Today in Supreme Court History: October 16

Charlotte Harbor & N. Ry. Co. v. Welles, 260 U.S. 8 (decided October 16, 1922): Florida Legislature can ratify county’s ultra vires creation of new bridge district which overlapped existing district (the effect of which was to add a toll to an existing bridge)

Bitter v. United States, 389 U.S. 15 (decided October 16, 1967): Mail fraud defendant, who had been on time at every appearance, was 37 minutes late in returning from a recess. So the judge stuck him in a jail 40 miles away for the rest of the trial, denying repeated requests from counsel for release. Trial resulted in a conviction, which the Court overturns because of violation of right to counsel.

Coleman v. Alabama, 389 U.S. 22 (decided October 16, 1967): fact that no black had ever served on a grand jury (and few on petit juries) was prima facie case of violation of Equal Protection which State failed to rebut (conviction of John “Big Time” Coleman was for murder of a white man, John D. “Screwdriver” Johnson; so Coleman’s motion for a new trial was granted; no word on what happened on retrial) (every man in Alabama had a nickname in those days)