Today in Supreme Court History: August 27, 1948

8/27/1948: Chief Justice Charles Evans Hughes dies.

Chief Justice Charles Evans Hughes

Comments

[Mr. Bumble]

An interesting life and career.

[Dan Schiavetta]

In re Disbarment of N. Deday LaRene, 518 U.S. 1046 (decided August 27, 1996): criminal defense attorney disbarred after he got in with his gangster clients and was indicted for embezzlement and tax evasion (73 F.3d 64), though that didn’t slow him down: see his firm’s web site, http://www.lareneandkriger.com, which says he’s been a member of the Supreme Court bar since 1977, even though he’s never been reinstated

[JoeFromtheBronx]

Hughes had two stints at the Supreme Court, resigning the first time to run for president. John Rutledge also was Chief Justice after serving a previous term as an associate justice.

Missed yesterday: ALABAMA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS, ET AL. v. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES. A 6-3 ruling on 8/26/21 vacated a stay & blocked the Biden administration from enforcing the latest federal moratorium on evictions.

https://amylhowe.com/2021/08/26/court-lifts-federal-ban-on-evictions/

[Technically, it was a per curiam with three justices publicly dissenting.]

[Dan Schiavetta]

Thanks. Will add that next time.

[Mr. Bumble]

Close elections are nothing new. Wilson won the popular vote in 1916 by about 600,000 vote but secured the presidency by winning California by less than 4000 votes.

[Syd Henderson]

Supposedly Wilson went to bed thinking he had lost. I've alwys thought Hughes' loss was a shame, but if Germany had done as they really did, we would have had to go to war. They may have been banking on Mexico being hostile to Wilson himself.

[The Margrave of Azilia]

IIRC Hughes ran on a platform of aiding the Allies in WWI. Imagine the consequences if he'd been elected!

[CJColucci]

Aren't we about due for a new biography of Hughes? Merlo Pusey's two-volume doorstop is over 60 years old.