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District of Columbia v. John R. Thompson Co.

346 U.S. 100 (1953)

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District of Columbia v. John R. Thompson Co.

United States Supreme Court
346 U.S. 100 (1953)

Facts

The District of Columbia (the district) (plaintiff) commenced a criminal proceeding against John R. Thompson Co. (Thompson) (defendant), asserting that Thompson had refused to serve Black customers at one of Thompson’s restaurants. The criminal information alleged violations of antidiscrimination statutes passed by the district’s legislative assembly in 1872 and 1873. Those statutes prohibited discrimination or refusal of service on racial grounds. Although the district’s form of government had changed since the statutes were enacted, Congress had never repealed the statutes or authorized a legislative assembly in the district to repeal them. The municipal court quashed the information, and an appellate court held that the statutes were unenforceable and that the information should be dismissed. The appellate court said that the United States Congress had the constitutional authority to delegate municipal legislative powers, but not general legislative powers, to the district. The court reasoned that the antidiscrimination statutes fell under the category of general legislative powers and thus could be enacted only by Congress. The United States Supreme Court granted certiorari.

Rule of Law

Issue

Holding and Reasoning (Douglas, J.)

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