This is the U.S. Supreme Court case that ended the Lochner era of jurisprudence. It is allegedly the “switch in time that saved nine,” a reference to the Court abruptly changing course shortly after FDR announced his court packing plan. Justice Owen Roberts, in a span of a few months, changed his vote from a similar case and allowed the State of Washington, in this case, to implement a minimum wage law for women. It was another step in the direction of the intrusive, bureaucratic, centrally planned regulatory state that now exists.
LINKS
The case itself: West Coast Hotel v Parrish (1937)
The Roberts Memo, by Justice Owen Roberts, explaining why his “switch” had nothing to do with the FDR court packing threat.
The Law with D.K. Williams Facebook page
Follow The Law with D.K. Williams on Twitter @TheLawDKW