Today in Supreme Court History: April 15, 1931

4/15/1931: Stromberg v. California argued.

Comments

[Michael P]

Slightly off topic: What are the most interesting cases that the Court has heard in rem? The Sabine (1879)? United States v. Ninety-Five Barrels Alleged Apple Cider Vinegar (1924)? Marcus v. Search Warrant (1961)? One 1958 Plymouth Sedan v. Pennsylvania (1965)?

I would say "interesting" includes both an interesting or amusing object as a "party" as well as being historically or legally significant.

[defaultdotxbe]

I don't know how interesting the cases themselves are, but I do love the titles of in rem cases

United States v. Article Consisting of 50,000 Cardboard Boxes More or Less, Each Containing One Pair of Clacker Balls (1976)

United States v. One Lucite Ball Containing Lunar Material (One Moon Rock) and One Ten Inch by Fourteen Inch Wooden Plaque (2001)

R.M.S. Titanic, Inc. v. The Wrecked and Abandoned Vessel, R.M.S. Titanic (2002)

United States v. Approximately 64,695 Pounds of Shark Fins (2008)

South Dakota v. Fifteen Impounded Cats (2010)

United States v. One Tyrannosaurus Bataar Skeleton (2013)

[Syd Henderson]

After having Plessy v. Ferguson and The Slaughterhouse cases in the last week and Dred Scott before that, this case comes as a relief. (Although Communist summer youth camps do sound a bit alarming.)

[Cal Cetín]

Nowadays, enthusiasm for the First Amendment is flagging.