Holt’s Cigar Company, Inc. v. City of Philadelphia
Pennsylvania Supreme Court
10 A.3d 902 (2011)
- Written by Galina Abdel Aziz , JD
Facts
In 2007, the City of Philadelphia (city) (defendant) enacted an ordinance designed to prevent youth and others from purchasing cigars to empty and substitute with marijuana or other drugs. The ordinance banned the sale of flavored cigars and other tobacco products used by illicit-drug users; cigars and other tobacco products in quantities less than three; and single or flavored tobacco products within 500 feet of a school, recreation center, day care, church, or community center. The ordinance did not include a mens rea provision, so the mere sale of the banned items constituted a violation. Violators were subject to a fine of up to $2,000 and a revocation of their business-privilege license. Holt’s Cigar Company and other tobacco retailers (plaintiffs) sued the city, seeking a preliminary injunction against the ordinance’s enforcement and a declaratory judgment that the ordinance was preempted by the state’s Controlled Substance, Drug, Device, and Cosmetic Act (act).
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning (McCaffery, J.)
Dissent (Castille, C.J.)
What to do next…
Here's why 816,000 law students have relied on our case briefs:
- Written by law professors and practitioners, not other law students. 46,300 briefs, keyed to 988 casebooks. Top-notch customer support.
- The right amount of information, includes the facts, issues, rule of law, holding and reasoning, and any concurrences and dissents.
- Access in your classes, works on your mobile and tablet. Massive library of related video lessons and high quality multiple-choice questions.
- Easy to use, uniform format for every case brief. Written in plain English, not in legalese. Our briefs summarize and simplify; they don’t just repeat the court’s language.