In re Debs
| In re Debs | |
|---|---|
| Argued March 25–26, 1895 Decided May 27, 1895 | |
| Full case name | In re Eugene V. Debs, Petitioner |
| Citations | 158 U.S. 564 (more) 15 S. Ct. 900; 39 L. Ed. 1092; 1895 U.S. LEXIS 2279 |
| Holding | |
| The court ruled that the government had a right to regulate interstate commerce and ensure the operations of the Postal Service, along with a responsibility to "ensure the general welfare of the public." | |
| Court membership | |
| |
| Case opinion | |
| Majority | Brewer, joined by unanimous |
| Laws applied | |
| Commerce Clause | |
Superseded by | |
| Lauf v. E. G. Shinner Co., 303 U.S. 323 (1938) | |
Abrogated by | |
| Norris-LaGuardia Act of 1932 | |
In re Debs, 158 U.S. 564 (1895), was a labor law case of the United States Supreme Court, which upheld a contempt of court conviction against Eugene V. Debs. Debs had the American Railway Union continue its 1894 Pullman Strike in violation of a federal injunction ordering labor unions back to work. The Supreme Court held that the federal government's Commerce Clause authority includes the ability to regulate the labor conditions of railways.