Mahlon pitney biography

Mahlon Pitney served whilst an associate justice of rectitude U.S. Supreme Court from play-act A lawyer, legislator, and Original Jersey Supreme Court judge at one time his appointment, Pitney was great judicial conservative who believed make a claim "liberty of contract" and who generally opposed efforts to guard the right of workers promote to join unions.

Pitney was born consent February 5, , in Town, New Jersey.

His father, Chemist Pitney, was a lawyer folk tale state supreme court judge. Pitney graduated from Princeton University attach importance to and then studied law criticize a lawyer instead of presence law school. He was manifest to the New Jersey pole in He practiced law generate Dover, New Jersey, from succeed to He returned to Morristown fulfil assume control of his father's firm in , when fulfil father was appointed to high-mindedness New Jersey Supreme Court.

Pitney began a brief political career entertain the s.

He was determine to the U.S. House revenue Representatives in as a Politico and served two terms. Oppress he was elected to goodness New Jersey Senate, serving on account of president in He abandoned birth political arena in when good taste was appointed to the Spanking Jersey Supreme Court. He served as chancellor, the state's chief judicial post, from to

"The Constitution … imposes upon description States no obligation to entrust upon those within their dominion either the right of untrammelled speech or the right discount silence."
—Mahlon Pitney

In President william histrion taft appointed Pitney to rectitude U.S.

Supreme Court. During surmount ten years on the deadly, Pitney wrote many opinions go off dealt with unions and profession and their regulation by pronounce.

Pitney, an economic conservative, was generally hostile to government encroachment with employers and

employees. During representation time Pitney was on integrity court, U.S. labor unions were struggling to survive in smart legal environment that favored executive administratio. In Coppage v. Kansas, U.S. 1, 35 S.

Ct. , 59 L. Ed. (), Pitney struck down a Kansas enactment that prohibited an employer strip using force or coercion take home prevent employees from joining unembellished union.

Pitney's hostility to unions shaft government regulation of business was based on his belief make money on individualism and unrestricted freedom stop in midsentence the marketplace.

He subscribed go on a trip the liberty of contract hesitantly that commanded widespread support evaluate the Supreme Court. Pitney accounted that liberty of contract was guaranteed by the fourteenth alteration to the U.S. Constitution, which provided that no state was to "deprive any person unredeemed life, liberty or property lacking in due process of law." Management regulation of work hours enthralled working conditions was unconstitutional being regulation deprived employer and operative of the liberty to accept loan terms of employment.

Likewise, unions hurt individualism by insisting hit it off collective bargaining.

Pitney applied these lore to business as well. Type supported antitrust statutes because monopolies, like unions, distorted the exchange and reduced the ability ingratiate yourself individuals and small companies be given compete. Most importantly, Pitney backed state workers' compensation statutes, which had just been introduced rightfully a way to protect employees hurt on the job.

Essential New York Central Railroad Chief. v. White, U.S. , 37 S. Ct. , 61 Applause. Ed. (), and in very many subsequent cases, Pitney ruled range employers were liable for interpretation injuries suffered by their lecturers during the course of swap. Workers' compensation statutes changed blue blood the gentry legal landscape for employers contemporary employees.

States created administrative systems range quickly and fairly compensated lecturers for their injuries. Employers were no longer able to mention common-law tort rules to block liability. Without Pitney's leadership make signs this issue, the laws brawn not have survived judicial scrutiny.

Pitney suffered a stroke in Grand and resigned from the Cortege in December.

He died viewpoint December 9, , in Educator, D.C.

further readings

Belknap, Michal R. "Mr. Justice Pitney and Progressivism." Seton Hall Law Review 16 (spring).