United States Supreme Court Cases & Opinions

U.S. Supreme Court

Alabama v. Arizona, 291 U.S. 286 (1934)

Alabama v. Arizona

No. ___, original

Argued January 9, 1934

Decided February 5, 1934

291 U.S. 286

Syllabus

1. A bill by a state seeking to enjoin five other states from enforcing their statutes against open market sale of products of prison labor, upon the ground that such statutes, and an Act of Congress purporting to divest such products of their interstate character, operate unconstitutionally to deprive the complainant of its interstate markets for goods produced in its prison farms and factories, held multifarious. Bitterman v. Louisville & N. R. Co., 207 U. S. 205. P. 291 U. S. 290.

2. This Court may not be called on to give advisory opinions or to pronounce declaratory judgments. P. 291 U. S. 291.

3. Application by a state for leave to file a bill to enjoin other states from enforcing their laws will not be granted unless the facts alleged

Page 291 U. S. 287

are clearly sufficient to call for decree in it favor and the threatened injury is clearly shown to be serious and imminent. P. 291 U. S. 291.

4. In the absence of specific showing to the contrary, it will be presumed that no state will attempt to enforce an unconstitutional enactment to the detriment of another. P. 292.

5. In a suit by a state to prevent other states from enforcing their statutes, the burden upon the plaintiff to establish fully and clearly all essential elements of is case is greater than that generally required to be borne by one seeking an injunction in a suit between private parties. P. 291 U. S. 292.

Leave to file denied.

Application by the State of Alabama for leave to file a bill for an injunction against five other states.

Page 291 U. S. 288