit against commission for damages as to flooding of riverside property caused by construction of levees dismissed as barred by sovereign immunity (of the United States) which had created the commission Zedner v. United States, 547 U.S. 489 (decided June 5, 2006): bank fraud defendant not bound by permanent waiver of right to speedy trial which judge encouraged him to sign early on Stump v. Sparkman, 435 U.S. 349 (decided June 5, 1978): dismissing suit against judge who granted mother’s petition to have her daughter’s tubes tied and she underwent procedure being told it was an appendectomy; judge committed “grave procedural error” but was immune from suit because he did have jurisdiction over the petition Troxel v. Granville, 530 U.S. 57 (decided June 5, 2000): State of Washington statute allowing “any person” to petition for visitation rights “at any time” without showing of parental malfeasance interfered with parent’s Due Process right to raise child (grandparents wanted to visit their deceased son’s children -- he had died by suicide -- but the mother wanted only “one short visit” per month -- there’s more to this story!)