Today in Supreme Court History: March 17

Patton v. Brady, 184 U.S. 608 (decided March 17, 1902): upholding extra tax on already taxed goods (on manufactured tobacco under War Revenue Act of 1898, Spanish-American War)

United States v. Florida, 420 U.S. 531 (decided March 17, 1975): Submerged Lands Act of 1953 supersedes Florida’s 1868 State Constitution insofar as setting seaward boundaries

First Nat’l Bank of Columbus, O. v. Louisiana Highway Comm’n, 264 U.S. 308 (decided March 17, 1924): jurisdictional minimum for diversity (then $3,000) not met where plaintiff alleged loss of land that would have been worth more than that if government had routed highway correctly

Tank Truck Rentals, Inc. v. Comm’r of Internal Revenue, 356 U.S. 30 (decided March 17, 1958): trucker can’t deduct fines for innocent (as opposed to willful) weight violations for income tax purposes

U.S. Dept. of Agriculture v. Remund, 330 U.S. 539 (decided March 17, 1947): Farm Credit Administration is “United States” under 31 U.S.C. §191 (now 31 U.S.C. §3713), so unpaid debt due it by decedent takes priority in probate

Metropolitan Cas. Ins. Co. v. Stevens, 312 U.S. 563 (decided March 17, 1941): Removal did not used to be self-executing; the state court had to order it, and one could appeal the order (in state court).  Or one could just go to federal court.  This case shows the resulting mess, and sets rules as to what proceedings are valid.

Staten Island Rapid Transit Ry. Co. v. Phoenix Indem. Co., 281 U.S. 98 (decided March 17, 1930): This New York case is an example of the rarely-used (and to my mind under-used) “action on agreed facts” (now CPLR R. 3222), which allows suit to be brought in the first instance in the Appellate Division (because only questions of law are at issue).  Here, the Court upholds a statute allowing an insurer to recoup worker’s compensation benefits after a wrongful death suit settles.

FTC v. American Tobacco Co., 264 U.S. 298 (decided March 17, 1924): tobacco company did not have to comply with FTC investigation authorized by Senate; statute allowed FTC to investigate only antitrust violations (and none alleged here)

South Dakota v. Collins, 249 U.S. 220 (decided March 17, 1919): An example of a state suing an individual directly in the Supreme Court under the Court’s original jurisdiction.  Here, the state treasurer pocketed interest on the state’s bank accounts.  Amazing he thought he could get away with it.  He didn’t.

Burrow-Giles Lithographic Co. v. Sarony, 111 U.S. 53 (decided March 17, 1884): posed photo is copyrightable (this was the famous photo of OscarWilde, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oscar_Wilde#/media/File: Oscar_Wilde_by_Napoleon_Sarony._Three-quarter-length_photograph_seated.jpg)