Lochner v. New York

Holding

the court agreed with lochner in a 5-4 decision

Government Action or Statute in Question

1897 Labor Law, Does the due process clause of the Fifth Amendment and Fourteenth Amendment protect liberty of contract and private property against unwarranted government interference?

Provision of the Constitution at Issue

5th and 14th Amendments

Facts

Facts: NY statute max. hours bakers could work: 10 hours/ day, 60 hours a week Lochner owned a bakery, he was convicted of violating the law, was convicted in NY courts Appealed to SCOTUS that his liberty to enter into contracts as guaranteed by the 14th amendment The 1897 Labor Law stated that no employee can be required or permitted to work in a biscuit, bread, or cake bakery or confectionery establishment more than sixty hours in a week or more than ten hours in one day, unless to make work on the last day of the week shorter. And the number of hours worked in a week could not average out to be more than ten hours per day. The 1897 Labor Law limiting the hours that an employee in a biscuit, bread, or cake bakery or confectionery establishment may work is an abridgement to their liberty of contract and a violation of due process.

Dissent

Justice Harlan's dissent cites evidence ignored by peckham of relationship between the health of bakers, and the hours that they work Justice Holmes dissents criticizes the majority for ideological decision making proposes "resonable man" theory** suggests that he majority is not rational or fair

Reasoning of the Majority

Justice peckham for majority law not a valid exercise of the state's police power, it interferes with the liberty of contract it was not a valid labor law and not a valid health and welfare measure pECKHAM , said the interest of the public was not in the slightest degree of the legislatio to permit the bakers hours would be to allow general legislation to impact regulations the court made it clear that it was up to the court whether health of employees warrants state protection majority opposed to "meddlesome interference with the rights of the individual" peckham ignores the bargaining power of workers regulatory legislation resumed unconstitutional; state must demonstrate law's reasonableness

Doctrines

Lochner is one of the most controversial decisions in the Supreme Court's history, giving its name to what is known as the Lochner era. In the Lochner era, the Supreme Court issued several controversial decisions invalidating federal and state statutes that sought to regulate working conditions during the Progressive Era and the Great Depression. but it took a narrow view of states' police powers