Hodges v. United States
United States Supreme Court
203 U.S. 1 (1906)
- Written by Miller Jozwiak, JD
Facts
A group of workers entered into contracts for employment with a lumber mill. The workers were of African descent. A group of White men, including Hodges (collectively, Hodges) (defendants) allegedly violently threatened the workers and told the workers to stop working at the lumber mill. The federal government charged Hodges with violating federal laws that prohibited unlawfully conspiring to intimidate others from freely exercising rights secured by the Constitution and guaranteed the right of all persons in the United States to enter into contracts in the same manner as was enjoyed by White persons. Hodges claimed that the federal statutes under which they were charged were unconstitutional because Congress did not have the power to pass such statutes. The government responded that Congress had this power under the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution, which prohibited slavery and involuntary servitude. In the district court, Hodges sought to dismiss the case on this basis. The district court denied Hodges’s motion. After a trial, the jury convicted Hodges, and Hodges appealed to the Supreme Court.
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning (Brewer, J.)
Dissent (Harlan, J.)
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