Sperry & Hutchinson Co. v. Rhodes, 220 U.S. 502 (1911)

Sperry & Hutchinson Company v. Rhodes

No. 128

Argued April 19, 20, 1911, for plaintiff in error
The Court declined to hear further argument
Decided May 1, 1911
220 U.S. 502

ERROR TO THE SUPREME COURT

OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK

Syllabus

The Fourteenth Amendment does not forbid statutes and statutory changes to have a beginning, and thus to discriminate between rights of an earlier and later time.

In a statute relating to the use of photographs, the fact that it applies only to those taken after the enactment does not render it unconstitutional as denying the equal protection of the law because it does not relate to those taken prior to such enactment.

Where property is not brought into existence until after a statute is passed, the owner is not deprived of his property without due process of law on account of limitations thereon imposed by such statute.

The Court of Appeals of that state having construed the statute of New York of 1903 limiting the use of photographs of persons to photographs taken after the statute went into effect, the statute is not unconstitutional as denying one owning photographs taken thereafter of his property without due process of law, or as denying equal protection of the law.

Judgment entered on authority of 193 N.Y. 223 affirmed.

The facts are stated in the opinion.