Hill v. United States (300 U.S. 105)/Opinion of the Court

The relator, Weiner, was convicted in a federal District Court for violating a decree entered against him and numerous others by that court in a suit in equity brought by the United States under the Sherman Anti-Trust Act, Title 15 U.S.C. §§ 1, 2, 4 (15 U.S.C.A. §§ 1, 2, 4). He, with others, was charged by information with the commission of several specified acts in violation of the decree, constituting criminal contempts. Upon a trial before the court sitting without a jury, he was found guilty and sentenced for certain of the contempts to imprisonment for six months in the House of Detention, and for other contempts for two years additional in the penitentiary. Upon his application and consent, the first part of the sentence was increased from six months in the House of Detention to a year and a day in the penitentiary, but to run concurrently with the two years' imprisonment.

On June 5, 1935, he was committed to the penitentiary. At the end of eleven months, he applied by petition to another federal District Court to be discharged on habeas corpus, on the ground that the first court was without power to sentence him for a period of more than six months; and, having served that long, that he was entitled to be set at liberty.

The District Court accepted that view, granted the writ, and ordered the relator discharged. 11 F.Supp. 195. Upon appeal, the court below affirmed the order. (C.C.A.) 84 F.(2d) 27.

The case involves a consideration of sections 21, 22, and 24 of the Clayton Act, Title 28 U.S.C. §§ 386, 387, and 389 (28 U.S.C.A. §§ 386, 387, 389). Section 21, so far as pertinent, provides that any person who shall willfully disobey any lawful decree of the federal District Court by doing any act or thing thereby forbidden to be done by him, if of a character to constitute also a criminal offense under any statute of the United States or laws of any state in which the act was committed, shall be proceeded against as thereafter provided. Section 22 provides for trial by the court, or, upon demand of the accused, by a jury. If found guilty, punishment is to be either by fine or imprisonment or both, in the discretion of the court, 'but in no case shall the fine to be paid to the United States exceed, in case the accused is a natural person, the sum of $1,000, nor shall such imprisonment exceed the term of six months.' Section 24, however, provides that 'nothing herein contained (§§ 21, 22, 23, 25 (in sections 386 to 388 and 390 of this title)) shall be construed to relate to contempts * *  * committed in disobedience of any lawful *  *  * decree *  *  * entered in any suit or action brought or prosecuted in the name of, or on behalf in the matter of punishment so arbitrary as to deny due process of law to relator. Whatever may be the restraint against discriminatory legislation imposed by the due process of law clause of the Fifth Amendment, it is not encountered by the legislation here. The constitutional power of Congress to prescribe greater punishment for an offense involving the rights and property of the United States than for a like offense involving the rights or property of a private person reasonably cannot be doubted. Compare Pace v. Alabama, 106 U.S. 583, 1 S.Ct. 637, 27 L.Ed. 207.

Judgment reversed.