Today in Supreme Court History: October 19, 1789

10/19/1789: Chief Justice John Jay takes oath.

Chief Justice John Jay

Comments

[Dan Schiavetta]

Comm'r of Internal Revenue v. McCoy, 484 U.S. 3 (decided October 19, 1987): Court of Appeals can't award equitable relief (forgiving interest on tax deficiency) that was not available to trial court

Druggan v. Anderson, 269 U.S. 36 (decided October 19, 1925): Congress can pass statute restricting alcohol any time after the Eighteenth Amendment was ratified even though not in effect yet (18A on its terms became effective one year after ratification)

United States v. Maryland Savings-Share Ins. Corp., 400 U.S. 4 (decided October 19, 1970): tax exemption applicable to nonprofits organized after a certain date did not discriminate against nonprofits organized prior

[The Margrave of Azilia]

Jay left the bench to become governor of New York, and as governor he signed a law he had helped to promote, An Act for the Gradual Abolition of Slavery.

(Not as good a law as it could have been - the gradual part was a bit too gradual - but it was accurately labelled)

[Dan Schiavetta]

That robe really hides it but he weighed about 100 lbs. Only the oyster has a higher packaging to payload ratio.