Bruner v. United States (343 U.S. 112)
U.S. Supreme Court · decided March 24, 1952 · Supreme Court Database (Spaeth)
- Citation
- 343 U.S. 112 · 72 S. Ct. 581
- Docket
- No. 391
- Argued
- January 30, 1952
- Decided
- March 24, 1952
- Term
- October Term 1951
- Vote
- 7–2
- Majority author
- Justice Vinson
- Issue area
- Judicial Power
- Disposition
- Affirmed
- Outcome
- Petitioning party lost
- Ideological direction
- Conservative
How the Justices voted
- Majority
- Chief Justice Vinson (wrote), Justice Minton, Justice Clark, Justice Burton, Justice R. H. Jackson, Justice Frankfurter, Justice Reed
- Dissenting
- Justice Douglas, Justice Black
Opinion excerpt
Mr. Chief Justice Vinson delivered the opinion of the Court. In 1941, petitioner was appointed a civilian fire chief at Camp Wheeler, Georgia, by a local army commander acting under authority delegated by the Secretary of War. In 1948, petitioner brought this action in the District Court to recover overtime compensation allegedly due for his services as fire chief. Jurisdiction to enter judgment against the United States was based on the Tucker Act which granted to the District Court jurisdiction, concurrent with the Court of Claims, over certain civil actions against the United States. At the time this action was commenced, Congress had provided that nothing in the Tucker Act shall be construed as giving the District Court— “jurisdiction of cases brought to recover fees, salary, or compensation for official services of officers of the United States or brought for such purpose by persons claiming as such officers or as assignees or legal representatives thereof; but no suit pending on the 27th day of June 1898 shall abate or be affected by this provision.” The District Court, holding that petitioner was an “officer of the United States,” entered judgment dismissing petitioner’s complaint for want of jurisdiction. The Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit affirmed. 189 F. 2d 255. In Beal v. United States, 182 F. 2d 565 (1950), the Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit…
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