Williams et al. v. Fanning, Postmaster of Los Angeles (332 U.S. 490)
U.S. Supreme Court · decided December 8, 1947 · Supreme Court Database (Spaeth)
- Citation
- 332 U.S. 490 · 68 S. Ct. 188
- Docket
- No. 47
- Argued
- October 22, 1947
- Decided
- December 8, 1947
- Term
- October Term 1947
- Vote
- 7–2
- Majority author
- Justice Douglas
- Issue area
- Judicial Power
- Disposition
- Reversed
- Outcome
- Petitioning party won
- Ideological direction
- Liberal
How the Justices voted
- Majority
- Justice R. H. Jackson, Justice Douglas (wrote), Justice Frankfurter, Justice Reed, Justice Black, Justice Rutledge, Justice Murphy
- Dissenting
- Chief Justice Vinson, Justice Burton
Opinion excerpt
Mr. Justice Douglas delivered the opinion of the Court. This case, here on certiorari to resolve a conflict between the circuits, presents the question whether those against whom the Postmaster General has issued a postal fraud order may sue the local postmaster to enjoin him from carrying out the order or whether the Postmaster General is an indispensable party. The Postmaster General, after a hearing in Washington, D. C., found that petitioners’ weight-reducing enterprise was fraudulent. He accordingly issued a fraud order (R. S. §§3929, 4041, 39 U. S. C. §§ 259, 732) directing respondent, postmaster at Los Angeles, California (where petitioners do business) to refuse payment of any money order drawn to the order of petitioners, to advise the remitter of such money order that payment had been forbidden, and to stamp “fraudulent” on all mail matter directed to petitioners and to return it to the senders. Petitioners thereupon brought this suit in the District Court for the Southern District of California to enjoin respondent from carrying out the order, claiming that they had been deprived of the hearing to which they were entitled and that the fraud order was without the support of substantial evidence. On motion of respondent the District Court dismissed the complaint, holding in accord with the view of the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals that the Postmaster General was an…
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