McCulloch v. Maryland, 4 Wheaton (17 U.S.) 316; 4 L. Ed. 579 (1819) Facts—Although the U.S. Constitution made no direct mention of the sub[1]ject, Congress incorporated the Bank of the United States, a branch of which it established in Baltimore.…
McGrain v. Daugherty, 273 U.S. 135; 47 S. Ct. 319; 71 L. Ed. 580 (1927) Facts—The Senate decided to investigate the activities of Harry M. Daugherty, former attorney general of the United States. It subpoenaed Mally S. Daugherty, a brother…
Watkins v. United States, 354 U.S. 178; 77 S. Ct. 1173; 1 L. Ed. 2d 1273 (1957) Facts—John T. Watkins, a labor union organizer, appeared as a witness in compliance with a subpoena issued by a subcommittee of the Committee…
Northwest Austin Municipal Utility District Number One v. Holder, 129 S. Ct. 2504; 174 L. Ed. 2d 140; 2009 U.S. LEXIS 4539 (2009) Facts—A small utility district with an elected board in Texas was required by Section 5 of the…
Crawford v. Marion County, 128 S. Ct. 1610; 170 L. Ed. 2d 574 (2008) Facts—William Crawford and other petitioners (including the Indiana Democratic Party) challenged the constitutionality of Indiana’s Voter ID Law (SEA 483) that requires citizens voting in person…
Hammer v. Dagenhart, 247 U.S. 251; 38 S. Ct. 529; 62 L. Ed. 1101 (1918) Facts—In 1916 the Keating-Owen Act was passed. This provided that commodities produced under conditions in factories where children under fourteen years of age were employed…
The Shreveport Case (Houston, E. & W. Texas Ry. Co. v. United States), 234 U.S. 342; 34 S. Ct. 833; 58 L. Ed. 1341 (1914) Facts—This case involved the power of Congress and its agent, the Interstate Commerce Commission, to…
Champion v. Ames (The Lottery Case), 188 U.S. 321; 23 S. Ct. 321; 47 L. Ed. 492 (1903) Facts—Congress passed legislation in 1895 to suppress lottery traffic through national and interstate commerce and the postal service. The regulation provided a…
Facts—Eugene V. Debs and associates, officers of the American Railway Union, had instituted a strike against the Pullman Company of Chicago. To enforce their demands, they picketed the railway cars of that company and would not allow them to either…
United States v. E. C. Knight Co., 156 U.S. 1; 15 S. Ct. 249; 39 L. Ed. 325 (1895) Facts—The government charged that the E. C. Knight Company, with four others, had contracted with the American Sugar Refining Company for…