United States Supreme Court Cases & Opinions

U.S. Supreme Court

Rorick v. Commissioners, 307 U.S. 208 (1939)

Rorick v. Board of Commissioners of Everglades Drainage Dist.

No. 554

Argued March 28, 29, 1939

Decided May 15, 1939

307 U.S. 208

Syllabus

A suit by bondholders of a state drainage district to restrain the enforcement of state statutes effecting changes in rates, collection, and disposition of taxes on lands of the district, and authority to issue bonds, etc., upon the ground that such changes unconstitutionally impair the obligations of the plaintiffs' contracts, cannot be tried under Jud.Code § 266 by a District Court of three judges, nor be appealed directly to this Court, the statutes attacked not being of general application, but affecting exclusively the particular district of the State. P. 307 U. S. 211.

Jurisdiction is not conferred in such a case by joining as defendants state officials whose duties under the statutes in question are of local, not of statewide, concern.

24 F.Supp. 458 vacated.

Appeal from a decree of the District Court, constituted of three judges, which dismissed a suit seeking an injunction against the enforcement of certain Florida statutes alleged to be unconstitutional. See also s.c., 57 F.2d 1058. This Court, finding itself without jurisdiction, vacates the decree and remands the case to the District

Page 307 U. S. 209

Court for further proceedings to be taken independently of Jud.Code § 266.