United States Supreme Court Cases & Opinions

U.S. Supreme Court

Heald v. District of Columbia, 254 U.S. 20 (1920)

Heald v. District of Columbia

No. 300

Argued October 18, 1920

Decided November 8, 1920

254 U.S. 20

Syllabus

The Court of Appeals of the District of Columbia has not power to certify questions to this Court under Jud.Code, § 251, nor has this Court power to entertain such certificate, in a case wherein the judgment or decree of the Court of Appeals would be reviewable here by error or appeal under § 250. P. 254 U. S. 21. Arant v. Lane, 245 U. S. 166.

A judgment or decree of that court is so reviewable here, under the third paragraph of Jud.Code, § 250, when it involves the constitutionality as well as the construction of an act of Congress, though the act be local to the District of Columbia. P. 254 U. S. 22. American Security & Trust Co. v. District of Columbia, 224 U. S. 491, distinguished.

The power to construe a statute is a necessary incident of the power to determine its constitutionality. P. 254 U. S. 23.

Paragraphs third and sixth of Jud.Code, § 250, being reenactments of preexisting law, must retain the settled meaning attached to them before reenactment in the absence of plain implication to the contrary. Id.

Dismissed.

The case is stated in the opinion.