Porterfield v. Webb, 28

Decision Date12 November 1923
Docket NumberNo. 28,28
PartiesPORTERFIELD et al. v. WEBB, Attorney General of California, et al
CourtU.S. Supreme Court

Mr. Louis Marshall, of New York City, for appellants.

[Argument of Counsel from pages 225-227 intentionally omitted] Mr. U. S. Webb, of San Francisco, Cal., for appellees.

[Argument of Counsel from pages 228-230 intentionally omitted] Mr. Justice BUTLER delivered the opinion of the Court.

Appellants brought this suit to enjoin the above-named Attorney General and district attorney from enforcing the California Alien Land Law, submitted by the initiative, and approved by the electors, November 2, 1920 (St. 1921, p. lxxxiii).

Appellants are residents of California. Porterfield is a citizen of the United States and of California. Mizuno was born in Japan of Japanese parents and is a subject of the emperor of Japan. Porterfield is the owner of a farm in Los Angeles county containing 80 acres of land, which is particularly adapted to raising vegetables, and which for some years has been devoted to that and other agricultural purposes. The complaint alleges that Mizuno is a capable farmer and a desirable person to become a tenant of the land, and that Porterfield desires to lease the land to him for a term of five years, and that he desires to accept the lease, and that the lease would be made, but for the act complained of, and it is alleged that the appellees, as Attorney General and district attorney, have threatened to enforce the act against the appellants if they enter into such lease, and will forfeit, or attempt to forfeit, the leasehold interest to the state, and will prosecute the appellants criminally for violation of the act. It is further alleged that the act is so drastic, and the penalties attached to a violation of it are so great, that neither of the appellants may make the lease, even for the purpose of testing the constitutionality of the act, and that, unless the court shall determine its validity in this suit, appellants will be compelled to submit to it, whether valid or invalid, and thereby will be deprived of their property without due process of law and denied equal protection of the laws.

Appellants made a motion for a temporary injunction to restrain appellees, during the pendency of the suit, from bringing or permitting to be brought any proceeding for the purpose of enforcing the act against the appellants. This was heard by three judges as provided in section 266 of the Judicial Code (Comp. St. § 1243). The motion was denied.

The act provides in sections 1 and 2 as follows:

'Section 1. All aliens eligible to citizenship under the laws of the United States may acquire, possess, enjoy, transmit, and inherit real property, or any interest therein, in this state, in the same manner and to the same extent as citizens of the United States, except as otherwise provided by the laws of this state.

'See. 2. All aliens other than those mentioned in section one of this act may acquire, possess, enjoy and transfer real property, or any interest therein, in this state, in the manner and to the extent and for the purpose prescribed by any treaty now existing between the government of the United States and the nation or country of which such alien is a citizen or subject, and not otherwise.'

Other sections provide penalties by escheat and...

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27 cases
  • Sei Fujii v. State
    • United States
    • United States State Supreme Court (California)
    • April 17, 1952
    ...the question is foreclosed by decisions of the United States Supreme Court rendered in 1923 upholding the statute. Porterfield v. Webb, 263 U.S. 225, 44 S.Ct. 21, 68 L.Ed. 278; Webb v. O'Brien, 263 U.S. 313, 44 S.Ct. 112, 68 L.Ed. 318; Frick v. Webb, 263 U.S. 326, 44 S.Ct. 115, 68 L.Ed. 323......
  • Graham v. Richardson Sailer v. Leger
    • United States
    • United States Supreme Court
    • June 14, 1971
    ...333, 21 S.Ct. 390, 45 L.Ed. 557 (1901). 9 Terrace v. Thompson, 263 U.S. 197, 44 S.Ct. 15, 68 L.Ed. 255 (1923); Porterfield v. Webb, 263 U.S. 225, 44 S.Ct. 21, 68 L.Ed. 278 (1923); Webb v. O'Brien, 263 U.S. 313, 44 S.Ct. 112, 68 L.Ed. 318 (1923); Frick v. Webb, 263 U.S. 326, 44 S.Ct. 115, 68......
  • Torao Takahashi v. Fish and Game Commission, 533
    • United States
    • United States Supreme Court
    • June 7, 1948
    ...Fraser v. McConway & Torley Co., C.C., 82 F. 257. 8 Terrace v. Thompson, 263 U.S. 197, 44 S.Ct. 15, 68 L.Ed. 255; Porterfield v. Webb, 263 U.S. 225, 44 S.Ct. 21, 68 L.Ed. 278; Webb v. O'Brien, 263 U.S. 313, 44 S.Ct. 112, 68 L.Ed. 318; Frick v. Webb, 263 U.S. 326, 44 S.Ct. 115, 68 L.Ed. 323.......
  • Oyama v. State of California
    • United States
    • United States Supreme Court
    • January 19, 1948
    ...cases decided within a week of each other in 1923: Terrace v. Thompson, 263 U.S. 197, 44 S.Ct. 15, 68 L.Ed. 255; Porterfield v. Webb, 263 U.S. 225, 44 S.Ct. 21, 68 L.Ed. 278; Webb v. O'Brien, 263 U.S. 313, 44 S.Ct. 112, 68 L.Ed. 318; and Frick v. Webb, 263 U.S. 326, 44 S.Ct. 115, 68 L.Ed. 1......
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