United States Supreme Court Cases & Opinions

U.S. Supreme Court

Erickson v. United States, 264 U.S. 246 (1924)

Erickson v. United States

No. 125

Argued February 20, 1924

Decided March 3, 1924

264 U.S. 246

Syllabus

1. A suit brought by the United States in the assertion of a substantial claim is within the jurisdiction of the district court under § 24 of the Judicial Code, whatever the decision on the merits. P. 264 U. S. 249.

2. Where the United States joined with the United States Spruce Production Corporation (a federal war instrumentality, cf. Clallam County v. United States, 263 U. S. 341) in an action on contracts made by the latter with the defendants, held that the case had the jurisdictional status of an action by the United States, irrespective of the merits of its claim, and that objection to the jurisdiction on the ground that the Corporation and one of

Page 264 U. S. 247

the defendants were citizen of the same state and the United States not a necessary or proper party was rightly overruled. Id.

Affirmed.

Error to a judgment of the district court to review only the question of jurisdiction in an action on contracts.