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Hannah v. Larche, 363 U.S. 420 (1960)
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General SummaryThis case is from a collection containing the full text of over 16,000 Supreme Court cases from 1793 to the present. The body of Supreme Court decisions are, effectively, the final interpretation of the Constitution. Only an amendment to the Constitution can permanently overturn an interpretation and this has happened only four times in American history.
Hannah v. Larche, 363 U.S. 420 (1960)
Hannah v. Larche No. 549 Argued January 18-19, 1960 Decided June 20, 1960 * 363 U.S. 420
APPEAL FROM THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR THE WESTERN DISTRICT OF LOUISIANA
Syllabus
The Civil Rights Act of 1957 created in the Executive Branch of the Government a Commission on Civil Rights to investigate written, sworn allegations that persons have been discriminatorily deprived of their right to vote on account of their color, race, religion, or national origin, to study and collect information "concerning legal developments constituting a denial of equal protection of the laws," and to report to the President and Congress. The Commission is authorized to subpoena witnesses and documents and to conduct hearings. The Act prescribes certain rules of procedure; but nothing in the Act requires the Commission to afford persons accused of discrimination the right to be apprised as to the specific charges against them or as to the identity of their accusers, or the right to confront and cross-examine witnesses appearing at Commission hearings; and the Commission prescribed supplementary rules of procedure which deny such rights in hearings conducted by it.
Held:
1. In the light of the legislative history of the Act, the Commission was authorized by Congress to adopt such rules of procedure. Pp. 430-439.
2. Since the Commission makes no adjudications, but acts solely as an investigative and factfinding agency, these rules of procedure do not violate the Due Process Clause of the Fifth Amendment. Morgan v. United States, 304 U.S. 1; Joint Anti-Fascist Refugee Committee v. McGrath, 341 U.S. 123; Greene v. McElroy, 360 U.S. 474, distinguished. Pp. 440-452.
3. Such rules of procedure do not violate the Sixth Amendment, since that Amendment is specifically limited to "criminal prosecutions," and the proceedings of the Commission do not fall in that category. P. 440 n. 16.
4. The Civil Rights Act of 1957 is appropriate legislation under the Fifteenth Amendment. P. 452.
5. Section 7 of the Administrative Procedure Act is not applicable to hearings conducted by this Commission. Pp. 452-453.
177 F.Supp. 816 reversed.
Contents:
Chicago: U.S. Supreme Court, "Syllabus," Hannah v. Larche, 363 U.S. 420 (1960) in 363 U.S. 420 363 U.S. 421. Original Sources, accessed November 24, 2024, http://originalsources.com/Document.aspx?DocID=WQHC8BK3ESYCDKS.
MLA: U.S. Supreme Court. "Syllabus." Hannah v. Larche, 363 U.S. 420 (1960), in 363 U.S. 420, page 363 U.S. 421. Original Sources. 24 Nov. 2024. http://originalsources.com/Document.aspx?DocID=WQHC8BK3ESYCDKS.
Harvard: U.S. Supreme Court, 'Syllabus' in Hannah v. Larche, 363 U.S. 420 (1960). cited in 1960, 363 U.S. 420, pp.363 U.S. 421. Original Sources, retrieved 24 November 2024, from http://originalsources.com/Document.aspx?DocID=WQHC8BK3ESYCDKS.
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