United States v. Reynolds
| United States v. Reynolds | |
|---|---|
|
|
| Argued October 21, 1952 Decided March 9, 1953 |
|
| Full case name | United States v. Reynolds, Certiorari to the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit |
| Citations | 345 U.S. 1 (more)
73 S.Ct. 528; 97 L.Ed. 727;
|
| Prior history | judgments entered in favor of the plaintiffs upheld, 192 F.2d 987 (1951) |
| Holding | |
| In this case, there was a valid claim of privilege under Rule 34; and a judgment based under Rule 37 on refusal to produce the documents subjected the United States to liability to which Congress did not consent by the Federal Tort Claims Act. | |
| Court membership | |
| Case opinions | |
| Majority | Vinson, joined by Reed, Douglas, Burton, Clark, Minton |
| Dissent | Black |
| Dissent | Frankfurter |
| Dissent | Jackson |
| Laws applied | |
| Federal Tort Claims Act | |
United States v. Reynolds, 345 U.S. 1 (1953), is a landmark legal case in 1953 that saw the formal recognition of the State Secrets Privilege, a judicially recognized extension of presidential power.
Three employees of the Radio Corporation of America, an Air Force contractor, were killed when a B-29 Superfortress crashed in 1948 in Waycross, Georgia. Their widows brought an action in tort seeking damages in federal court, under the Federal Tort Claims Act. As part of this action, they requested production of accident reports concerning the crash, but were told by the Air Force that the release of such details would threaten national security. Because of the failure of the government to produce the documents, a directed verdict in favor of the plaintiffs was granted by the trial court. The judgment was affirmed by the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. The United States Supreme Court reversed the decision, and remanded it to the trial court. After this, a settlement was reached with the widows, who received an aggregate sum of $170,000 in exchange for a release of liability to the Government.
In this case, there was a valid claim of privilege under Rule 34; and a judgment based under Rule 37 on refusal to produce the documents subjected the United States to liability which Congress did not consent by the Federal Tort Claims Act.
...
Wikipedia